White flags to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 are seen on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
Washington has been claiming that the so-called "democracy summit" aims to promote the common values of humankind. Really? Just take a look into how the gathering is organized and what it truly plans to discuss. Any sober mind can easily see through the ruse: The event has nothing to do with improving democracy, but is mainly about maintaining America's global supremacy.
by Xinhua writer Dong Yue
BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, the world is once again in dire danger of being split as the United States is drawing a line between "us" and "them" with great fanfare by putting together a so-called "democracy summit."
Washington has been claiming that the meeting aims to promote the common values of humankind. Really? Just take a look into how the gathering is organized and what it truly plans to discuss. Any sober mind can easily see through the ruse: The event has nothing to do with improving democracy, but is mainly about maintaining America's global supremacy.
Not surprisingly, China and Russia, which have their own democratic practices instead of following the American way, are not on the invitation list. That is a reflection of Washington's geopolitical purpose of using democracy as a tool rather than an end. To put it more bluntly, the United States is trying to suppress those it deems as adversaries in the name of defending democracy.
Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
On a planet where the entire human race shares one same future, this zero-sum oriented meeting can do nothing but sow discord in the world. By creating exclusive cliques and fomenting ideological confrontation, America is manipulating humanity's shared values to serve its own hegemonic agenda.
No wonder Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized the United States for once again seeking to establish a club of interests to confront the countries who maintain strategic independence from the West and have a sovereign vision of a just world order.
Another testament to the meeting's geopolitical nature is the invitation of China's island province Taiwan. Playing the "Taiwan card" is a commonly used ploy by the United States to contain China. Obviously, Washington will not let this golden opportunity pass by without playing its old Taiwan trick again.
However, as a recent article published by the Brookings Institution pointed out, the summit's geopolitical ambitions of assembling a global coalition to "counter China's rise and continued Russian aggression" are bound to disappoint.
Photo taken on May 6, 2020 shows a temporarily closed pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
Instead of exchanging views on the diverse democratic practices in different parts of the world and discussing how to improve democracy within a given country's borders, the upcoming meeting will actually focus on defending against so-called "authoritarianism," one of the three principal themes announced by the White House.
The other two topics are "fighting corruption and promoting respect for human rights." Given the United States' dire record of abusing the concepts of "combatting corruption" and "protecting human rights," the superpower will in no way regard the meeting as a moment to reflect on the entrenched flaws of American-style democracy, but will surely use the event as another opportunity to point fingers at others, especially those who America believes are posing threats to its pursuit of world domination.
Actually, the so-called "democracy summit" is just a new page added to America's long history of using democracy as a geopolitical instrument. The country extols democracy and touts itself as a beacon. But in fact, it pursues a global hierarchy, seeking to monopolize the interpretation of democracy and doing its best to maintain its top position in the world.
Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
That is why whenever Washington sees a certain country as a threat and seeks to remove its government, democracy becomes one of the most frequently used excuses by Washington to do what it deems fit. That is what happened in numerous regions around the world, including the large-scale unrest that rocked the Middle East and North Africa in the early 2010s.
These facts are a living proof that under the vigorously waved "democracy" flag hides Washington's morbid obsession with power politics and supremacy over others, which goes against the trend of human development towards peace and equity.
Washington should wake up from its hegemonic delusion. Hegemony in the guise of democracy is poisonous for America, and destructive for the world. If the world's sole superpower really wants to promote democracy, the best contribution it can make at the moment is to look inward, and fix its chaotic and dysfunctional democracy at home. ■
