Global Observation丨"I have never seen anything like this" The serious polarization of American society raises concerns

　　With the continuous spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the upcoming presidential election, American media reported that American society seems to be overwhelmed by great anxiety: more and more Americans are hoarding food at home, and many stores are planning for the general election. Business was suspended that day, and police departments in many places are also strengthening response measures...

　　What is it that makes American society into such a panic?

Reinforcing the door, hoarding food and guns... What are the Americans afraid of

　　According to a poll published by Suffolk University and USA Today, 75% of respondents are “somewhat worried” or “very worried” about violence that will occur on and after the polling day of the general election. Only 25% Respondents said they were "not worried at all" or "not too worried" or did not comment.

　　Monica Ponton, a 72-year-old interviewee, said that American society now has a "very angry" tone.

"I think this is one of the most terrifying times since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962."

　　Valerie Sodato, a 40-year-old interviewee, also truly felt the division of American society.

"People are showing more and more hatred and aggressiveness, which makes me very scared."

　　Many American retailers are preparing to close their business.

The New York Times reported that Nordstrom, a high-end US mall, plans to close its 350 stores across the United States on election day and increase security.

Tiffany & Co. also stated that it will selectively close some stores in response to possible situations on election day.

　　Sean Fournett, a businessman in Springs, Colorado, told the New York Times that he has prepared a lot of plywood for his customers to help them with store closure measures.

"I'm over 50 years old and I never thought I would experience this kind of thing."

　　Bloomberg reported that Americans are stockpiling various weapons at a record rate this year due to fears of violence around election day, and gun sales have soared by 91% compared to the same period last year.

People of African descent, women, and those who had no guns before have begun to frequent gun shops.

　　In this regard, Andortanov, owner of a gun store in Michigan, has become commonplace.

　　Andorra Tanov: "No matter who wins the general election, there will be people who are unhappy. Uneasy emotions have spread among the citizens. A large number of customers have poured into gun shops to buy guns, and the supply of guns exceeds supply."

　　Police in various parts of the United States have already begun to prepare for the violence that may be triggered by the election.

In a report by CNN, a senior police officer in Los Angeles, who asked not to be named, said that in his more than 30 years of police career, there has never been a pre-election police response To the extent of this year.

"I have never seen such a situation. We have done everything we can to protect the city and ensure the safety of our police."

Multiple factors push up the risk of violence to bridge social rifts requires long-term efforts

　　Why is the insecurity of the American people so strong?

Researchers from the Brookings Institution believe that this is because politicians incite supporters’ dissatisfaction and create social opposition; on the other hand, because of the current serious polarization of American society, the two camps are full of hostility.

They pointed out that more and more people “rationalize” violence in the name of faith, which is a worrying trend.

　　Ethnic conflicts are also contributing to the violent society.

Since the Freud incident in May, protests across the United States have never ceased, and social security has deteriorated day by day. Criminal activities that have caused chaos and took advantage of the chaos have been one after another.

Before the election, several incidents of police violent law enforcement occurred again in the United States.

Among them, the shooting of a 27-year-old African-American youth Walter Wallace in Philadelphia by the police once turned into a large-scale protest in the local area and triggered a new wave of demonstrations in many places in the United States.

　　At the same time, some extreme militia organizations are just about to move.

The U.S. "Capitol Hill" quoted a research report on October 27 to warn that five states have a high risk of militia organizations launching election-related armed violence, most of which are right-wing organizations.

　　Just one week before the polling day of the U.S. election, supporters and opponents of U.S. President Trump clashed in Times Square on October 25, local time. The two sides fought, resulting in several injuries and 11 arrests. .

　　The National Public Radio (NPR) report pointed out that as the election day approaches, activists in the left and right camps are worried that the other side will "steal the election," and they are preparing for it.

The report quoted Rael Barrian, director of the conflict management program at the Carter Center, as saying that some disturbing signs are emerging in the United States. "The inappropriate combination of guns, protests and elections makes us deeply worried."

　　American public opinion is generally worried that the election will bring more chaos and violence to American society and further aggravate the internal division of the country.

In this regard, the US "Foreign Affairs" magazine recently published an article that in order to solve this problem, the presidential candidates of both sides must first maintain a political demeanor, even if they fail, they must be brave enough to accept it.

At the same time, everyone from social platforms, federal agencies to ordinary citizens must remain vigilant.

　　Teng Jianqun, director of the U.S. Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that there is no shortcut to resolving the current chaos in the United States. It requires long-term efforts from all sectors of the American society.

Teng Jianqun:

"In the case of extreme tearing of American society, it is difficult to resolve such contradictions and conflicts by the police alone. From the perspective of future development, only through the efforts of politicians, and only through inter-ethnic and inter-religious Compromise can bring American society back to normal. But this is not a temporary work. After all, social conflicts in the United States have intensified to such a degree, especially some politicians are tearing the United States apart. From a policy perspective, it depends on a certain individual or The efforts of a certain political party are not enough, because this is a contradiction in the whole society. Therefore, to eliminate this tear and confrontation, the whole society must make efforts."

　　Planning丨Wang Jian

　　Reporter丨Shang Juan

　　Editor丨Yan Ming, Zhu Wanling

　　Signed trial丨Zheng Lei, Wang Jian

　　Producer丨 Guan Juanjuan

　　Source: Global News+