Motion: The Election of Donald Trump is an American Tragedy
Details
For the Motion:
“The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency is nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic, a tragedy for the Constitution, and a triumph for the forces, at home and abroad, of nativism, authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism. Trump’s shocking victory, his ascension to the Presidency, is a sickening event in the history of the United States and liberal democracy. On January 20, 2017, we will bid farewell to the first African-American President—a man of integrity, dignity, and generous spirit—and witness the inauguration of a con who did little to spurn endorsement by forces of xenophobia and white supremacy. It is impossible to react to this moment with anything less than revulsion and profound anxiety.”
- David Remnick, The New Yorker
With a President Trump, we will get an increasingly reactionary Supreme Court, emboldened right-wing Congress, and a reversal of hard won gains for environmental protection, women, minorities and civil liberties. It is truly a dismal picture – indeed, an American tragedy.
Against the Motion:
Sure, Trump is a racist, sexist jerk. But what matters are his proposed policies and actions as President. Trump’s plan for his first 100 days in office contains some promising and constructive measures, like tax cuts for middle-class families, a re-thinking of trade pacts, and increased funding for childcare and infrastructure projects. As for foreign policy, Trump has already rejected the interventionist agenda of spreading “American values.” A Trump presidency will also further the decline of religious conservatism as central to Republican politics. As for his wacko ideas, Trump has plenty of opposition within his own party and the Republican Congress may very well put up serious resistance, for instance, by refusing to fund construction of the proposed wall bordering Mexico.
So, what do you think? Will a President Trump be a tragedy for this country and the world? Or have the dangers of a Trump presidency been exaggerated and Trump's more promising ideas ignored amid all the hand-wringing?
Join us at the next SFDebate to explore and debate these questions. Note that there is a $5 fee charged by the Commonwealth Club for non-members to the Club.
Read more:
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/an-american-tragedy-donald-trump
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/opinion/election-night-2016/it-is-possible-for-trump-to-bea-good-president
http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days