Surviving the American circus

[SA Heart]( [Mail & Guardian Newsletter logo](#) [mg.co.za]( [The Ampersand Daily Newsletter from the M&G team](#) [Divider Strip] September 15 2020 | [View in browser]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( Hi there, Yesterday marked 50 days until the United States elects its president for the next four years. As every one one of those remaining days passes, you can expect the campaigning to become louder, rival barbs to be sharper and the media vitriol to get nastier. As Barbara Ludman [writes for ThoughtLeader]( ballot day for Americans living abroad begins as early as this Saturday. Expats will receive their ballots via email on September 19 and, depending on their state's protocols, will have to return them by email, courier, or dropping them at a consulate. In addition to encouraging every expat to vote, and do so early, Ludman also mulls an interesting idea in passing: "Because of the US's outsize influence internationally, perhaps everybody everywhere should have a vote." This will never be seriously considered, of course, but it is undeniable that US election day is a spectacle that engrosses the entire planet. Even South Africans, who, we might argue, are often apathetic about global affairs, become hooked in the shenanigans leading up to November 3. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the show, but we would also caution that the ensuing circus contains warnings for both us in the media and those who consume our work. US media, after all, has helped turn the nation into a polarised, political parody of itself. This is an idea articulated exceptionally well in journalist Matt Taibbi's serial collection [Hate Inc: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another](. "As it turns out, there is a utility in keeping us divided," he writes. "As people, the more separate we are, the more politically impotent we become." Donald Trump simply does not rise to power in a nation that does not hate itself. Taibbi argues that every CNN "takedown" of Trump during the 2016 cycle was merely feeding the political beast, giving him free political clout that ultimately saw him storm to the White House. As journalists we all have inherent biases and sometimes they trick us into thinking that advancing our agenda is objectively the right thing to do. The unfolding festival of resentment in the US should be all we need to scare away that temptation. If you'd like to contribute to ThoughtLeader, we want to hear from you. Please email LeizlE@mg.co.za. And, as always, please [consider a donation or subscription](. Until tomorrow, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Divider Strip] [Old Mutual]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( You are receiving this email on {EMAIL} because 1.) You're a member of "Mail & Guardian" or 2.) previously subscribed [M&G logo] 25 Owl St, Braamfontein Werf, Johannesburg, 2092 Want to be removed? No problem! [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Email support: help@media-connect.co.za - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -