Thomas Friedman: America's situation reminds the beginning of the war in Lebanon ... Trump sent a warning, let's take it seriously

The well-known American journalist, Thomas Friedman, warned that democracy in his country faces a dire danger more than it has been subjected to since the civil war and the surprise air raid launched by Japan on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor in 1941;

Even more horrific was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

New York Times

writer reported

that President Donald Trump has been stating lately - "in a clear, unambiguous tone, and more explicitly" in Tuesday's TV debate - that in front of voters on November 3 The next second is only two options, not including the election of Democratic candidate Joe Biden as President of the United States.

He wished that what happened to Lebanon did not happen to America

Friedman touched on his experience in covering the civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990) when he was a reporter, and how he saw what is happening in that country in terms of political games where a good number of politicians put the interest of their parties before the interests of the homeland, and said that he wished not to It happens like that in America.

The writer pointed out that Trump has demonstrated in various ways that he will either be re-elected again, or delegitimize the voting process by claiming that polling via mail is invalid, although it is a well-established method that has been used in the presidential elections for a long time, including the one that brought Trump to power. .

Perhaps Trump's motives have not been more clear and transparent than they are today. If he did not win the electoral college, he would deliberately "confuse" the results;

To be referred to the Supreme Court or the House of Representatives for a decision (and in this case each state will have only one representative), according to Friedman, who confirms that Trump has favor in both.

Friedman: Biden’s election to the presidency remains America’s only hope (Anatolia)

Facebook, Twitter, Trust and Truth

The writer was very concerned.

Because the social networking platforms "Facebook" and "Twitter" have become "gigantic engines" capable of undermining the two pillars on which democracy is based, namely truth and trust.

He added: It is true that the two social networks - in Friedman's opinion - gave a voice to the voiceless, which is something you "thank you for for their potential to enhance transparency."

However, they have become "two major centers" for conspiracy theories, which are circulated and believed by a large number of people.

The writer claims in his article that Facebook and Twitter are eliminating what he calls the "cognitive immunity" of the American people, and their ability to distinguish between right and wrong,

and without sharing the facts on which decisions are based, it will not be possible to find solutions to the most difficult challenges facing Americans, and without a little confidence that Both sides (Trump and Biden) seek to preserve it and promote the public interest, "We will not get to achieve big things," Friedman said.

And he went on to say that the institutions that Americans have long pinned their hopes on to be outside the political game in order to be able to separate between right and wrong have fallen into the traps of politics so that very few of them have become the subject of public trust to determine the public interest and how to achieve it.

The only option

Friedman concludes by emphasizing that a healthy democracy cannot be preserved under such circumstances, and perhaps this is what makes the election of Joe Biden the only option, from the viewpoint of Thomas Friedman, who describes Donald Trump as the most "fraudulent, dangerous, malicious, and controversial man." Discord and corruption "of all those who held the presidency in the United States.

Friedman expressed his conviction that the election of Biden to the presidency remains the only hope for America, adding that "to restore some unity and rationality, Biden must win."