Lakhota
Diamond Member
To millions, it seems the choice isn’t about Donald Trump or Joe Biden but the survival of U.S. democracy — and what that means for their nations.
Every four years, millions of foreigners watch America choose its president, knowing a decision in which they have no say could reshape their lives. In 2020, observers abroad see a choice that isn’t about a conservative turn or a liberal shift, but whether the world’s most powerful country can maintain the democratic standards it’s long promoted.
A victory for President Donald Trump would be a blow to the principle that leaders should commit to peaceful transitions of power. It would give a stamp of legitimacy to his methods aimed at entrenching his rule, like rushing to appoint a friendly Supreme Court justice pre-election before ballots may face judicial challenges, working to make it harder to vote and rejecting nearly all scrutiny by lawmakers or the public. And a Trump reelection would vindicate authoritarian tactics like his dismissal of opposition to him as un-American and “criminal,” and his months-long effort to depict the U.S. voting system as too broken to produce a trustworthy result, which some intelligence officials call a greater threat to the upcoming vote than foreign interference.
On Tuesday, Trump used the biggest moment of the campaign so far ― the first presidential debate ― to tell violent right-wing group the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” as he declined to condemn them or white supremacists who have expressed support for him.
For Trump to triumph over Democratic nominee Joe Biden would be an alarming sign that U.S. democratic institutions are badly damaged and likely to crumble further. And that would reverberate internationally. With the world’s most influential country clearly in democratic decline, authoritarianism and political figures dismissive of the rule of law will take advantage.
“Despite all the hypocrisy… all its faults and all its problems with racism, [America] is seen as a very vibrant democracy which is discussing its problems very openly,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo. “Even people who are very critical of U.S. foreign policy recognize that these things are very important for the global fight for human rights and for democracy.”
Much more...
People Across The World Are Anxious About ‘Dangerous’ U.S. Election
To millions, it seems the choice isn't about Donald Trump or Joe Biden but the survival of U.S. democracy -- and what that means for their nations.
www.huffpost.com
No wonder people across the world are anxious about dangerous U.S. elections. Americans are also worried. What do you think?
Here is my advice to all voters: VOTE. Vote as early as possible and respect the rights of others to vote.
Last edited: