Clashes of images: Trump vs Biden

Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players." This quote is often used to describe the theatrical nature of life, where individuals play different roles. In the context of politics, the 2024 United States presidential election can be seen as a stage where political actors play their parts, making the quote an excellent testament to the theatricality of politics.

Trump's Pennsylvania rally was the scene of a shocking turn of events last Saturday, as he faced a brazen assassination attempt just days before he was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. Chaos erupted as a storm of bullets rang out, causing fear to spread.

Trump was quickly shielded by Secret Service agents and rushed into his SUV, pumping his fist in a show of defiance and shouting "Fight, Fight" against the stars and stripes of an American flag. An iconic image.

The 2024 presidential elections are not just a matter of who will lead the nation but a potential turning point in US politics. This assassination attempt on Trump has ignited a fierce debate over the identity of the assassin and the political motivations behind the attack. Some have pointed fingers at the Democratic Party, the Security Service, or even an inside job among Republicans to propel Trump into a hero.

After this incident, the image of Trump, the first former president in US history to be criminally convicted, has dramatically changed from a felon to a political hero for many. In contrast, Biden's image has dwindled from that of a senior Democratic leader to a weakening and unfit clown.

This incident has not only exposed the deep and fragile fractures in US politics but also elevated the 2024 presidential elections to a highly contested, dangerously uncertain, and devastatingly divisive event with far-reaching consequences for both national and global politics.

On the other hand, Biden, who condemned the attack, performed poorly in the latest presidential debate with Trump on stage. Many Democrats expressed their shock and disappointment at his performance, prompting an escalating debate over whether Biden has the cognitive capacity to run the most powerful country in proper preparation for any nuclear war, a decision he must responsibly make as president. The world, meanwhile, is watching the upcoming elections in the US closely, anxiously, and terrifyingly.

The 2024 US presidential election is not just a battle of policies but a clash of images. Historically, an image of a political leader has been taken seriously, symbolising a nation's strength, representing the people's political will, and showcasing the interaction between political institutions and the people.

In the case of Biden, we cannot hide our deep confusion - if he is cognitively unfit to rule the US, repeatedly manifested in his inability to form a single coherent idea, let alone a comprehensive foreign or domestic policy, how has he politically survived to date?

Potentially, there are two possibilities: the US has matured enough to be a political system of self-sufficiency and self-perpetuity with no need for a capable political leader. Alternatively, a group of unelected, invisible, and controlled technocrats secretly manages the country on President Biden's behalf.

While the first possibility is sheer sarcasm, and the second one is more certain, the reality is far more disturbing than this.

Both scenarios may indicate that US politics becomes more of an illusion than a real job. It is like a movie; we can only see a shadow on a wall from a projector, which is scripted, directed, and controlled by a group behind the scenes. All the images on the wall create a sense of simulation with a coherent narrative to achieve a specific political effect in controlled space and time.