Watching democracies die

The US voting with Russia, North Korea, Belarus and Hungary in a UN resolution on the Ukraine war is shocking and unimaginable.

- BOO CHANCO

How Trump, Vance and other Cabinet members seem to have embraced the totalitarian rulers of this world and insulting long-standing allies is like a far-out nightmare. Add to all that is the blitzkrieg evisceration of American institutions that used to provide beacons for aspiring democracies.

American democracy has never been perfect. Oligarchs did pretty much what they wanted to do but there were guardrails that made sure they didn't go overboard. An unelected oligarch, the richest man in the world, is co-governing the country, throwing out the usual rules such as those governing conflicts of interest. Where the judiciary now stands is still iffy.

While there are some voices protesting how America is being run now, they are not enough. It seems, as the election results showed, many Americans are ready to give up their freedom in a democracy to vent their frustrations on the failures of the system. The MAGA crowd was told they would lose government assistance in health care and other needs so Trump can give a massive tax cut for the oligarchs. They voted against self-interest so they can protest.

According to Pew Research, 72 percent of Americans say the US used to be a good example of democracy, but not anymore. Ahead of the November presidential election, just 19 percent of Americans say democracy in the United States is a good example for other countries to follow.

No wonder America is in such turmoil today. The people lost faith in their democracy. Yet, as of December 2023, according to yougov.com, most Americans are supportive of democracy and think dictatorship would be bad for the US. Only four percent of Americans say it would be a good thing for the US to have a dictator in charge, while 80 percent disagree. But younger adults say they're less committed to democracy.