China’s Global Times, a government-run propaganda newspaper, mocked America as “the laughingstock of democracy” on Wednesday and warned U.S. elites were the world’s “biggest threat to democracy.”
In reality, a Freedom House study published this year found China was single-handed causing a global decline in freedom and respect for human rights through its outsized economic and diplomatic influence.
The Global Times article did not address China’s role on the world stage as a prominent enemy of democracy. It instead focused on the results of a global poll published by the Pew Research Center this week that found a decline in the number of Americans who considered their country a good political role model. Foreigners also appeared to agree in the nations surveyed.
“Few believe U.S. democracy, at least in its current state, serves as a good model for other nations. A median of just 17 percent say democracy in the U.S. is a good example for others to follow,” Pew noted, “while 57 percent think it used to be a good example but has not been in recent years.”
“Americans largely share the view that their democracy is no longer a model: 72 percent say U.S. democracy used to be a good example for others to follow but has not been recently,” the study continued.
The study also found that American popular culture and entertainment still receive near-universal praise, suggesting that outsiders see American politics as separate from its culture and generally like the latter. The Global Times did not mention this part of the study.
“The U.S. is no longer the ‘beacon of democracy,’ but becoming more like a laughingstock of democracy,” the Global Times declared. “If people around the world are asked to list recent achievements of the U.S., they may need some time before naming one or two. However, if the question is about problems with U.S. democracy, cases are ready to roll off the tongue.”
Among the propaganda outlet’s list of grievances was prominently the death of Minnesota man George Floyd, which became a national news story in America last year. The newspaper also claimed that the American response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic was “inept,” omitting that over half of China’s provinces are currently battling uncontrolled coronavirus outbreaks.
The article went on to cite one of the Global Times‘s usual Communist Party-approved experts, a professor identified as Li Haidong, who described America as a place “where white supremacy prevails and somehow dominates.” China is currently committing genocide against multiple ethnic groups, on the largest scale against the Uyghur people of East Turkistan.
“US democracy is an insult to ‘democracy,'” Li declared.
The article concludes that America’s free society “is satire” given the power that “elites” have in the country. It again failed to mention China’s deep ties to American business and, thus, to many of its wealthiest citizens.
The Global Times routinely disparages the American system, urging other countries to adopt a model of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” instead. It also predicts at re
“The flames of democracy have brought nothing but disorder,” the Global Times asserted in 2019, amid a millions-strong rebellion against communism in Hong Kong. That article informed readers that American democracy was “an outdated fantasy” and that everyone in Hong Kong fighting to prevent Beijing from illegally imposing communist laws there was a “rioter” who relished participating in violent crime.
In April 2020, as China declared victory against the Chinese coronavirus that continues to ravage it today, the Global Times called America a “primitive society” because of rising coronavirus cases there.
“To put it bluntly, the U.S. is no match for China in terms of anti-epidemic organization and mobilization,” the newspaper argued, “Some believe that American democracy is dying. Indeed, the recent chaos in the country has proved its decay.”
Amid growing disgust with communist China, the Global Times published an article in September of that year contending that free societies are widely unpopular around the world.
“The so-called American values have deceived American people as well as the world. Now, the US’ values are much too vulnerable, and the country’s global leadership is declining,” the state publication claimed, without providing evidence but blaming then-President Donald Trump for making America “fragile and chaotic.”
By the next year, in the aftermath of the events of January 6, the Global Times was citing “experts” who predicted the United States would soon “perish.”
“It is evident that the negative consequences of the export of ‘democracy’ by the U.S. have appeared in many countries. The gunshot at the U.S. Capitol shows that the bitter fruit of ‘democracy’ will eventually have to be swallowed by the U.S. itself,” an editorial in the newspaper declared.
The inauguration of Joe Biden has done little to temper the Global Times‘ appetite for predicting the destruction of America. Biden, in a bizarre attempt to please America’s detractors this week, apologized on its behalf for President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. The agreement places onerous demands on the American economy while including provisions that allow China, the world’s worst polluter, to increase emissions for a decade.
“I guess I shouldn’t apologize, but I do apologize for the fact that the United States in the last administration pulled out of the Paris Accords and put us sort of behind the eight ball a little bit,” Biden said at the United Nations climate change summit COP26.
“What a ‘noble’ apology, which made Biden seem like he cares about climate change, but also how hypocritical and powerless he is,” the Global Times crowed this week. “His apology does not make any sense, as he has no plan to fulfill his promises and no guarantee to make sure that his commitment won’t be toppled by the next administration.”