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> Regardless of political affiliation, I believe most honest, ordinary non-USians have held in high regard the robustness of the American democratic system and
by bonoboTP 6y ago
> Regardless of political affiliation, I believe most honest, ordinary non-USians have held in high regard the robustness of the American democratic system and its resilience to the wholesale corruption that plagues many other countries. The democratic ideal, and America as exemplar, has always been held in lofty regard
Where are you from, how old are you? Watching too many Hollywood hero movies?
I think the above attitude is less common outside the US than within. It's usually Americans who view themselves as through the lens of American exceptionalism, the rightful police of the world, just bringing democracy everywhere out of altruism and a care for people everywhere etc.
In Europe, the US is definitely seen in a more ambivalent light with lots of corruption etc.
- QuesnayJr 6y agoI live in Europe, and the universal reaction I saw in my circle was shock. People don't think the US is perfect, but the events of yesterday are completely outside the range of what they expect to see in the US.
- bonoboTP 6y agoWhat exactly? They broke into a building and wandered about a bit. They didn't take any politician hostage, didn't burn down the building, etc. They were like unruly children. Aren't you shocked to see thousands of cars burned in France over NYE? About seeing the American riots last summer? It's blown out of proportion. This Trumpist crowd was disorganized. They didn't have a plan, didn't have leaders, didn't have demands or any credible way to win. Life goes on.
- pjc50 6y agoThey had a plan, albeit an insane one, a leader, albeit an insane one, demands (change the election result), and a credible way to win (abduct or kill senators in order to change the outcome of votes). It's all very "we took six of the seven control rods out of the reactor and nothing happened!"
- bonoboTP 6y agoFundamental disagree. They didn't even scratch the surface. These buildings, the senators etc are all symbolic. They are expressions of the power relations, not the originators of it. Even if they do say stuff under threat, that would not have a real effect. It would be overturned by the Supreme Court or whatever. There is no way to make Trump win this way and actually get obedience from the institutions of the country. They would just not recognize Trump, even if somehow senators, under duress, said he won. It was 0 rods of the 7. Power is not in the buildings. It's in the network of interests of powerful people in the background across the country.
- QuesnayJr 6y agoThey stormed the Capitol, trying to disrupt the process by which the President is chosen. How many times have you seen this happen before in the US? For me personally, it's zero. France has famously unstable politics, which is why they are on their fifth Republic. No one was surprised to see something like BLM because the US has long-running problems with racism. But this? This was new.