As this election meltdown continues, observers from around the world are weighing in on the dysfunction with various reactions.
- The U.S. had set itself up as a model for democratic elections, impressing some with the longstanding stability of its system, and annoying some others with its high-handed promotions of worldwide democracy.
Politico asked writers from a range of countries, either watching from overseas or from their jobs in the US, what they thought of this recent election, and how it made their fellow-citizens feel about the United States.
Iran
An Iranian journalist says that Iranian state TV is having fun with images of chaos in the United States, and the Ahmadinejad camp is supporting Trump and repeating his conspiracies about election fraud.
Many Iranians compare Donald Trump to former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, both in rhetoric and in action, and now in their handling of their re-election. In 2009 Ahmadinejad rigged the election in his own favor, prompting protests. Protesters were arrested or killed, while Ahmadinejad’s rivals were put under house arrest. While Trump is not in control of elections and can’t arrest rivals, the Iranians feel Trump’s reactions have damaged the credibility of the US to weigh in on others’ elections.
The U.K.
Brits find American politics more glamorous than their own, so have been watching closely in Groundhog Day fashion. They see the unpredictable President finally acting predictable — as the world’s sorest loser, leaving no doubt about how bad this looks to allies, friends and admirers around the world; the more so given how many senior Republicans have provided cover for the President. It makes the world’s only superpower seem irretrievably divided, and American democracy, once a model, look broken.
They look forward to Biden rejoining the Paris Climate Change Accord and the Iran nuclear deal, and reaffirming U.S. commitment to NATO. They also question whether four years of Biden will be enough for a reset.
Kenya
Donald Trump’s shock win in 2016 amid allegations of Russian interference, followed by four norm-busting years where the White House became associated with nepotism, corruption, the public embrace of white supremacy and a lack of accountability, severely undermined the notion of America as a paragon of democratic governance. At the same time, the continuing rise of China and, more locally, Rwanda, seemed to suggest better models.
Trump’s desperate attempts to cling to power, discredit the electoral system, and Republicans looking to help overturn the results of the election have made the US a laughing stock across the continent.
For more reactions including those from South Korea, Eastern Europe, Israel, Russia, Brussels, Germany, Mexico and Latin America, China, Iraq, and Afghanistan —
See the complete article at Politico.
