International US seen as bigger threat to democracy than Russia or China, global poll finds

[Fugazy]

China only are what they are today because of American money.

Nah.

They money just helped them to be who they truly are on a larger scale.

We didn’t make them.

We did empower them though.

 

[Fugazy]

The increases are less meaningful than the absolutes I think.
Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea having the highest rates of belief that the US is a threat to their democracy.

Taiwan can be dismissed outright, they are a puppet state that’s clinging to life, Pakistan, I mean yeah lol, the Phillipines are cuddling up to China, but SK.... That’s pathetic on their part. Maybe we should see how SK fares without out our military ensuring their survival.

 

[TheLastSpartan]

punching a hole through my door because the rest of the world doesn't view my dumb, fat country as the protagonist of every story

 

[Ruprecht]

Taiwan can be dismissed outright, they are a puppet state that’s clinging to life, Pakistan, I mean yeah lol, the Phillipines are cuddling up to China, but SK.... That’s pathetic on their part. Maybe we should see how SK fares without out our military ensuring their survival.

I presume that's largely why they think the US is a threat to their democracy. They weren't at all pleased with Trump saying they'd have to pay for the US troops stationed there, and they weren't happy with Obama's handling of the negotiations over Japan and the "comfort women". They are of course always worried the US might press the issue with NK.

 

[Fugazy]

I presume that's largely why they think the US is a threat to their democracy. They weren't at all pleased with Trump saying they'd have to pay for the US troops stationed there, and they weren't happy with Obama's handling of the negotiations over Japan and the "comfort women". They are of course always worried the US might press the issue with NK.

Maybe that is the angle, I suppose. I was considering the idea of a threat from the US in more of a direct way.

 

[MicroBrew]

Taiwan can be dismissed outright, they are a puppet state that’s clinging to life, Pakistan, I mean yeah lol, the Phillipines are cuddling up to China, but SK.... That’s pathetic on their part. Maybe we should see how SK fares without out our military ensuring their survival.

Taiwan is surprising. Maybee a lot of people who want to unify with the mainland???

In SK's case it could be that many Koreans think the US being there is hampering re-unification?? There's been friction with US troops there for many years now.

 

[Russky]

The rest of the world loves shitting on the US but loves all we provide for them.

Let me see...
Your clothes and all your stuff comes from China and Vietnam. Gas to fuel your cars comes from Russia and Saudi Arabia. Cars are from Japan, Mexico, Canada.
All that you give back is IOUs for $800 billions per year. Military bases all over the world and occupational forces in Europe are to ensure that you can take stuff and pay nothing back.

 

[D3THRONED]

Let me see...
Your clothes and all your stuff comes from China and Vietnam. Gas to fuel your cars comes from Russia and Saudi Arabia. Cars are from Japan, Mexico, Canada.
All that you give back is IOUs for $800 billions per year. Military bases all over the world and occupational forces in Europe are to ensure that you can take stuff and pay nothing back.

Never go full retard

 

[nostradumbass]

Seems the Chinese are delusional.

"Voters in Norway, Switzerland and Sweden are most confident their country is democratic, but so are the Chinese, where 71% agree that China has the right amount of democracy."

Although maybe they think the "right amount" is none.
The Russians apparently are more realistic.

"In Russia only 33% think their country is democratic."

Russians and Chinese are less delusional than Americans. At least the ones I know are pretty well aware when they're being fed propaganda, Americans take propaganda and pretend it's fact.

I'm not convinced democracy is even that great of an idea everywhere. When you factor in that most people in the US don't even know basic information about their own country, you gotta wonder if maybe giving them the ability to cancel out the votes of people who do is such a great idea. Our politicians can never tell a hard truth, it's just a contest of how many dullards you can sweet talk and hope they don't have a calculator to find out you're lying to them.

 

[Ruprecht]

Russians and Chinese are less delusional than Americans. At least the ones I know are pretty well aware when they're being fed propaganda, Americans take propaganda and pretend it's fact.

I'm not convinced democracy is even that great of an idea everywhere. When you factor in that most people in the US don't even know basic information about their own country, you gotta wonder if maybe giving them the ability to cancel out the votes of people who do is such a great idea. Our politicians can never tell a hard truth, it's just a contest of how many dullards you can sweet talk and hope they don't have a calculator to find out you're lying to them.

I don't know a lot of Russians, and those I do left in the early 90s, so obviously they aren't representative of the majority of Russians currently living in Russia. They don't seem to be making any headwind on the endemic corruption though, and I don't think that's a viable system of Government.
With the Chinese I know there's a massive divide.
The students don't seem particularly well informed, and I've heard them outright parrot CCP propaganda on Falun Dafa. The IT students at least are all aware of the great firewall of China, but others I've spoken to didn't even seem aware of that. The younger generation is certainly much more positive towards the CCP than those that emigrated during the 60s-90s (unsurprisingly, as they essentially are all from the urban, newly wealthy). There's a real generation gap there. Although the recent influx of Uighurs and Honkies, the ongoing influx of Tibetans and Falun Dafa, along with those from the "House Churches", are much like the older generation.
The CCP made their argument for Benevolent Dictatorship by saying they were going to imitate Singapore, but unfortunately they seem to be imitating the totalitarian micromanagement more than the economic and religious freedom, hard line on corruption (real anti-corruption, not just purging your political opponents) or respect for ethnic diversity.
Xi Jinping is no Lee Kuan Yew.
That's the problem with benevolent dictators, even if you're lucky enough to manage to get one, their successor is unlikely to live up to their legacy.
Plenty of problems with democracy, and in itself it's certainly no cure all for social problems, but it's record as a form of leadership is unmatched by anything else.

 

[GoldenWolf87]

I don't know a lot of Russians, and those I do left in the early 90s, so obviously they aren't representative of the majority of Russians currently living in Russia. They don't seem to be making any headwind on the endemic corruption though, and I don't think that's a viable system of Government.
With the Chinese I know there's a massive divide.
The students don't seem particularly well informed, and I've heard them outright parrot CCP propaganda on Falun Dafa. The IT students at least are all aware of the great firewall of China, but others I've spoken to didn't even seem aware of that. The younger generation is certainly much more positive towards the CCP than those that emigrated during the 60s-90s (unsurprisingly, as they essentially are all from the urban, newly wealthy). There's a real generation gap there. Although the recent influx of Uighurs and Honkies, the ongoing influx of Tibetans and Falun Dafa, along with those from the "House Churches", are much like the older generation.
The CCP made their argument for Benevolent Dictatorship by saying they were going to imitate Singapore, but unfortunately they seem to be imitating the totalitarian micromanagement more than the economic and religious freedom, hard line on corruption (real anti-corruption, not just purging your political opponents) or respect for ethnic diversity.
Xi Jinping is no Lee Kuan Yew.
That's the problem with benevolent dictators, even if you're lucky enough to manage to get one, their successor is unlikely to live up to their legacy.
Plenty of problems with democracy, and in itself it's certainly no cure all for social problems, but it's record as a form of leadership is unmatched by anything else.

You do know some Russians also didn't trust Boris Yeltsin and the way he left Russia's economy right? during the Yeltsin era there were many protests agaisnt him. I am not saying Putin is any different but Putin came because the situation there allowed Putin and people like him to take power.

 

[Ruprecht]

You do know some Russians also didn't trust Boris Yeltsin and the way he left Russia's economy right? during the Yeltsin era there were many protests agaisnt him. I am not saying Putin is any different but Putin came because the situation there allowed Putin and people like him to take power.

I certainly don't think there was less corruption under Yeltsin. The difference with Putin (at least for the last decade) is the renewed focus on aggressive foreign policy, even if it's primarily just a continuation of domestic politics (not that he's alone in that, Trump was much the same).

 

[GoldenWolf87]

I certainly don't think there was less corruption under Yeltsin. The difference with Putin (at least for the last decade) is the renewed focus on aggressive foreign policy, even if it's primarily just a continuation of domestic politics (not that he's alone in that, Trump was much the same).

The difference with Putin (at least for the last decade) is the renewed focus on aggressive foreign policy

This wouldn't be a issue today if NATO didn't expand eastwards towards further into Eastern Europe and closer to Russia. Russia is doing this because they feel threaten.

What is happening in the middle east and Eastern Europe is a proxy war to push influence. Its a reason why Russia has moved closer to Chinese side of influence and things.

I read somewhere where they wanted Chinese to move away from Russia.

 

[Ruprecht]

This wouldn't be a issue today if NATO didnt expand eastwards towards further into Eastern Europe and closer to Russia. Russia is doing this because they feel threaten.


What is happening in the middle east and Eastern Europe is a proxy war to push influence. Its a reason why Russia has moved closer to Chinese side of influence and things.

I read somewhere where they wanted Chinese to move away from Russia.

No, Putin is pursuing his own goals and strongman political image for his domestic audience. His about face on his early 2000s inclusionary rhetoric (when he argued for Russia's inclusion in NATO, as did Yeltsin and Gorbachev) wasn't matched by NATO aggression so much as the downturn in Russia's economy. Russia's economic growth being utterly a product of those rising oil prices. In Russian politics the idea of a "national interest" is even more of a blatant fabrication than you'll find in any liberal democracy.

 

[GoldenWolf87]

No, Putin is pursuing his own goals and strongman political image for his domestic audience. His about face on his early 2000s inclusionary rhetoric (when he argued for Russia's inclusion in NATO, as did Yeltsin and Gorbachev) wasn't matched by NATO aggression so much as the downturn in Russia's economy. Russia's economic growth being utterly a product of those rising oil prices. In Russian politics the idea of a "national interest" is even more of a blatant fabrication than you'll find in any liberal democracy.

wasn't matched by NATO aggression so much as the downturn in Russia's economy

Because NATO and some Western powers had zero attentions of letting Russia into NATO to begin with. NATO lied to Gorbachev about the expansion of NATO forces into Eastern Europe. What NATO is doing is occupation and expansion.

No different from what the soviets tried on doing.


NATO rejects Russian call for Afghan poppy spraying

NATO Wednesday rejected Russian calls for it to eradicate opium poppy fields in Afghanistan, saying the best way for Moscow to help control the drug would be to give more assistance against the insurgency.

What was NATO's response?

But NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the drug problem had to be handled carefully to avoid alienating local people. He said the alliance was continuing efforts to target drug lords and drug labs, but added at a news briefing:

Russia at least tried on giving advice's how to end the war in Afghanistan yet NATO rejected and look at the results 20 years after! the west is losing in Afghanistan maybe just maybe the western countries should have taken the advice.

But NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the drug problem had to be handled carefully to avoid alienating local people. He said the alliance was continuing efforts to target drug lords and drug labs, but added at a news briefing:

“We cannot be in a situation where we remove the only source of income of people who live in the second poorest country in the world without being able to provide them with an alternative.”

20 years later and 15 years now the west cant even win the war agaisnt the taliban in Afghanistan.

 

[BIKES!]

The current Democrat Reich is absolutely a threat to democracy and the western way of living. So what if China had brainwashed their people, the Dem Reich here is becoming just as powerful. Talk to any leftist on this site or real world and they will
Regurgitate propaganda that would make the most devoted communist proud.

 

[AgonyandIrony]

The current Democrat Reich is absolutely a threat to democracy and the western way of living. So what if China had brainwashed their people, the Dem Reich here is becoming just as powerful. Talk to any leftist on this site or real world and they will
Regurgitate propaganda that would make the most devoted communist proud.

Do you honestly believe this stuff? Also why can't you actually have a discussion about anything? Democrat Reich? Western way of living? You have to understand how silly you sound, can you also elaborate on "Western way of living"? I'm curious about what that means for you.

 

[BIKES!]

Do you honestly believe this stuff? Also why can't you actually have a discussion about anything? Democrat Reich? Western way of living? You have to understand how silly you sound, can you also elaborate on "Western way of living"? I'm curious about what that means for you.

Just the other day a professor in Britain was arrested as a terrorist and sent to a anti terrorist program for this statement that simply states love your neighbor but you can question conflicting ideologies.

“Now when ideologies compete, we should not descend into abuse, we should respect the beliefs of others, even where we disagree. Above all, we need to treat each other with respect, not personal attacks – that’s what loving your neighbour as yourself means,” Dr Randall said.

“You should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit or must be Muslim...”

Meanwhile in the states, Professors can spout cop hate, conservative vitriol on camera and only leave by choice if they are punished at all.

 

[Badoldman]

Here's the obligatory "we're not a democracy, we are a constitutional republic". Maybe the misconception is part of the reason we are seen as a threat to a form of government that doesn't exist in the United States. Our founding father's debated our form of government and decided that some asshole in Manhattan doesn't get to tell a West Texas rancher he cannot carry a rifle in his truck.

 

[Hadron90]

Now remove Chinese and Russian respondents from the poll and see what the results are

"Remove all the people who voted a way I didn't like from the vote, and redo the vote"
--Americans, commenting on the results of a vote for Biggest Threat To Democracy