America, Awake and Arise
The World is watching you
America is facing multiple crises: an inept political leadership, a raging pandemic that has claimed over one hundred thousand lives, racial tensions, inequality, and political divisions threatening to undermine national unity. As Americans debate and agonize over their problems, the world is closely watching how America will manage its chronic problems.
America is not merely a superpower and a technological and military powerhouse; it is the world's leading democracy. It is the free world’s leader. Democracies look up to the U.S. for inspiration and leadership.
The free world wants America to flourish. A strong and prosperous America signals democracy’s strength and relevance.
While we watch America struggling to manage its internal divisions with concern, an evil authoritarian power has emerged to challenge the international order. China is a threat to world peace. It is behaving like an imperialist power accountable to none but itself.
America’s decline is democracy’s loss. China’s rise is authoritarianism’s success.
China already views itself as America’s equal. China has scant respect for international laws or human rights. Once a victim of imperialism and colonialism, China now wants to dominate the world with its authoritarian communist ideology.
Hubris has blinded China’s rulers. They think China’s rise as a superpower is unstoppable.
Superpowerdom is a legitimate aspiration for a big nation. But China plays by its own rules. It has no respect for international laws and conventions. It has its eyes on the territories of neighbouring countries. Recently China mounted unprovoked aggression on India. China claims several islands in the South China Sea that belongs to other nations.
Violence and aggression will mark China’s ascent. China wants to prove that democracy is a failed system. It wants to replace democracy with state dictatorship.
China will cite America’s decline as proof of democracy’s weaknesses. It will project its rise as evidence of the totalitarian model’s success.
The world wants a democracy like America to play an active role in international affairs. It wants America to lead the international order. America is the leader in technological innovation. China uses its technological knowledge to spy on other nations and repress its own people.
The world is fearful of China’s rise. One shudders to think of a world order dictated by China that believes that might be always right.
America has committed mistakes like military interventions in Vietnam and Iraq. But there is no such thing as a perfect society.
America has self-correcting mechanisms. It has free media. People can question the government’s policies.
China is a Frankenstein’s monster that is running amuck. Its rulers are not accountable to anybody or any institution. Chinese people have no freedom to criticize their government.
America, for God’s sake, fix your corrosive and divisive politics first. Unless America sees a political reformation, nothing will change. America has no dearth of intelligent people and smart thinkers, yet its politics resembles more of Somalia than that of a developed country.
America, awake and arise. Self-renewal is in your hands. Reclaim your lost glory.
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”
(Alexis de Tocqueville)
The world is watching you. Don’t let us down.
Thanks for reading.
