Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid
(Matthew 5:14)
Today is US election day. American voters face a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. One is the epitome of the technocracy, someone who has operated inside the Washington political scene for a quarter of a century. The other has been described as 'Rome burning in man form.' It was on a comedy show, but no one is laughing now.
For a long time now, the United States of America has been described as a city on a hill. The expression, Biblical in origin, began its association with Americans in 1630, nearly a century and a half before the creation of the United States. It was used in a sermon by one of the Pilgrim Fathers, John Winthrop, whilst on his way to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It has subsequently been used by figures such as John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and most famously, Ronald Reagan.
These political leaders have used the expression as a metaphor. They are espousing the idea of American exceptionalism, the idea that the United States of America has a role as a leader, and a beacon. John Winthrop was using the quotation as a exhortation to moral, Christian leadership. Since then, it has been invoked to justify the leading clout of America around the world.
Now, God knows I am not the biggest fan of the United States of America. There are many parts of its culture, society and politics that I find abhorrent, from the extreme poverty to the rampant consumerism, mass gun deaths and appalling social divisions. And it hasn't helped itself internationally a lot of the time either, be it invading and destroying a sovereign state for no good reason, through to drone strikes and illegal killings by special forces.
And yet... The United States is the sole global superpower. And it is a liberal democracy. And, on the whole, it has used this power around the world for good.
Think about it the other way round. How will the world be different if, or when, the People's Republic of China is calling the global shots? Or the Russian Federation develops a greater desire and means to impose its view on the rest of the world?
America is an ally. They may have 'turned up late,' to the Second World War, as the common dismissive attitude is, but they had been bankrolling Britain's war effort for a long time before the attack on Pearl Harbour. After the war, it essentially funded the rebuilding of Western Europe by itself. Its role in NATO has helped to keep the peace in Europe for nearly seven decades. Its participation in international conflicts and peacekeeping missions is immensely valuable, and its power and sway has made it a deal broker in conflicts as diverse as Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
Like it or not, but the United States is the ultimate guarantor of Western security. It is also the economic centre of the world, despite a crippling downturn eight years ago. Not to mention a massive cultural centre. What happens there matters to all of us. Not for nothing is the President often referred to as the Leader of the Free World.
And Donald Trump wants to end that role of America as the city on a hill. He has spent the election saying that he doesn't see why the USA should be defending others, unless they pay a premium for it. He will willingly arm other countries with nuclear weapons, if it means that the USA no longer has to pay to protect them. Could you imagine what Putin may do next if the United States refused to honour its guarantees to the Baltic States? Or Poland? Would nuclear weapons spread if America's allies weten't sure they lived under the nuclear umbrella?
This city on a hill starts at home. This election has seen Donald Trump run on a demagoguic platform, attacking racial minorities, women, and the disabled, in language and terms which are abhorrent. He has incited violence against those who oppose him, has advocated using the machinery of government to go after his political and media opponents, and called the integrity of the election process itself into question. There is a very real chance that he will not acknowledge the result if he loses; the peaceful transfer of power is essential in all democracies, it isn't an optional extra. If he is elected, what sort of message will that send to those around the planet who look to the United Sates as the leader of the free Western world?
It is important that the United States remains that city on a hill, for all who believe in liberal democracy. Whatever you think of Hillary Clinton (and I seem to be in a minority in thinking she is an excellent potential president), Trump is a quasi-fascistic demagogue, and cannot be allowed to control the machinery of government. His election may be a scream of rage from those whose lives have been battered by globalisation, but he is not the answer.
I hope that tomorrow Trump is consigned to the history books. But until then, we have to sit out the long, dark night of the soul.
See you tomorrow.
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