Disappointment galore

Still worse is the long shadow it cast beyond Bush presidency. The Republicans have been successful in cultivating an evangelist Christian fundamentalism as their electoral base in the vast swathe of so-called Bible belt in the middle America and deep south which will be hard to break or penetrate anytime soon. What is equally significant is a Republican revolution in which they expanded their presence in 100-seat Senate from 51 to 55 seats beating Democrats in almost every close contest and toppling their Senate leader. They increased their majority in the House of Representatives too. Under Bush the Republicans have won clear control of both legislative and executive branch of the government. Also another front of opportunity is opening up for President Bush. With up to four Supreme Court judges likely to be replaced in four years the man in the White House will be in a unique position to replace them with the men of his choice and thus influence the direction of America's constitutional law. The Republican gains thus achieved would be impossible to reverse for many years and the neo-cons would continue to rule the roost.

The liberalism, if any left, will be in the meantime pushed to the backburner. Precisely, what is at stake is America's political soul. Equally under threat is the secular foundation of the United States which always is an open society. During the Vietnam war Senator William Fullbright, a great liberal, famously talked of two Americas: "one is generously and humane, the other narrowly egoistical; one is self critical, the other self-righteous; one is sensible, the other is romantic; one is good humoured, the other solemn; one is inspiring, the other pontificating; one is judicious and another arrogant in the use of its great power."

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Which of these two Americas would prevail as a result of Bush's reelection is the question the mankind is seized with. Because in a world where everything from who holds the rein of the sole superpower to the world view held by him comes into play to shape the life and destiny of every human being in one form or the other, this is indeed the moot question. The world's concern of it is evident from the intensity of its interest in the election and the outcome thereof as well as in vast number of Americans wondering whether their great country would be able to reach out to the world in a spirit of partnership or continue with its sullen rejectionism.

However much unsavoury election result the world is confronted with was not entirely unexpected. John Kerry, the challenger -- with all of his Senatorial gravitas was playing on Bush's ground rather than going whole hog to exploit Iraq mess-up. He couldn't do so because he himself unequivocally supported the war in the Senate. So in the name of anti-war campaign whatever he waffled turned into a paler version of Bush's war policy. If both the candidates were speaking more or less the same language on the same theme either on Iraq or global terror threat the voters were more inclined to buy the genuine thing which was unmistakably found in Bush while Kerry seemed more of imitation. John Kerry showed the same flip-flop with regards to his views of Israel -- a country that singularly benefited from Iraq war. Of course, Kerry was no mean supporter of Israel but the real hero of pro-Israel lobby was undoubtedly Bush who was the catalyst of all of Sharon's achievements vis-a-vis the Palestinians.

All these were in spite of ignominy through which the first Bush presidency came into being. It then looked like an aberration. Bush tenure of White House was born in 2000 to an electoral quirk, the fruit of Florida fiasco, the arcane algebra of the US electoral system and a split decision of Supreme Court. It seemed to be an accidental presidency -- one that would stand out in history book as a freak event. Now he has come back with flying colour becoming rare member of the surprisingly small, select club of presidents who have the credit of winning full two terms and that too convincingly. With that handsome victory Bush was expected to exude magnanimity which is however not in his chemistry.

During the first term if he calculatedly and cold bloodedly wreaked havoc in the name of his war on terror there are prognoses that he will get more ruthless with his hapless victims rather than relenting on them. He gave an open licence of blood-thirsty Ariel Sharon to kill, destroy and grab. His marines indiscriminately killed women and children in Fallujah in the name of hunting down so-called terrorists. He has installed a puppet government in Afghanistan in the name of democracy and is about to do the same in Iraq soon.

He is not about to ditch the approach of last four years. Despite the mayhem and murder in Iraq, despite the death of more than 1000 US soldiers and countless Iraqis, despite the hoax of the weapon of mass destruction, despite Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo the Bush administration won the approval of American people. If Bush had lost, the neo-conservative project would have been buried for ever. But as he has won the neo-cons will welcome that as a sweet vindication. And obviously more preemption, more deaths and destructions loom. That's where is the anxiety of the world at large.

Ms Danielle Pletk of the American Enterprise Institute, an impeccable neo-con ominously said: Iran would not go away. Force might be the only option. Nor would North Korea bend. We can't all pretend that the world would be a prettier place if only George Bush was not the president. Yet there were plenty of people around the world who instinctively thought that way hoping that the bad dream of past four years would in any case end on second November. Now they have to navigate around a geo-political landscape in which President is the dominant, fixed feature. Many Americans are afraid that the field day Bush will enjoy for next four years will create a nightmare worse than anything their country has seen.

The fear and despair evoked across the globe by the US election result are indeed shared by many millions of US citizens. For they know that this result will do nothing to placate their cry for health care, a living wage and decent public service. It will not reverse the leftwing tide in Latin America and it will do nothing to curb resistance in Iraq.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.