<scendency of Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the US Presidency has raised a lot of concerns among the American public. One idea that is gaining popularity among Americans is to emigrate to a different country if Trump is President. Can we escape Trump’s policies by moving to a different state/country?
Let’s first look at the possibility of moving to a different state that could protect its citizens from the federal government. States do have local jurisdiction in policies ranging from education to infrastructure. So it’s plausible that moving to solidly blue states such as California or New York could reduce or negate the effects of Trump’s presidency. However, living or moving to a progressive state is not likely to shield you from all of Trump’s policies. For example, Muslim Americans could face more restrictions under a Trump’s presidency in the name of “national security.” Trump could expand powers of the FBI, NSA or Department of Homeland Security to increase surveillance or detain Muslims, who are perceived to be working with al-Qaeda or ISIS, which could supersede the protection of a blue state. Trump could also make abortion a federal crime, which would again overrule the powers of local states. But what about checks and balances? If Trump is elected, it’s very likely that the Senate and the House would be under Republican control. Moreover, Trump may have a shot at placing one to three justices in the Supreme Court if he is the President. Thus, it is entirely plausible that Trump can realize his radical ideas without any checks from Congress or the Supreme Court, and affect the lives of millions of Americans, regardless of where you live. How about moving to a different country? It is true that Trump will not be able to infringe on the sovereignty of a foreign country, as easily as he could with states in the US. But again, reality casts a grim shadow on this optimistic outlook. Chances are the only people who have the ability to leave the country are those who are wealthy and have access to immigration lawyers. Even if you managed to beat the odds and can move to a different country, Trump’s policies are still likely to have a significant effect on the US. Recently, Trump has suggested disassembling NATO, giving Japan and South Korea nuclear weapons and building a wall between US and Mexico. All of these policies, if realized, will cause a significant amount of damage to US relations across the globe, as well as increase the chances of war. For example, disassembling NATO could embolden the Russians, to act more aggressively against its European neighbors, raising the chance of a regional war. So, even if you can escape the US, chances are Trump’s policies will follow you wherever you go.
Considering that the odds of the exodus are not great, what can you do? We have two choices left. Either agree/stay indifferent Trump’s policies, or stand up and fight against his candidacy. Considering that the first option will most likely end in disaster, I endorse the second choice. The only way to prevent a Trump presidency will be to nominate the strongest Democratic Party candidate for the Presidency. Personally, I believe that the strongest Democratic Party candidate for President is Bernie Sanders. Key indicators suggest that he would be a stronger candidate against Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton. Firstly, Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who is viewed favorably by the public. Clinton, on the other hand, is perceived by 57% of the Americans to be untrustworthy. Plus, there is a danger that Clinton could be indicted by the FBI after she wins the Democratic Party nomination, which would greatly increase the chance of a Republican takeover of the White House. Secondly, Bernie Sanders beats Donald Trump in larger margins compared to Hillary Clinton, not only in general election match-ups but also in major battleground states across the United States.
The strength of Bernie Sanders comes from two key demographics: young voters and independents. Young voters will be pivotal in getting out the votes in the general election. Independents consist of the largest voting bloc in the United States, which would determine the victors of battleground The mainstream media and the Democratic Party has written off the candidacy of Bernie Sanders from Day 1, dismissing him as a “fringe” candidate. But time and time again, Sanders has defied the expectations of his critics and is continuing to inspire millions of people to rise and fight for their future. To best counter Trump’s divisive message, we would need to unite behind a candidate who has always fought for an equal and just society, instead of a candidate who takes positions based on the opinion polls of the day.