Political scientist from Potsdam, professor Wilfried Furman was one of the few German experts to predict the victory of Donald Trump at the elections. In an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza Furman discussed the victory of republican candidate as well as expected changes in US global politics after Trump's victory. "As an absolute political outsider, Donald Trump had to defeat every politician with all their ranks and names, including in his own Republican Party. At the same time, just like Martin Luther demanded it 500 years ago, he was close to the people."
During his election campaign he didn't care about manners, used any words he wanted and discussed different topics as if he was sitting in a bar. He regularly broke the rules of existing political correctness. He provoked established elite. And he was understood by voters, especially by men and white people, who Hillary Clinton left without any economic program," the expert described Trump's recipe for success, which became a surprise to most observers.
"Trump became music to Americans' ears. This effect was intensified by the fact that those Americans, whose real incomes have been declining for many years, as well as citizens who fear for their financial future, once again began to hope for jobs with good salary. Many people perceived Donald Trump as someone who knows the economy, rather than a goldfish in a luxurious pool (in which he still swims). So they hoped to restore their personal dignity and self-respect, because they can do it only by having a job with good income. When you work at four jobs, mow the lawn in the evenings, it's just difficult to maintain your dignity. Such working conditions are neglect and anti-human, it's a terrible world of the future," professor noted.
Speaking about the international consequences of Trump's victory at the election, the expert said: "We can only guess about possible disputes in the US geopolitics and their consequences. Trump's open understanding and respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as desire for personal dialogue, is also a controversial point with positive implications. Aggressively provocative rejection of Russia and its public classification as one of many regional powers may be removed from the agenda. Right now the agenda consists of signaled willingness to a dialogue without losing face and diplomatic tricks."
"It does not matter whether this willingness was formed during Donald Trump's business activity. It does not imply any conflict of interest (between government activity and his business), but it is a sign towards well-known thesis, which says that trade and economic exchanges promote peace," the expert stressed.
"Perhaps after personal meeting Trump and Putin will be able to stop the war in Syria, if Trump will abandon the demand to make the President of once flourishing, secular and tolerant Syria, Bashar Assad, to resign, as well as will intensify the fight against groups like Daesh in cooperation with Russia," he noted.
According to him, "it will create a new fundamental trust between the sides and will bring soldiers home, not new coffins. Americans are tired of war, some of which are waged with the use of false evidences and political idle talk. Because American citizens see this as an insult to their own honor, pride and dignity. America's authority in the world is going lower and lower, because there is a great unhappiness of all nations, affected by it - from Iraq and Syria to Yemen. They want money, spent on the war, to be invested in the US infrastructure and, in particular, in the education of their children."
