By Dr. Sawraj Singh

           The present Presidential election has left America deeply divided, polarized and badly battered and shattered. The question is: can these wounds heal, and will America unite again? The wounds and the divisions are so deep that it looks very difficult if not impossible that these wounds and divisions can heal, and America can maintain its status as the only superpower in the world. America has to also reconsider its concepts of American exceptionalism and America first. American performance in this election was more like an underdeveloped or developing country rather than a developed or a mature western democracy.                                                                                                                                                                  

                 Regardless of what the counting of the votes shows, Trump is not going to accept the results and is going to challenge the results in the courts. There is a lengthy and tortuous legal course ahead. America is the most litigious society in the world. The courts are involved in almost every aspect of American life; Family matters, employment matters, practice of medicine, neighborhood conflicts, problems in religious institutions and consumer conflicts, everything is decided by the courts. Now, the electoral institutions will also be run by the courts. Even though the 2000 election was decided by the courts when Bush beat Al Gore, but it was a question of just one state, Florida. However, this time, Trump is going to challenge the results in several states. He wants to eventually take the case to the supreme court, where he has many sympathetic judges. This can put America in a state of uncertainty and chaos.                                                                                                                                                                                              

 It is not just in America but in other capitalist countries also, that people may lose faith in democracy and democratic institutions. This situation will aggravate the deep crisis through which western capitalism is passing. The biggest beneficiary can be America's biggest rival China . It can claim that capitalist democracy is a farce and the Chinese system is more efficient and stable.                                                               

                Trump has about 30 million diehard followers and regardless of the outcome of the election, they are going to do what Trump tells them to do. Therefore, America is likely to remain a deeply divided and polarized country. Even though Joe Biden has said that as a President, he will try to unite the country, yet it looks like an extremely difficult, if not impossible task.                                                                       

                One thing looks certain: American decline and loss of its only superpower status is unlikely to change. It is not just America but the whole western capitalist system that is in a state of decline. The American election is a manifestation and an indicator of the decline. The decline of the western capitalist system is a writing on the wall. However, the Indians and particularly the Punjabis, refuse to read it and continue to see their future bright only in the western capitalist countries. We should face reality rather than live in an illusion. We have to find an alternate model of development to the declining and decaying western capitalist model. We cannot solve our problems by escaping and running away from the problems; we have to face them. The chaos and confusion created by this election in the leading western capitalist country should convince us that the system is crumbling and we need to find an alternative.         

              Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at sawrajsingh@hotmail.com.