America no longer aspires to be the world's leading democracy

Trump lingers over the land like a fart that never clears a room.  His presence seems to leave an odiferous residue in the  national fabrics. 

Even though Trump was ousted from office by Joe Biden, who has been president for a few months, Trump still receives a lot of attention.  While Trump may have loyal fans who follow his moves, most of the attention is of the what-hell-has-the-idiot-done-now? variety.  During Trump's presidency, America lost its status as the world's leading democracy.  The world asked, what kind of country would voluntarily choose a person of Trump's ilk as its leader?  It answered, not the kind of country that  is fully invested in freedom, equality, and justice.  So, America has become a laggard, not a leader, in expanding the benefits of democracy.  That is Trump's legacy.

Serious scholars of political theory have always debunked the notion that experienced people from the business world will make good political leaders or competent public servants.  Establishing and adhering to budgets is not peculiar to business.  It is part of maintaining any organization.   But business leaders have a different priority.  While they may claim to be driven by providing a better product or service, their major function is to produce a profit.  Making a profit often displaces concern about the welfare of the people involved.  On the other hand, public service is supposed to be focused on the welfare of the people.  But the business-oriented leaders will question whether we can afford to care for all the people and label such notions as a liberal excess.  The GOP is quick to denounce social programs as a descent into a welfare state and to shame people for not caring for themselves.  It will even reverse its condemnation against wearing masks when the corona virus begins infecting them and then it gives lectures on the personal responsibility of keeping the air virus-free.  In America, it has become near impossible to have a coherent discussion about how to respond to a pandemic.  A large segment of America will stand firmly for the right to be stupid.  It's a god-given right, after all. 

The most salient objection to Trump leading the nation is that he is a very stupid man.  His appeal to a large segment of the American people is to have one of their own lead the country.  His supporters claim it is good to have a business leader as chief executive, but Trump's business career is more notable for its failures than its successes.  His major success is in getting gullible people to believe the lies he tells about himself.  And that is the country's greatest danger.

Any country--or any kind of organization--that builds itself on lies is doomed to failure.And when lies seep into its foundation like water seeping into a house's foundation, the credibility and the trust in the country erodes away.  Joe Biden is president at a time when the nation has been left in a cheapened state by his predecessor, and there is doubt about whether the nation can or wants to rise above it.  The election of Biden may indicate that a majority of the citizens want different and better than Trump and his ilk.

However, the presence of the Trumpists indicates that many have abandoned or never desired, in the first place, a lofty role for America. For them, the vision of the democracy the United States has been trying to become has dissipated away.