Massive backlash now threatens to burn down everything Trump has worked for
Donald Trump’s assault on American democracy has been devastating. Equally devastating, however, is the impact that it is having on democracy around the world.
Historically, America had been viewed as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, democracy in the world, an example to which all nations could aspire and which offered hope to all oppressed people. Ronald Reagan called America “that shining city on a hill,” a nation that would be a light unto all nations seeking freedom, democracy, and individual rights.
In today’s America, the light has gone out, a troubled democracy to which no nation would aspire, where no oppressed people would turn for hope or optimism. The authoritarian darkness that is threatening democracies around the world has cast an ominous gloom over America unseen in the country’s history.
America's democracy is foundering. The Economist’s Democracy Index rates America a “flawed democracy” while 26 countries are rated “full democracies.” The Global State of Democracy Initiative ranks America the 47th strongest democracy in the world. In the Freedom House World Report, the US ranks 48th in the world based on its citizens’ access to political rights and civil liberties.
America’s lowly democratic rankings correspond with the perception of President Trump outside America. The Pew Research Center polled 28,000 adults across 24 countries and found majorities in 19 of 24 countries expressing “little or no confidence” in Trump’s ability to “do the right thing in world affairs.” In a YouGov survey of Europeans, Trump was viewed the least trustworthy of the thirteen world leaders on the survey along with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Instead of championing democracy around the globe, Trump has supported authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, and Recep Erdogan whose countries’ democracies have been demolished or badly eroded. While quick to bash the leaders of America’s strong democratic allies, Trump is reluctant to condemn the anti-democratic behavior of his autocratic chums.
Instead of helping to strengthen fledgling or struggling democracies, the Trump administration has stopped funding practically all U.S. government programs supporting democracy, human rights and freedom of the press internationally. Instead of championing human rights around the world as former presidents have done, Trump is busy trampling on them at home.
Once the champion of fostering and defending democracy around the world, under Trump, America now exports by example its brand of political authoritarianism.
Tactics used by Trump and his allies to shred America’s democracy – election manipulation, undermining the free press, demonizing the political opposition, violating the Constitution and rule of law, broadening executive power, usurping legislative authority, weakening judicial oversight - are not lost on anti-democratic right-wing political parties intent on moving their countries towards authoritarian rule.
When the president of the most powerful free country in the world embraces authoritarianism, that helps to legitimize it in countries where democracy is under siege by the extreme right. Rather than helping democracies withstand the ominous spread of right-wing authoritarianism, Trump provides a chilling example to emulate.
It is little wonder that authoritarian leaders ingratiate themselves to Trump. He is blithely doing the work of authoritarian regimes to help emasculate democracy and bring countries under autocratic governance. Vladimir Putin and China's Premier Xi Jinping are surely rubbing their hands with glee, the leader of the free world helping them pursue their anti-democratic mission.
However, while Trump is emboldening anti-democratic forces around the world, there is cautious optimism that democracy will ultimately survive the onslaught.
Voters in a number of countries are increasingly rebuffing right-wing extremism. In countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Mexico, The Netherlands, Austria and France, the election of centrist and progressive candidates has shown extreme-right party influence waning.
There is also the fact that, by and large, most humans crave individual freedom, the freedom that they can only enjoy in a democracy. While Trump provides sustenance to the anti-democratic far-right movement, millions of Americans are doing the opposite: strongly protesting the assault on democracy by Trump and his allies that threatens every American’s freedom.
While the world is watching Trump’s brazenly monarchical behavior, it is also watching the fierce resistance of millions of Americans and protesters in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, and Great Britain who have rallied in support.
If Americans can save their democracy, it can help to inspire others to continue the fight for democracy in their countries and perhaps ignite a worldwide pro-democracy movement to counter the authoritarian movement on the right.
Thanks to the American people, that shining city on the hill may yet provide a glimmer of hope for the world.
Most dramatically, nine districts in California and eight districts in Texas will have more than 50 percent new residents, fundamentally changing the overall composition of those districts.
Making a change of this size mid-decade, as opposed to once every decade, will be highly disruptive and represent a major tear in the fabric of representative democracy.