What began in Minneapolis with the murder of George Floyd did not remain in America. His death has not only shaken this country but has reverberated far beyond U.S. shores. And I’m not just referring to demonstrations from London to Berlin to Chile to Lebanon, Syria, and beyond protesting racism and inequality in America and within their own countries.
America’s allies and enemies are closely watching how well the United States handles the mass political protests for racial justice as well as a continuing COVID-19 debacle.
If other nations were only observing President Donald Trump’s political efforts to stoke racial division, they could rightly assume that America had lost any allure as a democratic role model. They might conclude that the U.S. had become so dysfunctional, it could no longer provide an effective bulwark against Russian mischief or Chinese aggression.
Yet, there are positive signs in recent days that America is getting its democratic mojo back.
Before getting to the good news, it is important to understand the damage done to America’s image by Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis – and by scenes of police violence against protesters.