Don’t kid yourself

We are all living in times, where trouble that develops on the other side of the world has a direct, even brutal, impact on our daily lives. We’ve all been connected, especially economically, in a way that we all go through the hardship to varying degrees.

The of the upcoming elections in the United States will certainly have an impact on most of the countries on Earth. I’m of the opinion that most of the voters in the US aren’t even aware of the scope of their countries’ global influence and control. In a way, why should they? After all, they’re voting for their own causes and values, which can turn out to be unfortunate for the rest of us. Because they are the world’s largest economy, and the original instigators and main players in the global economy, when they say “jump”, we say “how high”. Any glitch in the Matrix in Washington reverberates to the rest of us at the speed of light. Canada is caught. Sharing its southern border with the Americans has been both a blessing and a curse, which is normal for a relationship between a country with ten percent of the population of its powerful partner. Most of Canada’s trade is with America, and when it comes to arguments with regard to said matters, our opponents usually come out on top, it’s difficult to fight a giant. But Canada won’t be alone, the US has many agreements around the world that may not be around soon after November.

It’s not like we can prepare for whatever the outcome of the American election, but we all could stand being on the same page. No matter what political spectrum you feel you prefer, in the end, we all sense the impact, good or bad. My prime concern is for the American people. The division in the country seems to be, from the outside, dangerous. The threats over nullifying votes and contesting results have been amplifying. It seems there might be trouble in trying to even implement the shaky democracy they currently have. If you can’t at least do that, what’s going to happen after? It’s a country of weapons, available to all. Some look to be as fundamentalist as the enemy they so fear. But we all have to believe that good sense will prevail, and that the hate that has emitted out of this election race so far will all end up being nothing but the usual lies we’re used to hearing from politicians running for office. This kind of sentiment has also opened many windows, (and consequently doors), around the world, especially Europe, where division seems to be growing, and although extremism is still being pushed back, it’s gaining ground. I’m hoping this kind of push holds firm in the US. We need to move forward, not back, and the latter is being met with resistance. In business terms, it means growing and profiting, this can be done without ever really improving the lives of those who toil in order for business to ‘move forward’. This could be a reason why in hard times, profits boom. Division and unrest create huge gains for corporations and their shareholders.

Whatever the result, the money gods will use the excuse to add a little more weight to our load. That’s probably the only guarantee I have at the moment. In any regard, we have no say in a contest that involves all of us. Let’s hope they minimize the collateral damage.
Fiquem bem.

Raul Freitas/MS