For Americans, the answer to the above question would seemingly have to be either Russia or China. Yet, the Latana polling company surveyed 53 countries in 2021, and the country listed as the greatest threat to democracy, at 44%, was the United States of America, followed by China and then Russia. It has to be recognized that the prism of the worldview that Americans see, is biased to the American point of view, in which drilled into the minds of its citizens, is the dual threat of Russia and China; whereas, when it comes to other nations, they see the United States representing what it really is, which is an empire that as estimated by Al Jazeera has “…around 750 U.S. military bases in at least 80 countries.” No other nation has close to the worldwide footprint that the USA has, and the military might of the USA rightfully frightens a lot of nations, because they know that not only does the United States carry a very big stick, but that the Americans are quite willing to use it and have demonstrated such, again and again, to those nations that do not bow appropriately and promptly to American desires.
While it is supposed that America could go on a worldwide public relations tour to better its image to other nations, it has to be noted, that all the talk in the world, along with promises, so made, aren’t going to change the fact that America has demonstrated time and time again, that it doesn’t really respect the sovereignty of a lot of nations, of which, when America perceives that it is not being listened to or obeyed by certain of those nations, it will take the law into its own hands, and thereby interfere directly or indirectly in another country’s affairs. Obviously, these types of actions are not democratic in their effect, so the fact that America proclaims that it is the bastion of democracy, but demonstrates by its actions that it really is not, is thereby reflected by this poll which stipulates that America is seen as being a bigger threat to democracy than either Russia or China.
Anytime that a given sovereign nation, finds itself being squeezed by an outside party and squeezed so hard, that it has to submit to that outside party, which thereby overrides whatever governance that it has, this is not democratic. Indeed, if democracy is the very best form of governance, it needs no real champion, other than the demonstration by those democratic nations, that their policies to their own people are indicative of a healthy, happy, and free people. Regrettably, whenever the United States behaves like a bully and insists that what it wants it must get, and then goes about and gets that very thing, so that, for instance, economic markets will be opened to the United States, or vital ports are available for its warships, or the right to oil or other minerals is controlled or dictated by the United States, we find that those nations and the people that make up those nations, suffering under these types of conditions, will be resentful and therefore will fairly see the United States as being the biggest threat to democracy.