A well-known geopolitical strategist has explained why the upcoming midterms could matter not only for the US, but for the wider world
Americans head to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, to choose the members of Congress who write and pass federal laws. Every seat in the House of Representatives is up for election, along with about a third of the Senate.
The result will decide whether President Donald Trump’s Republicans or the opposition Democrats control Congress. That will affect how easily Trump can carry out his plans, and the vote will also serve as a gauge of how Americans feel about his performance at the midpoint of his term.
The vote comes amid ongoing global tensions, and talk of a possible World War 3 has continued to circulate online.
What did Dr. Sarah Paine say about the midterms?
Dr. Sarah Paine is a historian, geopolitical strategist, and retired professor at the U.S. Naval War College who specializes in Russian and Chinese imperial history and maritime strategy. She has urged Americans to vote, arguing that the choices made at the ballot box have a big effect on national security and the country’s future.
Speaking on an episode of The Diary of a CEO, Paine said a large number of Americans didn’t vote in the last election, so it’s important that they do so this time.
She said national security and prosperity should come before party loyalty, arguing that people often vote for their party rather than judging what politicians have actually delivered. She also said Americans need to listen to people with different views, something she believes social media has made harder.
Paine added that people should accept election results rather than blaming defeat on cheating. She urged younger generations in particular to keep talking to one another, learn from different viewpoints, and above all, vote.
Her comments come as the US remains involved in conflict in the Middle East, while Russia and Ukraine are still at war.
What is changing with Selective Service?
A change to the way the US military registers potential draftees is expected to begin in December. It doesn’t bring back the draft.
The Selective Service System (SSS), the agency that keeps the database of men who could be called up in a national emergency, will move to registering eligible men automatically. Congress approved the change as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that funds the military. According to the SSS, the change “transfers responsibility for registration from individual men” to the agency.
At the moment, nearly all male US citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register themselves. Failing to do so is a federal crime that can carry up to five years in prison, though in practice, enforcement mostly affects a person’s eligibility for certain federal benefits.
The SSS says there is no draft at present. Congress would have to change the law before conscription could resume.
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