TOKYO (AP) – Amid worldwide outrage over the storm of the US Capitol building by angry supporters of President Donald Trump, there has been a persistent tension from those who see the US tendency to discipline other countries for less than perfect, long repented. adherence to democratic ideals.
The tear gas and bullets in the Capitol, a globally recognized structure that is at the heart of America’s idea of democracy, are usually associated with countries where popular uprisings topple a hated dictator. The Arab Spring, for example.
This time, however, it was an attempt by Americans to stop a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden after a democratic election in a country that was widely regarded as a model for democratic government around the world.
‘We have to shout it: this is a deliberate attack on democracy by a sitting president and his supporters, who are trying to overthrow a free and fair election! The world is watching! Irish Foreign and Defense Secretary Simon Coveney said on Twitter. It is a tone of indignation that many world leaders have adopted.
However, some global observers seem to be engaged in the outbreak of violence that marked the closing days of a presidency that has divided opinion almost as strongly abroad as in America.
In China, which has been in constant friction with the Trump administration over trade, military and political issues, people have been voicing their criticism of Trump and his supporters, saying he did not control the coronavirus pandemic and the mob action in Washington.
Communist-ruled China has long accused the US of hypocrisy in its efforts to promote democracy and advocates for human rights abroad.
The Communist Youth League posted a photo montage of the violence at the Capitol on its Twitter-like Weibo microblog with the caption: “On the sixth, the U.S. Congress, a most beautiful place to behold.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to be mocking her comments in June 2019 in praise of sometimes violent protests against the Hong Kong government.
‘The USA is not as safe as China, is it? “I think Trump is a self-righteous and selfish person,” said Yang Ming, a financial adviser.
Some who watched from the outside held Trump accountable for the chaos, and there was a widespread condemnation nurtured by the U.S. president’s often antagonistic relationship with countries around the world. This was especially true of those who were at the sharp end of the US military muscle and punitive sanctions.
Iran, another country that regularly faces US criticism of human rights abuses and democratic values, has risen to prominence as evidence of US hypocrisy.
The semi-official Fars news agency calls the United States a “fragmented democracy”, while Iran’s pro-government believes Twitter reports, and photos of the crowd are spread with hashtags that include #DownfalloftheUS.
The violence at the American Capitol is undermining the American insistence that it is a bastion of democracy for countries that have only given up, in some cases, autocratic or military-controlled forms of government in recent decades.
“The beauty of democracy?” with a shoulder emoji was the reaction tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, a personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, who has seen several coups since independence – including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who recently entered the office by a vote.
Some legislators in Asia – for example, South Korea and Taiwan – are sometimes ashamed of fighting and shouting, but democracies across the region are usually opposed versions of European and American legislative models.
“It’s shocking. “I hope this will give the Americans a chance to review their democracy,” Na Naun told the Korean House of International Solidarity, an NGO in Seoul. “Trump is fully responsible for this incident. After his four-year rule, the Americans find it difficult to tell other countries that their country is a good model for democracy. ‘
According to Wesley Widmaier, a professor of international relations at the Australian National University, American politics has long been plagued by additional conspiracy theories and grievances.
“What makes the last four years different is that the President of the United States has put forward these views – and we can follow a direct line from Trump’s infectious rhetoric and outright lies about the 2020 election to the siege of the American Capitol. , “he said.
Several countries, both allies and antagonists of America, have issued travel warnings to their citizens.
Australians have been urged to avoid US protests following what Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as “rather disturbing scenes” in the United States.
Malcolm Turnbull, who was the Australian Prime Minister when Trump took office and was replaced by Morrison in 2018, was much stronger in his condemnation and described Trump as a narcissistic bully who was only interested in his own power.
“I was shocked,” Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Donald Trump has done more damage to America during his four years, internally as well as in terms of his international position, than any of his opponents would have thought.”
Other friendly countries were equally shocked at what they described as an attack on American democracy, although some said they believed the American democratic institutions would resist the unrest.
“Scandalous scenes in the US Congress,” tweeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who has been a strong ally of the United States for generations. “The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now essential that there be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”
“What is happening is wrong,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement. “Democracy – the right of the people to vote, to make their voices heard and then to uphold the decision peacefully – should never be undone by a mob.”
The Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world, Indian Narendra Modi, said on Twitter: “Sad to see news about riots and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to undermine illegal protests. ”
Venezuela, which is under U.S. sanctions, said the events in Washington show the U.S. “suffering from what it has generated in other countries with its policy of aggression.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has survived opposition efforts to oust him despite allegations of human rights abuses, civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions to flee the oil-rich country.
“It’s an uprising. Nothing less. In Washington, ”tweeted Carl Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister.
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AP journalists from around the world contributed to this story.