Stop laughing, Trump’s already destroyed more then the GOP
He’s destroying democracy itself
As I write this Trump is winning once again and winning big — with 5 of the 7 states able to be projected. Just to be clear, this is a candidate who has doubled down on quoting a fascist and whose policy proposals include religious discrimination and the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians. The cynical progressives, of which I’m often a member, may be tempted to laugh all this off as the GOP tearing itself apart. Gleefully comparing NYT headlines to that of The Onion or statements from Mr Trump to ones from President Camacho all the while content in watching the party burn itself down. But make no mistake, it’s not just the GOP being destroyed we’re also witnessing the destruction of the America’s soft power and the promise of liberal democracy around the globe.
As the de facto leader of the western world America is endowed with the unique opportunity and duty to demonstrate to the other nations and its people the virtues of a liberal democracy. To be that city upon a hill, to set an example of good governance by the people and for the people. But what happens when the people of authoritarian regimes witness American democracy today?
What happens when they see how easily fear is manipulated to support unconscionable actions like torture as easily as an edict from some strongman?
What happens when they see how police can brutalize with relative impunity while their fellow citizens fail to indicate for egregious actions time and again?
What happens when they see the circus of American politics electing so many that question even basic scientific ideas like evolution or selecting as their chair to the national committee on science someone who still does not believe in manmade global warming?
People under authoritarian rule are learning that while they don’t trust their governments they should trust their fellow citizens even less. They learn that although they hate the oppressiveness of their current rulers but it’s the devil they know and maybe that’s better then the devil they don’t.
Talking with my parents and some of their friends and acquaintances within China it has surprised me how much sentiment has shifted away from western liberal democracy. I used to hear that China must move towards being a free & democratic society but it must move slowly because the Chinese people, after millennia of authoritarian regimes need time to adjust. More recently, it’s shifted more along the lines of questioning if such a populous country is even able to be ruled democratically at all. And given the fervor and popularism stirred up by Trump in this election cycle it’s certainly getting harder and harder to argue how a messy democracy is beneficial.
Yes, it’s a tiny and non-representative sample but my parents and their friends are not exactly party insiders nor are they China apologists either. They were the ones that suffered through the Cultural Revolution. They were the ones that risked harsh punishment huddling around tiny radios just to hear the Voice of America. They were the ones that brought their 4 year old son to Tiananmen Square on the days leading up to the masscare so that he can witness and participate in the protests for democracy. If we’re giving these people pause about western style liberal democracy what are we showing the rest of the world?
