Online event of the magazine PROKLA on Thursday, June 24, at 6:15 p.m. with Margit Mayer and Christoph Scherrer.

Many people hoped that the election of Joe Biden as president of the United States would bring about a radical reversal in the domestic and foreign policy of the world's largest economy. In terms of foreign policy, former President Donald Trump had repeatedly gone on a confrontational course, not only with China but also with Europe. This accelerated the crisis of international organizations and multilateralism. Domestically, Trump distinguished himself by courting the rich, deepening social divisions and openly supporting right-wing groups. The election of Joe Biden has led to a sigh of relief among many who were critical of all this. Indeed, the new administration has surprised on several occasions in its first weeks: it has indicated a serious openness to previously marginalized "multicultural" groups and issues and, with the American Rescue Plan, has signaled a return to strong government intervention in the interests of the 90 rather than the top 10 percent. And, at least with respect to Covid 19 vaccinations, the country now has a record of great success. Still, the question remains to what extent a sustained change in direction can actually be expected under Biden that will go beyond rhetoric and announcements.


The starting situation is more than dramatic. The Corona pandemic has now led to nearly 600,000 deaths in the USA. One-fifth of the population does not always have enough to eat since the economic collapse caused by the pandemic, and one-eighth must use food vouchers. Millions of people have to live on the streets, in tents or in caravans.

How did the November 2020 election come to be far from the landslide victory many expected for the Democrats? Will there really be a shift away from the America first policy? What are the opportunities and challenges for a U.S. left in the current situation?

We will discuss these and other questions with Margit Mayer and Christoph Scherrer.

Margit Mayer is a political scientist, professor emerita at the Department of Political and Social Sciences and the John F. Kennedy Institute at the FU Berlin, and a long-time member of PROKLA's advisory board. Christoph Scherrer is an economist and political scientist, professor of globalization and politics at the University of Kassel and also a long-standing member of PROKLA's advisory board.

Online event of the magazine PROKLA on Thursday, June 24 at 6:15 p.m. with Margit Mayer and Christoph Scherrer.

Many people hoped that Joe Biden's election as president of the United States would bring about a radical reversal in the domestic and foreign policies of the world's largest economy. In terms of foreign policy, former President Donald Trump had repeatedly gone on a confrontational course, not only with China but also with Europe. This accelerated the crisis of international organizations and multilateralism. Domestically, Trump distinguished himself by courting the rich, deepening social divisions and openly supporting right-wing groups. The election of Joe Biden has led to a sigh of relief among many who were critical of all this. Indeed, the new administration has surprised on several occasions in its first weeks: it has indicated a serious openness to previously marginalized "multicultural" groups and issues and, with the American Rescue Plan, has signaled a return to strong government intervention in the interests of the 90 rather than the top 10 percent. And, at least with respect to Covid 19 vaccinations, the country now has a record of great success. Still, the question remains to what extent a sustained change in direction can actually be expected under Biden that will go beyond rhetoric and announcements.


The starting situation is more than dramatic. The Corona pandemic has now led to nearly 600,000 deaths in the USA. One-fifth of the population does not always have enough to eat since the economic collapse caused by the pandemic, and one-eighth must use food vouchers. Millions of people have to live on the streets, in tents or in caravans.

How did the November 2020 election come to be far from the landslide victory many expected for the Democrats? Will there really be a shift away from the America first policy? What are the opportunities and challenges for a U.S. left in the current situation?

We will discuss these and other questions with Margit Mayer and Christoph Scherrer.

Margit Mayer is a political scientist, professor emerita at the Department of Political and Social Sciences and the John F. Kennedy Institute at the FU Berlin, and a long-standing member of PROKLA's advisory board. Christoph Scherrer is an economist and political scientist, professor of globalization and politics at the University of Kassel and also a long-standing member of PROKLA's advisory board.