Democracy in America survives
U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy was quoted in August’s New York Times as saying that, “Democracy is unnatural,” and that it was “doomed from the start,” referring to President Tr ump and world aff airs. While debatable, if foreign nations interfered either in 2016s or 2020s, elections, veritably, it is unlikely that enough fraud could have changed either outcome. In between, democracy domestically was tested. Throughout the world, nations’ leaders are obfuscating democracy, from China’s Chairman Xi (the declared leader for life), to Russia’s Putin (the same), to Turkey’s Erdogan, to Hungar y’s Orban, to countless leaders in the global South. Many ask — will democracy sur vive?
America is emerging from Tr ump’s isolationism. Much depends on President-Elect Joe Biden, who has been hawkish, such as suggesting in 2014 sending U.S. troops to fight the Russians in Crimea, to dovish, in opposing the Afghanistan troop increase. Joe Biden reminds one of Joe Kennedy — the Irish Catholic Biden f amily has endured tragedy like the Kennedys. Joe Kennedy, while an ambassador, declared that democracy was dead in opposing fighting totalitarianism.
Biden will have to manage geopolitics steadily, besides simply saying that we support our allies, and oppose our foes — the basics of JFK. The world today is a tinderbox; some countries are competitors, others are partnerships.
American can engage Russia over nuclear weapons, rather than be isolating. China is a threat in global finance and trade, but the U.S. can get its own finances in order. North Korea and Iran are containable.
Russia’s Putin tells a childhood story of trapping a rat, needing to capture it slowly. But an alternative exists: open the back door, and throw out cheese — the rat, reciprocating, leaves. Peace is not appeasement. Giving rogue nations alternatives requires creativity and intellect; challenges await Biden, and belligerent Murphy, too, the latter with Afghanistan and Russia.
Who knows how Trump’s presidency will end? “Lame Duck” Donald may try to pardon himself, but could resign, allowing Mike Pence to peacefully transfer power. But ultimately, Americans have made their choice, and it is they who hold the fate of America’s democracy in their hands, in the wisdom of the leaders they choose, and how they live their lives, as we have always been a people of strong character, with heroes on all front lines. “The worst form of government except for all others,” Churchill uttered, 400 years on since the Mayflower Compact. Democracy, in America, survives.