The editorial page article, “The trail Trump’s blazing” (Nov.15), compares the victory of Donald Trump on November 9 to the horrific terror attacks of September 11, 2001, showing disregard for those who lost their loved ones on that tragic day. It is preposterous to compare the election of a candidate through democratic means to the killing of thousands of people in terrorist attacks. It is even more absurd to categorise the Americans — nearly 50 per cent of them — who voted for him as racist and bigoted.
Mr. Trump won the elections despite the mainstream media portraying him largely in a negative light. His victory reflected the choice of a section of disaffected Americans, not all of whom were racists or xenophobes or homophobes. Also, the media gave disproportionate coverage to the indiscretions of Mr. Trump, ignoring the lies and follies of Hillary Clinton and her campaign.
Christy Dorcas,
Hyderabad
The victory of Mr. Trump is in continuation of the Right-wing wave that resulted in the victory of the ‘Leave’ campaign in Britain, propelling Brexit. This wave can also result in significant electoral gains to far-Right leaders like Geert Wilders (Netherlands) Marine Le Pen (France) and Frauke Petry (Germany), drawing parallels to the popularity of the Nazis in the 1930s. The election of these leaders to public office will undoubtedly give a carte blanche to the hate-mongers. The people living in the interior regions of the United States did feel deprived due to a loss of livelihoods, contributing to Mr. Trump’s victory. However, the President-elect will have to make a break from the past by giving up on his campaign rhetoric if he truly cares about their welfare.
Akshay Viswanathan,
Thiruvananthapuram
It came as a stunner that all major news media organisations failed to predict the result of the recent U.S. presidential polls. While experts have provided erudite, academic explanations for this failure, the real reason could be that a majority of the American voters either held back their true preferences or lied to those conducting the opinion and exit polls. It would have been politically incorrect to declare support for Mr. Trump once he got branded by the media as non-progressive and racist, one with no respect for social justice. However, the voters also felt pulled towards him because he tapped into their insecurities with promises of a better future. Whether he will be able to keep up with his grand promises made to the American public is doubtful.
Saikat Kumar Basu,
Alberta, Canada
