A Capitol building heavily fenced and guarded by the National Guard in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency.
It’s the image that reaches the world from the political heart of the United States, whose democracy is considered the oldest in the world.
After the assault on the headquarters of Congress, on January 6 in Washington DC, by a mob of supporters of the president, Donald Trump, the capital has resorted to strong surveillance that can stop any violent outbreak.
With Trump refusing to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration, the FBI is looking for those responsible for invading the Capitol and the House of Representatives pressuring the vice president to provoke Trump’s resignation, the United States seems mired in crisis.
Is it possible, then, that the United States continue promoting your image of a democratic example to the world ?
Specialists in foreign policy such as the American Emma Ashford , believe that it is impossible without resolving the acute internal political conflict.
“It is not possible to build a democratic coalition to promote human rights and liberal values if you cannot do that same on your own country “, says the political scientist and researcher at the American study center Atlantic Council.
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Ashford questions whether the elite that designs US foreign policy is asking the question of how to teach the world lessons from a wounded democracy. And if Biden’s plans to “restore the country’s worthy leadership on the world stage” are realistic s .
The following is a telephone interview with Ashford, summarized and edited for clarity.
After seeing these events from last week on In the US, not just the assault on the Capitol, but the act of various legislators to rebel against the election results and Trump’s refusal to attend Biden’s inauguration, how does all this affect the role and image of The United States in the world?
Obviously it damages the image of the United States. The last four years have been very negative for the image of the country, although it should not be said that everything was perfect before this period. Under the Trump administration, the country’s image has suffered.
I think it is more difficult to decipher what it means for the role that the country has in the world. There has been a debate in Washington about whether the events of the past week mean that the US should focus on its internal affairs or its foreign policy.
From my point of view, I think that it is really time to put the focus on what’s going on internally. It is difficult to see how the United States can promote democracy or defend human rights abroad when our image has been so damaged by what has happened internally.
United States se has presented for years as the image of a stable democracy and has used es t o to promote democracy abroad. What has been the impact of this ?
First Second, I think it’s good to clarify that the United States has never been a perfect democracy. Even during the Cold War, African Americans were prevented from voting.
But it has served as an inspiration for many around the world to achieve their own democratic goals or improve their human rights record.
That doesn’t mean that the US has always been helpful; There are places where the country’s participation has caused profound damage to these democratic causes.
But the system under which the US operates has often been seen as an example.
And what are the negative impacts of this image of the United States on the world? Some would speak of the use of that message of democracy promotion to intervene in the affairs of other countries.
This is one of the great problems, the idea of the United States as an exceptional country. I think that has made it easier for the country to accept the idea that it can interfere abroad temporarily.
Madeleine Albright, the secretary of state in the government of Bill Clinton, said that the United States. The US had the ability to anticipate the future compared to other nations. And that, frankly, is ridiculous.
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The United States is a country with its flaws and positive aspects, like any other country. And I think that, especially in Washington, politicians get caught up in that mythology and see that the role of the United States is greater than it should have.
Do you think these violent events of the Capitol takeover present a crisis existential in the face of the traditional way in which the United States has built its reputation in the world?
I do not think that this moment represents a turning point in that sense. This is something we could have seen coming given the way things have unfolded over the years. I don’t think this was unexpected or totally different.
But I do think it is an opportunity for people, especially in Washington, to stop and think about the future and what states United is doing in the world.
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For example, Joe Biden’s incoming administration campaign promised to restore the country’s worthy leadership on the world stage.
But in light of the violence we saw in recent days, we have to understand what exactly that means. It is not possible to build a coalition of democracy to promote human rights and liberal values if you cannot do the same in your own country.
I think it is a question for foreign policy elites of Washington, and it’s a question that isn’t really being asked yet.
From your point of view, what should the US foreign policy approach look like?
I would like to see that the United States continue to be committed to the world, but I would like that commitment to be less focused on the military.
So, reduce the intensity of the war on terrorism, look for ways to establish ties with allies of Europe that are not only related to NATO or military deployments, look for ways to establish commitments in the world that are not only related to the military.
I think it is a vision that is increasing its popularity in Washington, but especially it is is becoming more popular with Americans. And it has the benefit of being a more humble approach to foreign policy, something this moment really needs.
Some may say that democratic institutions were put to the test but have so far worked in the context of the crisis. But you said in a recent article that the only institution that retains the trust of Americans is the Army. Why just the Army?
The Army is seen as bipartisan and effective, despite many of the failures in the war on terror. But he is often seen as apolitical and able to function efficiently.
A look at the surveys that are done in the country on the institutions indicates that the vast majority of Americans think that Congress is not doing a good job, nor is the president. There is a lack of trust in the institutions.
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It was wonderful that the legislators returned to the Capitol on the night of January 6, after the assault, to finish his job of voting to certify Biden’s election and victory.
But we were lucky, because the evidence that has emerged over the days indicates that there may have been a bloodshed on Capitol Hill.
He also mentions in his article that the internal politics of the United States is faltering under the weight of decades of partisan abuse. What do you mean?
There has been a growing trend in the United States towards polarized and partisan politics. Legislators from the two main parties have become more extreme.
Ago 20, 32 years, when observing the analysis that political scientists make of the measures and actions taken by the government based on how extreme or ideological they were, an overlap is observed between the very conservative Democrats and the very liberal republicans.
And that has not been the case in recent years, each time those poles are moving further apart. And the result of that is more extreme decision-making, from both sides, but especially from the Republican Party, to try to make it more difficult for the opponent to win government positions, for example, and all of that has affected trust in the US government
How did President Trump challenge assumptions or concepts about US foreign policy ?
I think there is a general understanding that these years have been negative for the United States, but there are things that Trump did that are quite positive. He questioned the traditional orthodoxy of the United States, especially towards foreign policy.
He said that the war in Iraq had been a mistake, and when he said it in 2016, more than 73% of the country’s population agreed with that statement, although no other Republican admitted it then.
Trump has also tried to reduce the conflict in Afghanistan, he also said that the US He has spent too much time fighting foreign wars and these are sentiments that resonate with Americans. So I think that’s one of the areas where it’s had some kind of impact on foreign policy, by questioning these assumptions.
Do you say that the US approach to foreign policy, in particular its plan the incoming administration of Biden, somehow does not correspond to understanding that there is an internal crisis and that, for that very reason, it will be very complex pr move democracy abroad?
I think apart from the debate on whether or not it is a good policy (Biden’s), I think it is basically unrealistic consider this very ambitious proposal to create a democratic coalition, and to push back China or Russia and other authoritarian states when we are going through these events internally.
I just don’t think we have the capacity, power or, frankly, the attention to carry out such an ambitious foreign policy.
What do you think must happen within the country for the US to . regain that reputation in the world?
Not my area of expertise. But as a political scientist, I would suggest that you consider institutional reform.
There are many areas where the American system does not respond effectively to the needs of the voters. Aspects such as the electoral college, the gerrymandering (manipulation of electoral constituencies to produce a specific effect on electoral results), including the Senate, whose system has a bias towards rural areas of the country. These elements make it difficult for the US to resolve its internal dysfunction.
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