"Ego and lies form a deadly combination."
As of press time, most American voters have cast their ballots and are awaiting the results of the elections. It will come in a few days. Or weeks. Many things remain uncertain.
This campaign has been especially vicious. The incumbent president, Donald Trump, insults his opponent, his critics and the media. He is easy to make sweeping generalizations and spew outright lies, making things up as he goes along. His narcissism and pettiness have been evident in the way he has put others—his workers and supporters—at gareat risk.
Worse, he has shown a disdain for science and has hinted he would not accept an outcome other than a victory.
Despite the colossal incompetence with which his administration has handled the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Trump has retained a loyal base of followers who soak up his every word and who appear ready and willing to go out to the streets to assert his success in the elections at all costs.
The democrat Joseph Biden, former vice president, is said to be leading the polls—but then again, four years ago, the candidate who won the popular vote lost in the electoral college. Thus, the next few days will be crucial for the American public, and all during a period when most states are registering a record number of deaths from and new cases of COVID-19 per day.
This election has elicited much attention not only among those living with the US borders. An estimated 2 million individuals of Philippine lineage are now eligible to vote in the US, and make up a considerable chunk of the immigrant population in all states. Many of them are in the healthcare industry, thus serving as frontliners in the battle against the virus. And while they may have made a life for themselves in the US, they have family here at home anxious about their prospects and their safety.
In the international scene, the past four years have been more of a spectacle, with people guessing how the maverick Mr. Trump will outdo himself yet again. Unfortunately, he is in charge of more than just managing his image—he is also expected to show leadership in the community of nations, especially when it comes to affairs that concern the world. Climate change, for instance, or trade, or geopolitical stability.
Needless to say, the stakes are high.
The next few days will bear watching, especially as the potential mayhem threatens to undermine the US’ status as the leader of the free world and the bastion of democracy. Let the rest of us be reminded that ego and lies form a deadly combination and that governance is not about the personality of a single individual, but that individual’s capacity to inspire competence and cooperation among all in government.