As U.S. leadership dims, the world is drifting away from democracy: Statue of Liberty with torch rep
I am more struck by the pic of the statue of Liberty than the article itself.
Richard Haass Mar 1
As U.S. leadership dims, the world is drifting away from democracy
The news that China’s constitution will be amended to permit Xi Jinping to serve additional terms as president is only the most recent instance of a disturbing trend: Not just democracy but the rule of law and respect for civil society and individual liberty are in decline around the world. One reason is that the United States is failing to set an example that many wish to emulate.
The U.S. has removed the promotion of democracy and human rights from its foreign policy agenda. Its silence on these issues gives repressive regimes a free pass to crack down. But our increasingly divisive domestic politics are also part of the problem.
The left is put off by racism, hostility to immigrants and seeming indifference to gun violence, while the right delegitimizes the Mueller investigation, embraces America First and champions tax cuts to the exclusion of much else.
Attacks by the president on everyone from judges to journalists undermine trust in essential institutions.
The lack of civics education in our schools and the echo chambers of cable news and social media exact a steep toll.
Economic, social and physical insecurity have driven the global trend toward illiberalism. Understandably, those forces place greater emphasis on a government’s ability to deliver tangible goods than on its fealty to intangible ideals such as individual freedoms and human rights. We are seeing this in countries as diverse as Russia, China, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Egypt and the Philippines.
A few exceptions stand out, .....................
https://images.axios.com/5RtBeUVYM8qLUimJpE4DeNpI_rE=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x1080/2018/02/28/1519833442562.png
Statue of Liberty with torch replaced by matchstick
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios