If you’ve been watching the news, you would think the United States is a third world nation on the verge of collapse.
Less civilized countries all over the world have noticed American policing problems and the volatile riots we’re having; riots that they either experience on a weekly basis — or their governments don’t allow to take place at all. Take Iran, for instance. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, ‘some don’t think #BlackLivesMatter. To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism.’ Or even the Supreme Leader himself, whose TV Twitter account (yes, the Ayatollah has a propaganda TV account while normal Iranian citizens are barred) declared ‘if you’re dark-skinned walking in the US, you can’t be sure you’ll be alive in the next few minutes. #ICantBreathe.’
But how seriously should the United States take moral lectures from a country that won’t allow homosexuals to be seen in public unless they are hanging from a crane? A country that doesn’t permit mass protests against its central government without subsequently torturing and disappearing the organizers?
China, meanwhile, who sent the global economy into a tailspin by covering up its deadly bat plague, has also weighed in on our social issues. One official told AFP News Agency that the United States protests show the ‘chronic disease of racism’. First off, thanks to China for giving permission to NBA stars and coaches like Steve Kerr to speak out on such issues once again. Second, please note that China is a communist regime that is holding almost one million Uighur Muslims in work camps and is currently engaged in a strong-arm campaign against democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
Russian state network RT is also reveling in its coverage of Manhattan storefronts being destroyed with impunity. That shouldn’t be shocking news for Vladimir Putin, whose government is notorious for disappearing protesters. Militant lesbian punk rock band Pussy Riot found refuge in our very racist country after fleeing Russia and being detained several times for simply playing music.
It’s also just not the world’s worst actors weighing in to berate America for its injustices. Canada’s Justin Trudeau has addressed the death of George Floyd and the policing policies of the United States several times, to the delight of both the media and former Obama administration officials such as Samantha Power. For the resistance media, if you’re opposed to Trump, no matter who you are, you must be worth hosting (See also: CNN’s Jake Tapper inviting on white nationalist leader Richard Spencer to criticize the Drumpf). Trudeau faced multiple scandals last year when several photos of him emerged clowning around wearing blackface and full body shoe polish. He wasn’t forced to resign. He was even re-elected. That suggests that, for both the media and former Obama administration officials, as long as you have the right politics, your past racial indiscretions don’t matter (Pay attention, Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia).
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Clearly, the United States has problems, both to do with racism and weeding out bad police officers. Our country is working through those issues painfully, and right now, destructively. And yes, our current Commander-in-Chief is an imperfect communicator for these times, but he is the one we chose. In five months, we will still hold a free election, unlike China or Iran, and hold him accountable or give him another shot. If your government still tortures or disappears its critics, or your leader has to fight the urge to black up every time Halloween comes round, kindly shut up and spare us the grandstanding.
