No ‘moral authority’

Many news commentators covering the mob takeover of the Capitol in Washington have made the extraordinary and grandiose statement that the USA has lost its moral authority.

Since when was that the case? Perhaps believed by those Americans who think they have ‘the greatest democracy in the world’, but it is a myth.

If the USA ever had any ‘moral authority’, itself a very suspect term, it began to slip when it destabilised several democratically elected governments in Latin America. Then the disastrous adventure in Vietnam. More recently the illegal invasion of Iraq.

Just one mistake of many the USA has made in the Middle East — the worst being to meddle in Iran and put the Shah on the throne.

So please do not perpetrate the myth of the USA ever having ‘moral authority’.

It has a very flawed democracy which has been demonstrated all through the Trump presidency. Its constitution has remained virtually unchanged since 1789, being only amended 27 times since then. The founding fathers intentionally gave the President extraordinary powers equivalent to a monarch considering this was appropriate. The dangers of such powers have been seen in recent weeks. The USA constitution needs a major revision. It is no longer fit for purpose.

In the past most Americans have been so confident, almost smug, and uncritical about their Constitution any change seemed unlikely.

Now however, if anything good ever comes out of the Trump era which culminated in the Capitol takeover, it will be the realisation by most thinking Americans, that radical changes are needed in their Constitution to give them one better suited for the modern world and we all hope give the USA a fairer society and improved democracy.

After all, countries such as ours have a far more effective and democratic system. So it can be done.

Russell Armitage Hamilton