Is the US in Decline?
For decades, the capitalistic US has had a few arguments going in its favor as compared to communist China and Russia, albeit with some caveats: that the US is a vibrant democracy, where the justice system is not corrupt, at least in plain sight; that the President is not king, and that personal favors from the nexus between the rich and powerful are few and far between; and that the US is a force for peaceful coexistence of nations, only occasionally being a bully.
Is the US a vibrant democracy? US democracy has been in decline for some time as partisans, some more than others, have turned every aspect of elections into a contest of bending rules to their maximum advantage. Justices who are supposed to be the stewards of the law have become politicized themselves. Partisan gerrymandering of electoral districts has become so extreme that most US House and state elections are not competitive and those in power remain in power. States have become red and blue states leaving few US Senate races competitive. Even presidential contests focus on only a handful of battleground states. Most voters have little say and hence, little interest in voting, as only about ten percent of the seats are competitive. The net result is that representatives with little concern for reelection have little reason to act in the best interests of their constituents, exactly as in undemocratic countries.
Is the President king? The dysfunctional US democratic system of governance took a further hit on January 6, 2021, when the defeated refused to yield power and tried to seize the Capitol. Democracy was not embellished any further when the subsequent administration tried to hold them accountable or failed in efforts to hold them accountable, depending on one’s political persuasion. That the American President is subject to laws unlike kings and dictators is often touted. Yet, when the Supreme Court decided that a President is immune from most crimes during official duties, it blurred that distinction. When former President Biden used his power to pardon his son and other relatives to protect them from harassment, he opened the door for personal favors. When President Trump followed it with pardoning Capitol Hill rioters overruling Justice Department convictions, he set aside law and justice. With the President’s expanding powers in full display, it is no surprise that the nexus between the President and the rich American oligarchs is also in the open. With that nexus, wealth and income inequality is a point of pride not one to scorn.
Is the US for peaceful coexistence? For the first time in a long time, the US is not actively at war. That’s about the only positive. Former President Biden’s stance in the Gaza war, perceived at best as a bystander and at worst as an active participant in the war with little control over its direction, showed lack of leadership. In the Ukraine war, President Trump may acquiesce to the wishes of an imperialist Russia that wants to expand. Furthermore, he may try to engage in territorial expansion of the US itself and control of neighbors, allies, and adversaries through economic and military might — not exactly the hallmarks of peaceful coexistence. Backing off the Paris climate agreement when the planet is raging with hurricanes and fires at the behest of business interests and disengaging from the World Health Organization (WHO) are not a recipe for peaceful coexistence with fellow nations either.
If little separates the US from its communist counterparts, why and how much longer will the rest of the world look to the US as the shining city on a hill?
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