An Amazing Race or a Global Nightmare? How U.S. Elections Impact our Lives in the GCC

Every time Americans vote, the rest of the world feels the consequences. Every 4 years, voters and 270 (out of 538) electors representing their 50 states decide who will be the U.S. President, and voters will also decide who will control the U.S. Congress. While in the U.S. all politics is local, the truth is what happens in the U.S. and especially in this elections will reverberate worldwide. The question for us here today is: What has really changed in the past 230 years, since the first U.S. Ships called on ports in the Arabia, and since the 1st U.S.treaty with an independent Arab state in 1833 (Oman)? I would argue that little has changed, and that a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship would only be beneficial to the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and the U.S. but also to the rest of the world socially, politically and economically.

1. Socially: As we become more connected online and off line through travel so do our cultures. This is why when an influential super power like the U.S. struggles with human values such as social justice vs. supremacist ideologies, honesty vs. fake news, friendship vs. bullying, the rest of the world struggles and suffers, mainly because of the U.S. moral retreat gives way to masked, evil forces that believe they are entitled to advance their own narrow interests at the expense of human values. For example, instead of continuing to champion the rule of law by its action, the U.S. has become an example of those who believe in racial profiling, hostility towards freedom of expression and in using violence against peaceful civilians. One of the most interesting stories U.S.-Muslim world relations is when in 1840 U.S. President Martin Van Buren was receive diplomatic gifts of the Sultan Said bin Sultan of Oman, these gifts sparked a debate in the U.S. Congress about gifts to public servants that gave us the base for Ethics & Comliance standards that we enjoy to this day. So today, where the U.S. current administration treats the GCC only within the context oil, arms deals, supporting supremacist ideologies, and extra judicial punishments, what kind of values can the public in both regions look up to?
2. Politically: Over the past 4 years, conflicts in the region have gotten worse; people of Yemen saw their calls for freedom disintegrate into a full scale regional war of proxies and a human tragedy, sisterly and friendly countries boycotted each other and precious resources waisted on weapons and domestic espionage that will do nothing to advance anyone’s vision and socio-economic progress goals. The good news is that there is a great chance this upcoming U.S. administration will learn the lessons from its current approach of adding fuel to the fire to gain leverage and deals to gaining its rightful role as a trusted mediator and just super power. Humanity has always had to deal with conflicts, yet the past cannot dictate and imprison us in endless conflicts that our present and future generation would inherit, thus continuing to live in a vicious cycle conflicts, at times where we need every moment of just peace and stability to live a healthier and more prosperous life.
3. Economically: For the past decade, GCC countries have been witnessing a demographic youth bulge, an accelerating energy transition, and most recently COVID-19 Pandemic. On the other hand, U.S. current administration on the other hand consistently highlighted payments in exchange for protection of GCC leadership and stability, and it is not likely that a change in the White House or the Congress will change U.S. pressure on the GCC for protection money, under pretense of handling regional boogie regimes, Iran and Israel, on behalf of GCC. Given the fact GCC populations can long afford paying additional taxes as a result of having to pay for the protection money, it would more beneficial for both sides to shift to more fair and free trade, that perhaps focuses on small and medium businesses, instead of the current dynamics.

This U.S. elections is either an amazing, fun-to-watch race or a nerve-recking nightmare, depending on where you live, and we as human beings have come together too far not to try to find a better way forwards. Since the beginning of times, every super power thought it would last forever, and for every and each one of them it was the road less traveled by- the people’s ability to strive for social justice that made these nations great, and not the easy way- their military might or ability to levy and exploit cheap resources from others. In January 2021, what would you expect to see: An end of an amazing race,or a beginning of a global nightmare?