EDITORIAL
A Global Shock to a Dead System
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—The stunning election victory of Donald Trump on Tuesday can only be properly understood in the context of global developments that all reflect a powerful popular repudiation of the system of war and usury that has dominated the trans-Atlantic region for the past 16 years of the Bush and Obama Presidencies. This revolt is international in character, and was reflected in June of this year when British voters rejected the European Union in the Brexit referendum. There are reflections of this revolt in Germany, where the Merkel government’s anti-Russia policies are running up against a wall of opposition, including from leading German industrial circles who see trade and cooperation with Russia as an existential requirement.
The pattern extends beyond the significance of the U.S. events alone, which is not to diminish in the least the significance of the revolt of the American electorate against the Wall Street-Washington Establishment. A sizable number of American voters saw Hillary Clinton as a continuity of the bad old policies of the past 16 years, and they furthermore saw her as someone who would bring about a war with Russia that could mean the end of life on this planet as we know it.
The Trump vote was a vote against the danger of war, which came increasingly to be associated with Hillary Clinton’s anti-Putin diatribes throughout the campaign. It was a vote for an overhaul of U.S. economic policies, starting with the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall bank separation, which Trump openly embraced during a major campaign speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he also warned that Hillary Clinton would start World War III if elected.
The mandate from November 8 is for a renewal of traditional American policies and values, starting with a revival of the real economy, through capital investment in infrastructure and industrial reconstruction.
Lyndon and Helga LaRouche delivered a strong message in a dialogue with colleagues on Nov. 9, which was partially broadcast on LPAC-TV as a special post-election webcast. Mr. LaRouche called for a “New Deal for the Universe,” which involves a revival of the U.S. space program, in partnership with nations like China, which have continued with mankind’s extra-terrestrial imperative, as the United States, under President Barack Obama, effectively shut down the once great U.S. space program. Both Lyndon and Helga LaRouche emphasized that the moment has arrived, in which mankind must look beyond mere national interests to the interests of mankind as a whole.
“We need to reach out to see mankind in a broader light, by extending the power of mankind into the universe,” Mr. LaRouche declared.
There is a global movement in the direction of such profound ideas and challenges. It is reflected in the Chinese leadership in space exploration, and in the growing Chinese-Russian-Indian collaboration on the development of the Eurasian region through great infrastructure projects. It is only in the context of those global, profound changes that the full import of Tuesday’s vote can be properly situated. The repudiation of the old, dying system by an outpouring of American voters is a starting point, but no guarantee. That will take work, but the path has been launched.
U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
Trump Wins in Grand-Slam Vote against Economic Disaster and War
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—Early this morning, Donald Trump’s state election gains put him over the top of the needed 270 votes in the Electoral College, in a victory that means, as Lyndon LaRouche pointed out at the time, “the world has rejected Obama’s World War III.” That threat has been overwhelmingly defeated. This is a world event.
As of later today, the Electoral College division stands at 279 for Trump, and 228 for Hillary Clinton. State results are still being confirmed in Arizona and New Hampshire. The popular vote totals—still being tallied—give slightly more votes to Clinton, but the pattern of victory for Trump stands. Mid-day today, Clinton’s vote totaled 59,786,251 nationally, compared with Trump’s 59,578,826. (Complete vote totals are not yet available, but these two add up approximately to less than 53% of eligible voters.)
Many features of the election stand out. In the preliminary picture:
Trump won in 29 states, and this most prominently includes the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley Rust Belt—Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin. There, the manufacturing and related productivity has been all but wiped out. Taking “Democrat” for granted in the region, Hillary Clinton didn’t even bother to visit Wisconsin after the Democratic Convention.
Clinton won in the Northeast. In the Midwest, she took only Minnesota and Illinois; and in the West, she won the three Pacific states, plus Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Hawaii.
Obama is, in effect, “cancelled.” He campaigned for Hillary in recent days, asking for a vote for her, as a vote for his record and legacy. At rallies, he told young people, and African-Americans generally, that he would “consider it a personal insult—an insult to my legacy” if they didn’t make sure Hillary won, the way he had been voted in. And she lost.
President Putin on U.S. Elections: Russia Is Ready To Work with the U.S. for World Benefit
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—President Vladimir Putin spoke on the U.S. elections today, at an internationally televised ceremony to receive letters of credentials from 19 new foreign ambassadors, held at the Grand Kremlin Palace’s Alexander Hall. After his welcome and opening remarks, he then addressed the news from the United States. Here are his remarks on this, in full, from the Kremlin website:
“Ladies and gentlemen, a few hours ago, the presidential election ended in the United States of America. We followed this election closely. I want to congratulate the American people on the end of this election cycle, and congratulate Mr. Donald Trump on his victory in the election.
“We heard the statements he made as candidate for president expressing a desire to restore relations between our countries. We realize and understand that this will not be an easy road given the level to which our relations have degraded today, regrettably. But, as I have said before, it is not Russia’s fault that our relations with the United States have reached this point.
“Russia is ready to, and seeks a return to, full-format relations with the United States. Let me say again, we know that this will not be easy, but are ready to take this road, take steps on our side and do all we can to set Russian-U.S. relations back on a stable development track.
“This would benefit both the Russian and American peoples and would have a positive impact on the general climate in international affairs, given the particular responsibility that Russia and the U.S. share for maintaining global stability and security.”
NATO Chief Stoltenberg Warns Trump, You Can’t Change NATO
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Donald Trump on his winning the presidential election, but, speaking at a press conference today, sternly responded to a question, that whatever Trump may think, he can’t back away from the U.S. commitment to NATO.
“NATO’s security guarantee is a treaty commitment,” Stoltenberg said. “All allies have made a solemn commitment to defend each other. This is something absolutely unconditional.”
Stoltenberg spoke to a meeting of European diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels.
The Wall Street Journal, in covering Stoltenberg’s remarks, frets that if Trump, who has been a critic of NATO, does re-orient policy towards Russia, as statements Trump made during the campaign indicated he might, “NATO might be forced to rethink its plan to deploy 4,000 troops, including American soldiers, to the Baltic States and Poland next year. Mr. Trump could also reconsider plans by the Obama Administration to send a heavy infantry brigade to Eastern Europe early next year.” Let’s hope so.
Europeans Opine: The Vote for Trump Was a Vote against the West’s Failed Economic Policy
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—In statements on the election victory of Donald Trump, British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Member of the European Parliament for the Italian Five Star Movement (M5S) Marco Zanni both attribute it to a rejection of the political establishment, most especially its failed economic policy.
Corbyn wrote: “Many in Britain and elsewhere will be understandably shocked by Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential election, the rhetoric around it and what the election result means for the rest of the world, as well as America. Trump’s election is an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system that simply isn’t working for most people. It is one that has delivered escalating inequality and stagnating or falling living standards for the majority, both in the U.S. and Britain. This is a rejection of a failed economic consensus and a governing elite that has been seen not to have listened. And the public anger that has propelled Donald Trump to office has been reflected in political upheavals across the world.
“But some of Trump’s answers to the big questions facing America, and the divisive rhetoric around them, are clearly wrong. I have no doubt, however, that the decency and common sense of the American people will prevail, and we send our solidarity to a nation of migrants, innovators and democrats. After this latest global wake-up call, the need for a real alternative to a failed economic and political system could not be clearer. That alternative must be based on working together, social justice and economic renewal, rather than sowing fear and division. And the solutions we offer have to improve the lives of everyone, not pit one group of people against another. Americans have made their choice. The urgent necessity is now for us all to work across continents to tackle our common global challenges: to secure peace, take action on climate change and deliver economic prosperity and justice.”
In a message posted on his Facebook page and his Euro Parliament page, Zanni wrote, “last night another strong slap in the face of the global elites—which the U.S.A. is the cradle and headquarters of—took place. I already see comments by scribblers … on the consequences of this vote, loudly asking for the suspension of democracy because American citizens are not able to understand and did not vote for the right thing. Once again, they don’t want to understand that the disasters of our time are not consequences of such events but they are due to policies and designs which they have supported and have led to widespread poverty, inequality, destruction. For the umpteenth time they won’t understand the strong message delivered by voters, by normal people, those who live in their skin with everyday problems and who want a change. Let us wait for the referendum in Italy, the elections in France and Germany and eventually in our country. And more slaps in the face will come.”
Zanni spoke at the June 25-26 Schiller Institute Conference in Berlin where he called for implementing Glass-Steagall banking separation in Europe.
Trump’s Victory Shows ‘The American People Don’t Want War, Says Kremlin Advisor Glazyev
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—Commenting on Trump’s electoral victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, Russian economist, and advisor to President Putin, Sergei Glazyev, told TASS today the results of the U.S. election show that “the American people don’t want war; for the first time in the world’s history there is a chance to move to a new global economic order without waging a world war.”
“Resetting [the relations between Russia and the U.S.] is sure to take place, because the outgoing administration’s foreign policy was based on the aggressive approach towards Russia in order to retain Washington’s supremacy. We can say that this approach has failed,” Glazyev said. “Detente between the U.S. and Russia is necessary in this regard.”
Glazyev also pointed out that he believes Trump “will lift sanctions on Russia that are harmful to the U.S. business, too. As a result, the trade turnover, financial and economic relations between Russia and the U.S., as well as the West in general, will be restored.”
His views were echoed by a leading expert of Russia’s National Energy Security Fund, Igor Yushkov, who told TASS that “a positive component can be in cooperation between the United States and Russia.” “It is quite possible that Trump will ease the sanctions or cancel them all together, at least for the oil and gas sector. He is perceived as a person who is promoting the interests of U.S. oil producers, including ExxonMobil,” Yushkov added.
Congressional Leaders for Glass-Steagall, against Obama’s Warfare Re-Elected by Wide Margins
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—Key Democrats who stood up for principle in crucial battles such as Glass-Steagall, the release of the 28 pages and passage of JASTA, and/or against the war mongering, were re-elected with strong margins:
Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard (D), the Glass-Steagall-supporting veteran outspoken in her opposition to Obama’s wars, who defied Hillary and her DNC machine, won re-election by a whopping 81%.
California’s Ted Lieu (D), another Dem veteran who has been unrelenting against Obama and his participation in Anglo-Saudi genocide and wars, and is also a co-sponsor of Glass-Steagall, won by 66%;
Glass-Steagall sponsor Marcy Kaptur (D) of Ohio won 69% support from her electorate.
Minnesota’s Rick Nolan (D), a Glass-Steagall co-sponsor who spoke out with passion on the urgency of releasing the 28 pages, was heavily targetted by the Republicans, but he came through with 50% of the vote, 2,000 votes ahead of his opponent out of the roughly 357,000 total votes cast.
Rep. Walter Jones, the Republican in the House who has taken a leading role in fighting openly with the LaRouche movement for Glass-Steagall, against the wars, and to release the 28 pages and pass JASTA, won 67% of his electorate.
Republican Ted Yoho of Florida, who has joined these fights with gumption, won 57%.
A third Republican who has stuck with the Glass-Steagall fight, Mike Coffman of Colorado, in his case heavily targetted by the Democrats, won re-election with 52% of the vote.
THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER
Trump Advisor Woolsey Talks about Seeing a ‘Grand Bargain’ between the U.S. and China
Nov. 9 (EIRNS)—Patrick Ho, the secretary general of the China Energy Fund Committee, sat down at the end of September with James Woolsey, who is billed as Trump’s advisor on China policy. In the interview published with Ho in four parts (Oct. 12, 20, 25, Nov. 9) in China Daily Asia, Woolsey explained that Trump would not go back to a policy of isolationism, but would maintain the U.S. role in the world as well as its traditional alliances. He said that the U.S. had to increase its defense spending in order to assure its “allies” that the U.S. was not abandoning them.
“We must also redraw our red lines and re-define our vital interests,” Woolsey said. “We may be more scrupulous in our decision-making on where and how we get involved, but we will not become isolationist.”
Woolsey said that the U.S. welcomed China’s desire to reform global institutions, “in a way that reflects its increasing footprint in the global economy and global security architecture,” he said. “The hosting of the G20 meeting in Hangzhou can be viewed as another recognition of China’s leadership role. It is widely accepted in Washington today that the Obama Administration’s opposition to the formation of the AIIB was a strategic mistake and I hope that the next administration’s response to the Belt and Road Initiative will be much warmer.”
Woolsey then went on to say that China should also be prepared to, “shoulder its responsibility in military actions beyond what it does with peace-keeping.” He said, “Peace-keeping is much easier than peace-making, as it comes only when the firing ceases. Our problem today is how to enforce peace in areas decimated by war like Syria and Libya. In this, China’s voice has been almost absent.”
Regarding the so-called “Thucydides Trap,” Woolsey said, “While in most cases in history the rise of a new power led to war with the incumbent, this is not an inevitable outcome. Without a doubt the U.S. will have to make accommodations and learn to live with a more proactive China,” he said. Then he went on to say that the U.S. still “sees itself as the holder of the balance of power in Asia” and would be opposed to any expansionism. Therefore any “great power partnership” (obfuscating entirely the Chinese notion of a new kind of major power relationship—ed.) was not possible, he said. Nevertheless, he went on, “Yet, with our difficult experiences in social engineering in the Middle East and as we improve our understanding of the complexities of the Chinese social and political system, it becomes increasingly apparent that challenging the current system is a risky endeavor. We may not like it but we don’t necessarily have to do something about it.
“I can therefore see the emergence of a grand bargain in which the U.S. accepts China’s political and social structure and commits not to disrupt it in any way in exchange for China’s commitment not to challenge the status quo in Asia. It may not be a spoken agreement but a tacit understanding that guides the relations in the years to come.”
