Will the USA change after the mid-term elections? | Anna Chen

Anna Chen’s View of US Politics

Anna Chen argues that the US midterm results are unlikely to bring a fundamental change in policy. In her view, both major parties operate within a system focused on preserving US power, while working- and middle-class people bear the costs.

She criticizes commentators who portray Donald Trump as a peace candidate, saying his promises should not obscure the broader political and military establishment around him. She also rejects the idea that a Democratic victory would, by itself, reverse US foreign policy.

Capitalism, Wealth, and Political Change

Chen links today’s politics to a longer shift toward wealth concentration and austerity, dating especially to the Reagan era. She describes capitalism as a system that continually extracts value from workers until it undermines the societies on which it depends.

Changing political leaders, she says, may alter the pace or appearance of events without changing the underlying logic. She sees powerful oligarchs as insulated from the consequences.

US Foreign Policy and Global Power

Chen argues that Washington’s post-Cold War pursuit of dominance helped sustain the military-industrial complex and encouraged confrontation with Russia and China. She cites the 1992 Wolfowitz defense-planning document and a 1993 article by George Soros as evidence of what she interprets as early strategic thinking about China and the use of Eastern Europe as a buffer against Russia.

She criticizes both parties’ records on war and says political debate too often centers on weapons, prices, or national advantage rather than civilian deaths and human consequences.

Chen sees the US as still exceptionally powerful, but increasingly constrained by events and by the growth of Eurasian trade and cooperation. She warns that a more hawkish US policy toward China could deepen confrontation, while arguing that cooperation would be preferable. She also doubts China could avoid serious harm in a major conflict, even if it had advantages in a war fought near its own territory.

Europe and Social Unrest

Chen connects discontent in Europe to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, austerity, Brexit, and the disruption of trade and energy links with Russia and China. She sees potential in current protests but says they will need organization and political direction to become a lasting movement.

She criticizes narratives that blame social unrest on migrants, arguing that they obscure the effects of Western interventions and economic policies.

Labour and Representation in Britain

Chen expresses disillusionment with Labour, including its leadership and its positions on Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine. She recalls the opportunity she believes Labour had under Jeremy Corbyn and says the party failed to use it.

She doubts that replacing one leader with another—without a public mandate or a change in policy—will resolve the deeper crisis of representation.

Presenters and Contributors

• Jeff Rich: Host
• Anna Chen: Guest