The second and final presidential debate has ended, and it could be a focal point for undecided voters deciding how to cast their vote.
Although the topics were similar to the last debate, and the orators were still keen on hurling insults, their priorities became clear to each and every person watching. Their stances revealed, once and for all, what types of Americans they are advocating for. President Donald Trump advocates for the people who are content with the inequality in the nation. Former Vice President Joe Biden advocates for those who fight for everyone’s right to life, liberty and property. The ballot, then, will decide whether people want their country to be ruled exclusively by the ‘haves’ or in conjunction with the ‘have-nots’.
Nowhere are their stances more clear in how they handle the fundamental principles outlined in our nation’s Constitution. Our right to life was already in peril before Trump, but it has been demolished by the current administration’s incompetency. His inclination towards healthcare for the highest bidder reflects his single-handed manipulation of basic American rights. Rich people will be the only ones better off if Trump is elected president.
Meanwhile, some of Biden’s healthcare plans included the reduction of premiums, the reduction of drug prices and the implementation of a ‘choice’ option while purchasing health insurance. Everyone could potentially benefit if Biden is elected president.
Environmental hazards are another major health crisis. Rolling back environmental regulations and emphasizing non-renewable resources would improve nothing, but Trump’s soft spot for his billionaire circle made that his primary policy.
Biden, on the other hand, promoted the transition to clean energy for both environmental and economic purposes. His calls to install charging stations, retrofit old buildings with green energy sources and create new clean energy jobs would help citizens instead of polluters.
The right to liberty, under both candidates, looks somewhat gloomy in the upcoming days. Trump, who is increasingly becoming a despot, finds nothing wrong with befriending other tyrants around the world. Biden, meanwhile, pledges to “play by international rules”, though takes a very “Us and Them” approach to foriegn adversaries. The all-too-empathetic Biden could help to create stability in the nation and extinguish the smoldering fires of racial injustice, religious conflicts and xenophobia, but his foriegn policies will not shield America from her powerful adversaries.
However, Trump made it obvious in the debate that the right to property will be completely violated under his administration. Trump weighs the prosperity of the nation according to how well the stock market is faring. However, the only thing the stock market indicates is how his billionaire friends are doing. Boasting about the soaring stock market was an insensitive remark from the president, since unemployment and poverty is otherwise rising nationwide.
Biden spoke more for the welfare of the poor, pledging to increase the national minimum wage to 15 dollars. Providing a decent income to lower class people could ensure a better quality of life overall, and would even slightly decrease income inequality.
Trump is not the candidate people should vote for if they prefer equal distribution of wealth and equal opportunities. While pointing out the errors in Biden’s minimum wage policy, Trump did not say he intends to replace it with a better welfare plan.At this point, more than 50 million people have already voted. For anyone who waited for the final debate to vote, cast your ballot based on how secure your three most basic rights would be under a new president.
