Joe Biden is loved for his decency, for his moral compass. Here is a man who used the Irish poet Seamus Heaney’s words during his campaign as balm for a bruised country: “Once in a lifetime, the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme”. Mr Biden is a man who suffered – like many Americans in this Covid period – excruciating personal losses. He grieved, but he did not break.
Many people love that Mr Biden is a veteran politician who knows the White House and Congress. He can make bipartisan deals; he can concede – but also smooth rather than inflame. He’s a deal-maker. He will need this skill. If the Republicans keep the Senate, Mitch McConnell, the Majority leader, can and will make his life hell.
Mr Biden is a pragmatic centrist. He’s not unlike Lyndon B Johnson, the 36th US President, renowned for twisting arms with a wide smile when he wanted to get something done. He’s likable: an average guy, who one childhood friend recalled could strike up a conversation with everyone and anyone.
For the first time in four years, many Americans have hope. There are ambitious plans already being discussed in Mr Biden’s teams and a diverse Cabinet being drawn up. There’s talk of ending the Muslim travel ban imposed by Donald Trump. There’ s talk of restarting the Paris Climate Agreement.
That’s part of the euphoria we are all feeling with the win. But the flip side is this: what Mr Biden will inherit is terrifying. The total of coronavirus cases in the US surpassed 10 million on Sunday. Experts say the virus is spreading out of control and could grow worse before the President elect takes office. The magnitude of Mr Biden’s task is vast.
US President-elect Joe Biden with his wife Jill Biden, salute the crowd on stage after being declared the winner of the US presidential election. AFP
Then there is the damage that can be done even before he enters the White House.
To start, Mr Trump remains in control of the pandemic – which he doesn’t even believe in – for the next 72 days. He is at war with his coronavirus advisors, including Dr Anthony S Fauci. Ahead are the Thanksgiving holidays, when traditionally Americans gather their tribes, the Christmas holidays and ending of college semesters. All mean close proximity of families gatherings indoors, and a potential surge of the virus.
Dr Ashish K Jha from Brown University told National Public Radio that all Mr Biden can do during this potentially catastrophic period is wield “moral and social power”. Dr Jha predicted that by the time Mr Trump leaves office, 100,000 more people could be dead.
If he wants to, Mr Trump could use his Executive Orders to roll back regulations. He could pardon his cronies: Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn.
There is the risk of civil unrest could occur if the militias, the White Supremacists, the armed factions are so inclined. There are 71 million people who voted for Mr Trump and are disappointed by the Biden win. Mr Trump could invoke their support.
There are historical examples of past fiascos; but none seems as potentially dangerous as this one. In 1801, John Adams, the second President of the US and another sore loser, refused to hand over office to his rival, Thomas Jefferson.
Adams refused to attend the event to see Jefferson sworn in. Adams appointed dozens of last-minute judges, including a Chief Justice, before Jefferson arrived. Remember Amy Coney Barrett?
Adams refused to leave until his former White House staff literally moved the office from around him – taking his belongings away and cutting their communication with Adams.
US President-elect Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden gesture to the audience during an election event. Bloomberg
In November, 1932, at the height of The Great Depression when millions of Americans were out of work and struggling to feed their families, Herbert Hoover lost to a Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The banking system was on the verge of complete collapse. Hoover, a Republican, opposed federal assistance and refused to intervene even as the Federal Reserve begged him to declare a bank holiday. Hoover kept repeating that the economy would recover at any moment. “The Depression is over!” he said, blaming the economic crisis on FDR: a bit like Trump’s belief that the virus is “turning a corner.”
For the first time in four years, many Americans have hope
But these are all worse-case scenarios; my conjecture. One hopes there will be a peaceful transition, that Mr Trump will come to his senses. If he follows protocol, shakes Mr Biden’s hand, declares his loss, we have a chance.
If all goes well, what should happen, from now until January 20, is the standard transition: the Secret Service divides its attention between the incumbent and the incoming President, and the CIA begins briefing both. White House staff prepare to re-do the house, and by mid-day on January 20, Mr Trump’s belongings should be gone. Dr Jill Biden replaces Melania Trump. The power organs – the Pentagon, the CIA, FBI and the Attorney General – cut communication with Mr Trump. Finally, Air Force One and the Beast automobile will salute Mr Trump for the last time.
But Mr Trump’s reign in the White House was never marked by tradition. And while the euphoria of Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s rousing speeches from a Wilmington Delaware drive-in cinema calmed an anxious nation, there is still an angry man looming in the background.
And for the next 72 days, that man, Donald J Trump, is still the Commander in Chief.
Janine di Giovanni is a Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a columnist for The National
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')
Ep1:A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2:PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3:The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4:Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5:Travel and tourism
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
