A strong USA has a very profound effect on the rest of the world, and I’m not talking about the military, or even economically per-se, I’m talking about the image and perception of America that we non-Americans all have.

The USA is supposed to be the poster child of the west, the ultimate symbol of western democracy and progress, and the world looks at this symbol for inspiration. It is this soft power that has untold influence on populations around the world, and has been the source of much of the US’s power over others. However, with the eyes of the world upon you, this image can be a double-edged sword, because when that image becomes corrupted, it can be the source of great damage and begin to undermine the progress the west has managed to achieve.

When that image becomes one of dogmatic free market economics and greedy rich people who don’t want to pay their fair share of taxes, when it becomes an image of people who would rather leave their fellow citizens to die if they can’t afford health care, when that image becomes one of Christian extremists who want to impose their religion’s version of Sharia Law on their own people against their will, and an image of a system of government and politics that is corrupted by money, then that image is no longer a source of inspiration, it is a source of derision.

This image becomes a destructive force that weakens western influence in the world and halts society’s positive evolution. It allows dictators, autocrats and single-party communists to point to the west and convince it’s population that a democracy is not desirable. The image begins to promote the idea that western democracy is as corrupt, broken and inherently flawed as anything else, and it allows ruthless governments to continue to oppress their citizens without meaningful resistance because people have lost their belief in the western way. People no longer want change because their perception is of a world where no matter what they do, their government will always be against them. People now believe that nothing ever really changes and don’t trust the west, and eroded trust then erodes participation. Why would you participate if nothing ever changes?

You may say this image is representative of only a small, and very loud minority, but, as Muslims know, it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone. However, is it really a minority if extremists can threaten the presidency through a democratic process. A dysfunctional public elects dysfunctional politicians, and it is your dysfunctional voters that are the main cause of corrosion to the image of a western ideal and a strong America. A strong image of the west is a great force for change that doesn’t need military might to ‘promote’ democracy.

Sort yourself out America