“…Mr. Tesla was charmed to hear about the Vedantic Prâna and Âkâsha and the Kalpas, which, according to him, are the only theories modern science can entertain. Now both Akasha and Prana again are produced from the cosmic Mahat, the Universal Mind, the Brahmâ or Ishvara. Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. …. In that case, the Vedantic cosmology will be placed on the surest of foundations. I am working a good deal now upon the cosmology and eschatology of the Vedanta. I clearly see their perfect unison with modern science, and the elucidation of the one will be followed by that of the other.” – Swami Vivekananda, in a letter from New York to his disciple E T Sturdy, on February 13, 1896
Donald Trump’s historic victory in the US Presidential elections, where he comprehensively defeated the Democratic Party nominee – Kamala Harris, marks a significant turning point. After a close battle in 2020 against Joe Biden, Trump returns to the White House as a non-consecutive head of the state is a rare occurrence in American history. His Republican Party’s majority in the Senate and lead in the House of Representatives further underscore the magnitude of this victory. What does this monumental win mean for the United States, and what are the potential implications for the world, with specific reference to Bharat?
Trump trouncing Kamala Harris is not just a one-on-one victory. Trump defied the combined strength of the ecosystem consisting of Obamas and Clintons, a battery of Hollywood celebrities and mainstream media, and established think tanks that have held strong sway in the American policy apparatus for decades. He came up as a disruptor in the US politics, both for the Democratic and Republican parties. His ‘America First’ and ‘Make America Great Again’ slogans made nationalism an election plank. People facing economic and demographic woes found solace in the tagline – ‘Trump will fix it’.
If we go into the details of the numbers, people of the US not only endorsed Trump’s policies but decisively rejected the Biden-Harris’ liberal’ policies, which were more socialist. Biden’s debt-trapped, dollar-printing economy increased the economic woes of the masses. Harris’s virtue signalling on various issues made her a face of Wokeism. Her rhetoric of ‘democracy and constitution in danger’ did not resonate with the voters. The negative and hateful campaign against Trump eventually became his strength. The cancel culture of self-certified liberals actually polarised the society in pro and anti-Trump camps. Even after taking up the women’s cause in the form of abortion rights, women did not rally behind the Democratic campaign as per the expectations. Democratic base among the Hindu and Indian-American voters has shrunk despite Harris’ Bharatiya roots. Is Christian America ready to accept a woman, who is also from a coloured background, is another question that has received a negative answer. While addressing the issues of economy, immigration and gender justice, how Trump resets the intellectual agenda, which is based on actual liberal values, will be interesting to watch.
Internationally, the challenges ahead are stark. The US-centric world order is under tremendous pressure. The globalised market economy that the US stood for is in a receding mode. International Organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), are proving to be toothless in ensuring the rules-based world order. Wars, both military and tariff, are taking unilateral routes and none of the international agencies are able to make any significant interventions. Trump has promised the moon in this backdrop with a ‘will fix it’ promise. The tariff war and immigration control will surely be on the new administration’s agenda. Will there be a renewed US-China trade war? Can Trump facilitate a thaw in the Israel-Hamas conflict? What will be the position on belligerent Iran? Will he withdraw aid to Ukraine as promised in the campaign trail? These and many questions are still unanswered, adding to the uncertainty of the future. The more fundamental question is whether Trump intends to bring a new rules-based world order that is in tune with the changing global reality. Swami Vivekananda can be a connection for the world’s largest democracies in this endeavour. Modern technology, with the entrepreneurial zeal of America and a spiritual basis of scientific living with extraordinary human capital, can come together to attain common objectives for the world. The spirit of Tesla can be a guiding force in this towering task of creating a peaceful and prosperous world where the universal values of sustainability, spirituality and mutual respect are maintained.
