America, the United States that is, has been regarded as the beacon of democracy for centuries. Never mind that ancient Greece was actually where democracy originated and Britain, that taught America the democracy they eventually modified, is hardly given its due when democracy’s foundation is being discussed or taught. After all, everyone quotes Abraham Lincoln’s statement in his Gettysburg speech when defining democracy – Government of the people, for the people and by the people.
The Greek never defined democracy, they just practiced it in its purest form. The British on the other hand did not have someone with Lincoln’s iconic sound bites and wide reach aided by the power of enormous military power. So, despite the world acclaimed oratory of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his predecessors, a definition of democracy was not ascribed to them. Even from the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, I can only remember her response when asked what will happen if the United Kingdom lost the Falklands War against Argentina. Her crisp response was “We lose? The possibility does not exist!” So, we have come to associate America with the pure form of democracy over time.
Recent happenings, from Trump’s first win and ‘reign’ as President, the Biden interregnum and now, the Royal 2nd epoch facilitated by Elon Musk, have brought America’s democracy under intense scrutiny. Things previously thought as impossible in “God’s Own Country” have become so commonplace that people have started to wonder if that God should not be spelt with a small ‘g’! Some so-called Banana Republic leaders now point to America’s recent leadership methods and practices as a good example of what they have been accused of doing that made then acquire that infamous sobriquet.
