Best of BS Opinion: Two routes to atmanirbharta, triumph of Trumpism & more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

As the world waits and waits for the outcome of the US elections, it is instructive to recall the fateful dates of November 8 and 9, 2016. On the first date, Narendra Modi unleashed his first major economic reform programme, demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes and precipitating an economic slowdown and record rise in unemployment that the pandemic has only deepened. On the second date Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton conceded in a shock defeat to Republican chancer Donald Trump, who introduced a mendacity to the presidency that few post-war presidents have matched. Whatever happens after most vote tallies are called, Mr Trump has put the US on a steep decline as a world power in just four years. All eyes must inevitably now turn to China. 

These and other issues are assessed on the opinion page today. Kanika Datta sums up the views.
 

Donald Trump’s unexpectedly strong showing in the US elections establishes the fact that Trumpism has arrived in America, just as Moditva has in India – and it is fuelled by rising wokeness, which it holds in contempt, says Shekhar Gupta. Read it here
 

China has decided to adopt its version of atmanirbhar and focus on the domestic market as a growth driver. T N Ninan compares the two routes to self-reliance. Read it here
 

Mihir Sharma explains why comparing the US and Indian electoral systems is specious. Read it here
 

Advertisers are increasingly walking in the footsteps of celebrity, measuring impact with slippery television ratings and social media reach, writes Arundhuti Dasgupta. Read it here

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!”

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, parodying Trump’s tweet to her in December 2019