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China Points to Donald Trump to Prove Democracy Doesn’t Work

Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, too

According to Chinese media, Western standards on freedom of speech and human rights just aren’t compatible with China’s method of governance. What’s more, democracy isn’t suitable for China, and now there’s a perfect example of how democracy goes wrong: Donald Trump.

An op-ed in the Global Times is warning readers that the current GOP front-runner is dangerous example of what can happen when a democratic society is left to its own devices.

After referencing last week’s confrontation that sparked brawls and arrests at Trump’s rally in Chicago, the Global Times noted that such phenomena are more common to developing countries rather than the USA, which it lauds as being “one of the most developed and mature democratic election systems”.

However, the compliments stop there as the Global Times notes that Trump’s supporters are all indicative of the decline of the American empire:

The US used to have the largest and most stable middle class in the Western world, but many are going down.

Even though he’s described as “big-mouthed, anti-traditional, abusively forthright” and “rich, narcissist and inflammatory”, Global Times credits Donald Trump as a “populist” who wins the attention of his supporters by acting as a “clown” whose “remarks are abusively racist and extremist”.

The Global Times insists democracy is basically a futile experiment, writing, “Despite candidates’ promises, Americans know elections cannot really change their lives.” And yet, Trump is able to sweep into his front-runner status due to his ability to tap into the anger of a voter base whose country has failed them. GT explains, “[W]hy not support Trump and vent their spleen?”

But where democracy is ineffectual in changing lives, it is capable at propelling dictators into positions of power. The Global Times writes, “Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, a heavy lesson for Western democracy.Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, a heavy lesson for Western democracy. ”

The op-ed leaves the reader with the suggestion that Western democracy is unpredictable with uncertain results, a far cry from the stability that Chinese governance has provided Chinese citizens with its one-party rule.

On the other hand, the rise of Donald Trump as a possible presidential candidate gives credence to the “prospect of an institutional failure”, leaving the Global Times to warn the USA to mind its own business rather than “pointing fingers at other countries for their so-called nationalism and tyranny”.

Trump has long accused China of stealing US jobs and devaluing its currency. However, Trump has been revealed to have been selling merchandise made in China as well as having his properties supported by Chinese investors.

Charles Liu

The Nanfang's Senior Editor