‘The Trump Effect’ Is Spreading Across The Globe [Opinion]
“The Trump Effect” is a hot topic at the moment, and I believe it deserves a closer look. What is it exactly and what does it mean for both the world of politics and the politics of the world?
There are different definitions and explanations for The Trump Effect depending on one’s feelings about the president-elect. Those who support Trump will no doubt say The Trump Effect is a good thing, while those who loathe him are likely to loathe his “effect” just as much.
The Southern Poverty Law Center does not view The Trump Effect in a positive light, and the group launched a project entitled “Teaching Tolerance,” which focuses on a survey taken by about 2000 educators nationwide. The survey, which was made this past spring, asked teachers how the 2016 election was impacting both students and their teaching repertoire.
“The results indicated that the campaign is having a profoundly negative impact on schoolchildren across the country, producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom. Many students worry about being deported. Many educators fear teaching about the election at all.”
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The results of the survey were brought together and assessed in a document the group named, “The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Our Nation’s Schools.”
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the SPLC’s version of The Trump Effect paints the soon-to-be president in a negative light, but alas, there are more interpretations to examine.
On the other side of the equation, The American Thinker recently published an opinion piece by Lloyd Marcus, who undeniably views The Trump Effect as something promising to those in our society who still put a great deal of value on free speech. He sees Trump in the White House as a force of opposition to the Left’s social justice movement, which he believes to be oppressive to Whites, cops, Christians, heterosexuals, Republicans and men.
“The Left’s tactic of branding the slightest opposition ‘extremism’ has silenced many. I believe Trump in the WH has already begun liberating Americans from the left’s tyranny of political correctness and muzzling of free speech.”
International Business Times have proposed another interpretation of The Trump Effect, suggesting that Donald’s victory with Carrier may give the green light to other companies who are at risk of leaving the U.S. to stay put, while opening up the opportunity for foreign companies to initiate startups in the States. According to the article, Apple iPhone manufacturer Foxconn is interested in setting up shop in America. Would they have made this decision if it wasn’t for Trump’s presidential victory, or is it The Trump Effect in action?
President-elect Trump has been leading a populist movement ever since he declared his run for the presidency, and the world watched as the movement gained traction and received more support than anyone could have imagined. Political pundits from across the globe kept saying things like, “he’ll never make it,” and “there’s no way he’ll be able to win,” yet he defied them. Once Trump hit one milestone, someone somewhere was quick to insist that he wouldn’t hit the next one, and this vicious cycle continued until we got to where we are today; a place where he has nothing more to lose, politically speaking. The competition is over, and Trump is on top, just like everyone said would never happen.
The Trump Effect relies heavily on the people’s desire for nationalism rather than globalism. Hence, even though it happened before Trump got elected, Brexit is an example of The Trump Effect, as the majority of Brits decided they didn’t want other countries to have the power to decide what’s best for the place they call home.
The victory of Donald Trump and the result of the Brexit vote tell us that people are waking up to the realities of globalism, and they do not like what they see. Ultimately, they reject globalism the only real way they can, which is by voting.
The similarities between The Trump Effect and Brexit seem almost limitless, and now this form of populism seems to be spreading to other parts of the world. The citizens of Italy recently rejected a referendum proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi that would have given him the power to reform the country’s constitution. The “no” vote won by an overwhelming 20 points, as reported by The Economist, and Renzi responded by announcing his plan to resign.
Those who voted “no” to Renzi’s proposal are part of a populist movement, and they are The Trump Effect in action. And now, the rumor mill is suggesting that Italy might be the next European country to exit the EU.
Germany’s Angela Merkel, who has received extensive criticism for her governing choices, most notably her decision to allow upwards of a million Middle Eastern refugees into Germany, is running for reelection.
Merkel is aware of The Trump Effect because why else would she announce her proposal to ban the burka, which is traditional attire for Muslim women? Going against cultural integration in this way is favorable to right-wing populism. Merkel sees that more people are gravitating away from globalism than toward it, and she wants their votes, so she must adjust accordingly.
In addition to banning the full-facial veil, the German Chancellor also says she wishes to make Sharia law, which is, in essence, Islamic law, secondary to the laws of Germany. This also appears to be a move to appeal to the ever-growing nationalism-inspired populist mindset, brought in part thanks to The Trump Effect.
The Trump Effect in all its versions isn’t likely to go away anytime soon. It’s truly amazing the amount of influence and passion one man can provoke among literally billions of people. What is your version of The Trump Effect? Let us know by commenting below.
[Featured Image by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images]
