The American election has captured the attention of millions across the world, but why do the majority of people seem to neglect the effects of the result because of the colour of their passport? Last week saw the triumph of the surprise Republican candidate, Donald trump, over the reigning Democrats. However, the outpouring of shock and outrage came as no surprise due to Trump's ongoing campaign of controversy.
What does this mean for the UK?
Despite being deeply engrossed in every ten minute news segment each evening, too many of us then brushed off the election results come Wednesday morning because we're in Britain...and they're in America, therefore it clearly doesn't impact us, right?
While this is a (sort of) fair point because Trump hasn't gained the key to 10 Downing Street, he is still going to step inside the Oval Office and soon become one of the most powerful men in the world...alongside Vladimir Putin *insert cheers and applause here*. As with most political decisions, Trump will have to run all of his plans by the rest of Congress, so one would assume that they wouldn't allow him to do anything too drastic, surely? Yet, there is now a Republican majority in Congress and in The Senate, so no they won't let him do anything too ridiculous because they will see some sense, but they aren't going to be totally against all of Trump's views and plans either. Trump will certainly have more chance of ideas swinging his way than Obama ever did.
Admittedly, Donald Trump is a powerful businessman who clearly knows how to create large-scale deals and to keep contacts on his side, which is great for a President. Nevertheless, his general attitudes towards those whom he would class as 'inferior' do put a huge red cross upon his looming leadership, and this is what worries most people because it would be very simple for his power to become his biggest weapon of destruction.
Trump mania
Yes it is true that Donald Trump's changes will directly alter the lives of those living in America, but by putting the power of the USA and much of the world in his grasp, he will soon become an icon that much of the younger generation will look up to, and that in itself is a huge problem: a younger generation seeing Trump's behaviour as the way forward in life.
It doesn't matter where you are, if you have that much power then you are going to influence people and opinions all around the world. Maybe you don't believe that the imposition of future trade deals will make a change in Britain, or that changes on the laws of immigration won't change anything for us across the pond, but the reality is that all changes have an indirect impact upon more distant situations. The same goes for people who persistently tell us that 'Brexit hasn't changed anything' - yes, that's because our government are too busy holding talks about when to trigger Article 50 rather than actually doing so!
Surely it's about time people opened their eyes to the worldwide goings on, rather than just those of their own country.
Our modern society is developed through global networking in all aspects - business, media, even socially; so why can't we be just as globally committed to global politics?
Power, wealth, regression and a voice aren't solely national concepts, but global.