I think this also has a negative aspect for the US. The current polarization and anti-democratic way of thinking via conspiracy theories is a common occurrence,

I think this also has a negative aspect for the US. The current polarization and anti-democratic way of thinking via conspiracy theories is a common occurrence, well-known for people in third world countries. It is just the vitriol that has been long employed by the US around the world to "combat" enemies identified as communists. These tactics are now coming back to bite Americans themselves, imported by the hands of the right-wing movement, who did this for decades outside the US. Now, the democracy in the US is the one in peril due to these same tactics, turbocharged by the internet.