America decides

A HANDFUL of swing states in America will, come election day, decide the fate of the world.

Just as marginal seats determine who is prime minister in this country, no matter which candidate – Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – wins the popular vote, it will be tens of thousands of voters in battlegrounds who will determine who sits in the Oval Office.

The polls are tight. It is the most consequential US election in generations, not only because the candidates differ so sharply but also because of what billions around the globe have at stake. Decided on November 5 will be which vision of humanity prevails.

It is an election as consequential as the campaign has been unprecedented. Just months ago, Joe Biden, the oldest US president, made more history when he withdrew from re-election after a disastrous debate. His vice president, Ms Harris, was thrown centrestage. For the first time since Mr Trump upended politics in 2016, a figure has emerged who might break his spell.

Ms Harris is a hair’s breadth from the presidency. That astonishing fact is to her credit. A victory for her would not only prove that Mr Trump, a convicted felon, is not invulnerable; it would also break the glass ceiling for women.

And it would be a victory for reproductive freedoms, racial equality, LGBTQ rights and democracy itself, given Mr Trump’s record of undermining elections. His party has already flooded courts with spurious challenges before a single vote is counted.

The unprecedented campaign extends to its tenor and tone. Ms Harris has sought to unify all against Mr Trump’s fascism. She has pledged to appoint a Republican cabinet member; hundreds of key officials from that party have endorsed her. She has outlined plans to address prices and to improve access to elderly care, among other things. Yet, she has been held to a different standard.

Mr Trump has no policy. He is not concerned with facts. His supporters believe him to be the answer to their prayers. But he has no ideology besides a craven worship of the golden calf of power. For him, legal Haitian migrants are eating cats and dogs; Democrats are “enemies within.” His Nazi-esque rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, saw racist, misogynistic invective. He has no plan, except perhaps Project 2025.

The world cannot afford four more years of Mr Trump, who will impose dangerous tariffs, weaken NATO, appease autocrats, serve oligarchs, and deport immigrants en masse. He will explode the climate crisis. He will, yet again, divide Caricom. His stance on Nicolás Maduro will endanger TT.

Local Trump supporters are already planning a “party” on election night. But like American voters, they should be careful what they wish for.