In the wake of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, many Americans, both at home and abroad, are grappling with a profound sense of despair and uncertainty. For Eleanor Limprecht, an American writer who has called Australia home for over two decades, the re-election of Donald Trump feels like a devastating blow, not just to her native country, but to the very foundations of democracy itself.
“I know we must fight to protect the rights we have in Australia but which the U.S. is on the cusp of losing (or has already lost),” Limprecht reflects in a poignant opinion piece published shortly after the election. As an American expat, she finds herself in a unique position, straddling two worlds and bearing witness to the stark contrasts between them.
A Tale of Two Democracies
Limprecht marvels at the differences between the American and Australian political systems. In Australia, she notes, compulsory voting is the norm, and the government wields a level of control that would be unthinkable in the U.S., where individual liberty is prized above all else. Yet, ironically, it is the American democracy that now finds itself under threat, with Trump’s open admiration for dictators and strongmen.
“When I moved to Australia 22 years ago, I couldn’t get over how much control the government could exercise: from random breath testing to fines for non-voting – these things are incomprehensible in a country which puts so much emphasis on the Bill of Rights and individual liberty.”
Eleanor Limprecht
Protecting Hard-Won Rights
For Limprecht, the U.S. election results serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of the rights and freedoms we often take for granted. She urges her fellow Australians to fight harder to protect the rights they still enjoy, but which Americans are on the brink of losing:
- The rights of women over their own bodies
- The rights of LGBTQIA+ people
- The rights of people with disabilities
- The rights of minority groups
- The rights of First Nations people
- The rights of refugees and immigrants
“I’ve never been so grateful for my chosen country,” Limprecht writes, “for the Australian electoral commission, gun control and Medicare. But I cannot turn away from my birthplace either, I’ll do everything I can to support democracy there.”
Finding Solace in Art and Nature
In the face of existential grief, Limprecht finds solace in the natural world and in works of art, literature, and music. She recalls washing dishes on election night, too weary to listen to more news, and instead tuning in to a broadcast of Yolngu artist Gurrumul’s concert at the Sydney Opera House.
“The brilliant U.S. writer Rebecca Solnit wrote: ‘The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving.'”
Eleanor Limprecht
Yet, even as she seeks comfort in beauty and creativity, Limprecht knows that we cannot afford to look away or become numb to the challenges before us. She notes with concern that both Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have already sent their congratulations to Donald Trump.
“The last place we want to find ourselves now is in America’s long shadow,” Limprecht warns. As an American living in Australia, she offers a unique perspective on the global implications of the U.S. election, and a powerful reminder of the work that lies ahead for all who believe in the promise of democracy.
