hankyoreh

John Feffer

In the year 988, Prince Vladimir was undecided about which of the three great monotheistic religions to bring to his Russian realm. He sent envoys to the lands of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The envoys returned with stories of the three faiths.

According to legend, Vladimir rejected Judaism and Islam because of their dietary restrictions. The envoy who returned from Byzantium spoke of the beauty and pomp of the services in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. As a result, Vladimir chose what would become Orthodox Christianity and forced his subjects to convert. Today, more than a thousand years later, Russia remains a predominantly Orthodox country.

Now, imagine the ruler of a contemporary country who must decide on what political system to choose for her country. She sends envoys to the capitals of three different realms: Washington, Brussels and Beijing.

A month later, the envoys return full of stories.

The envoy from Brussels describes the prosperous region of Europe. “Each country has its own democracy,” she tells the ruler. “And they all cooperate to form a European Union of democracies. There is a strong sense of social responsibility toward the less fortunate. The state plays an important role in the economy, citizens are involved in all levels of governance, and there is a lively multilinguistic culture. On the other hand, the decision-making in Brussels can be very confusing and many people complain about what seem to be arbitrary rules.”

“Should we adopt their system here?” the ruler asks.

“It is well adapted to the diversity of our country,” the envoy responds. “So, I give you a qualified yes.”

The next envoy describes the dynamic region of China. “It is a vast land,” he reports. “But it is ruled over by a single man. This man has effectively declared himself its leader for life. Some provinces and municipalities show some independence, but it is a rigidly hierarchical political system. On the other hand, the country has pulled countless people out of poverty, it continues to grow economically, and the state can allocate resources very quickly to address issues such as the climate crisis.”

“Should we adopt their system here?” the ruler asks.

“It is a good choice if we only care about economic growth,” the second envoy answers. “But it is not a good place for people who think differently, and we are a diverse country. So, I give you a qualified no.”

The ruler turns to the last envoy. “I have heard very much about this distant land of America. It boasts that it is the best country on earth. Should we adopt the American style of democracy?”

The third envoy is quiet for a long time before she begins to speak.

“America is a very strange country,” she says. “It calls itself a democracy, but I’m not sure if that is the right label for its political system. In their Congress, for instance, one man is blocking the passage of a number of important bills. This Democratic senator from West Virginia is holding up a major spending bill because he thinks it’s too big and includes money for things like reducing the use of fossil fuels.”

“But surely these policymakers can work together in the national interest?” the ruler asks.

“America is very polarized,” the envoy replies. “A number of Republican members of Congress believe that the previous president, who lost the last election, actually won and should be sitting in the White House. They say that there was widespread fraud in the last election, but they have absolutely no proof.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” the ruler observes.

“The country is literally falling apart,” the envoy reports. “The roads, the bridges, the public transportation — all are in terrible shape. But elected officials can’t agree on the simplest fixes. Elected officials can’t even agree on the mildest gun control measures. In 2016, the citizens elected a president who very nearly launched a coup to stay in power. This ex-president remains the de facto head of his party and will likely run again for office in 2024.”

“Well,” the ruler begins, “that all sounds – “

“And the government continues to promote its version of democracy abroad as a model. As a model!” the envoy continues. “How can they think that anyone would want to follow their version of democracy? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if America splits into two parts in the next five years and one part becomes a dictatorship!”

The ruler puts her arm around the shoulders of the last envoy. She doesn’t even need to ask her last question.

“Maybe we should send out some more envoys,” the ruler says. “I’ve heard some good things about South Korea, New Zealand and Bhutan…”

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