Trump vs Harris: How did US politics become so circus-like in my lifetime?

Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the US election

At first glance, regardless which side of the political aisle you reside, it might be tempting to think that with the presidential election having crossed the finish line, we might get a return to normality in the US as the toxic political ads and increased rhetoric evaporate. Don’t bet on it.

Before his victory, President-elect Donald Trump had made clear his preference for divisive politics and his affinity for making an enemy out of anyone who disagrees with him. Neither had he shown any sort of remorse for the violent January 6, 2021 insurrection weeks after he lost the previous presidential election. Those aren’t political thoughts; those are realities to even the most casual observer.

In many ways, Mr Trump and his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, are as different as they come in politics, for a number of reasons. Yet one thing both candidates in this highly divisive election agreed on during the rough and tough campaign trail was that this was the most important presidential election ever.

Given the platter of geopolitical problems coupled with domestic disagreements over the economic and social policies, few would argue with them. Yet we’ve heard about the unprecedented importance of US presidential elections throughout the last few cycles.

For once, therefore, it would be refreshing to experience a dull, unimportant and purely incidental presidential election.

Do yourself a favour and watch TV news election highlights from the 1996, 1992, 1988 or 1984 presidential elections. Watch the debates as well while you’re at it. What you will find throughout the videos is a refreshingly dull, civil and informative discourse. In short, it seems like a completely different world, because it is.

This is not to fall into the trappings of golden-age thinking, but how did we get to this circus-like political atmosphere in which we currently reside?

Some may accuse me of recency bias given my age of 39. But to me, it definitely feels that in addition to the polarising and increased rhetoric presented by Mr Trump, the origin of the tensions seemingly baked into our presidential elections can be traced back to the 2000 election between then vice president Al Gore and then Texas governor George W Bush.

That election had just about everything to sew distrust in the minds of many Americans.

You can start with the fact that Mr Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes, only to see the electoral college emerge as the deciding factor that would lead to his defeat. Yet that grossly oversimplifies the fact that there was ample confusion over a problematic ballot that saw a disproportionate number of people vote for Pat Buchanan, the independent conservative candidate, in Florida.

Making matters more dysfunctional, when a recount in Florida finally got under way and showed Mr Gore on the path to win the sunshine state, the Supreme Court stepped in and made what many describe was a partisan five-to-four decision to halt the recount, and essentially send Mr Bush to the White House.

Any trust that was built up in the countless presidential election cycles prior to 2000 quickly dissipated. The idea of voting itself, it seemed, suddenly became polarising in the subsequent presidential elections. Somewhere along the line, distrust in elections shifted mainly to the Republican Party. It coincided with the rise of Mr Trump and his blunt political rhetoric, and it remains to be seen if it will linger beyond his time in politics.

Most recently, a Pew poll found that 90 per cent of Harris supporters were confident in the integrity of US elections, while only 57 per cent of Trump supporters had confidence. Yet when Pew asked if those surveyed felt that the Supreme Court would make non-partisan decisions if presidential election court cases came on the docket, only six per cent of Harris supporters felt that the land’s highest court could leave politics out of its decisions.

In other words, there are no quick fixes that will make this level of distrust and anger go away at this point.

There’s much work to do to calm the rhetoric. Although many will rightly point the finger at Mr Trump for his xenophobic, racist and bombastic style, it’s worth noting that he is simply exploiting the divisions that have gone unresolved over the years.

I don’t have any particular answers. Finding big-picture, consensus issues that both sides agree on is a start. So, too, is the idea of term limits for Supreme Court judges perhaps. That’s just off the top of my head.

Regardless – again – just to reiterate my main thesis, I sure would like to see a boring presidential election again in my lifetime.

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

RESULT

Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo: Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')

The biog

Age: 19

Profession: medical student at UAE university

Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)

Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership

China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.

1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.

2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.

3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.

4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.

5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.

6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.

7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.

8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.

9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.

10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate

Wallabies

Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.

Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.

The squad traveling to Brazil:

Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.

Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.

Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

Which products are to be taxed?

To be taxed:

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category

Not taxed

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules