The chaos of the event has left allies and rivals questioning the state of American democracy and the country’s place on the world stage
BRUSSELS – The bleak spectacle of Tuesday night’s presidential debate produced some shock, sadness and weariness among American allies and rivals on Wednesday
As President Trump screamed and shouted and shouted both moderator Chris Wallace and his opponent, former Vice President Joseph R Biden Jr, and like Mr. Biden responded by calling M Trump a « clown », many wondered if the chaos and the substance of the event said anything more fundamental about the state of American democracy
« Of course the ultimate arbiter will be the American voter, » said Ulrich Speck, analyst at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin « But there is a consensus in Europe that this is getting out of hand, and this debate is an indicator of the bad form of American democracy »
The allies have always felt that in America, despite political disagreements, « there is only one republic and the conflict will be resolved by debate and compromise » and « this power was married to a kind of morality, ”said M Speck said
But that view is now being questioned, he said « The debate was really not a debate at all, but two people pursuing their strategies »
« The debate was a joke, a low point, a shame for the country, » said Markus Feldenkirchen of the German magazine Der Spiegel on Twitter « Roars, insults, two over 70 years old who stop like children of 5 years – and a moderator losing control The trigger, of course: Trump’s rude and unworthy behavior «
John Sawers, former British diplomat and director of a risk analysis firm, said simply: “My own answer is that it puts me off about America. The country we turned to for leadership fell into a horrific brawl «
Jeremy Shapiro, a former US diplomat who is now research director for the European Council on Foreign Relations, said foreigners would likely see the debate « as another sign of the degradation of American democracy », as some do. Americans Debate Will Not Change Foreign Views Of M Trump or Mr Biden, he says, but beneath the spectacle there is something more disturbing
Allies and rivals « see Trump and the political culture that created him foreshadow the decline of American democracy and American culture, » Mr. Shapiro said This judgment, he added, is « only reinforced by the response of the coronavirus, not just by the absence of the United States in global leadership, but by the striking incompetence to do so. facing the house »
The coarseness of the debate will resonate abroad, Mr. Shapiro said « Biden on this scene calling the President of the United States a clown and a liar is not something Biden would have done four years ago under any circumstances, » he said. « The fact that he felt he had to do it is a sign to outsiders that American culture is in a cycle of decline »
Thomas Gomart, director of the French Institute of International Relations, said the debate reinforced the impression « that the United States has withdrawn from the world stage and turned in on itself »Mr. Trump, » he said, « has explicitly moved away from the position of world leader, and Joe Biden can also implicitly do so. »
Mr. Gomart said the debate showed the deep partisanship of America today, even in the face of the pandemic « These two men are from the same generation, from the same world, » he said « And yet, these are the two faces of a deeply polarized society »
This point of view is shared by Nicole Bacharan, Franco-American historian and political analyst residing in France She said she was « appalled » by what she saw in the debate, adding: « It sent an image depressing America, American democracy and its role in the world »
Events look set to heighten European anxieties, Ms Bacharan said “European leaders must have woken up this morning thinking, ‘America’s leadership is over, and for a while, even though Biden is elected and tried to rebuild what Trump destroyed, ”she said
The damage that has been done to transatlantic relations will take years to repair at best, she added.
« The truth is that European leaders feel lonely because they know that what Trump dismantled cannot be rebuilt so quickly and so easily, » she said « As for the others, Putin, Bolsonaro, Erdogan, they must tell each other what we already knew: they can do anything, because the US is no longer a leader »
This was certainly the quick view in China, where the official reaction was cautious, but that of the Global Times, a Communist Party propaganda sheet, was cheerful
Hu Xijin, editor of the newspaper, said that Mr. Trump and Mr Biden « clearly did not show an exemplary role to the American people in how to engage in the debates. » He added: « Such chaos at the top of US politics reflects the division, the anxiety of US society and the growing loss of benefits from the US political system «
Foreign policy was barely mentioned in the debate, but China has been a regular target during the campaign on topics as diverse as the coronavirus pandemic and trade Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that the government « strongly opposes » efforts to involve China in the U.S and that the accusations leveled against Beijing during the debate were « baseless and untenable »
Others have weighed in on Chinese social media platforms, claiming the debate has left them perplexed and amused One user said that Mr. The frequent interruptions of M Trump by M Biden gave a « comedic feel » to what should have been a serious discussion, while another likened the debate to a feud at a vegetable market
In Singapore, which prides itself on technocratic governance and a cautious form of democracy, Bilahari Kausikan, a former ambassador, has dismissed the presidential debate as a political theater
« Debate? What debate? « He asked » The event was not meant to change your mind or solve any problems It was just a form of entertainment that did not bring honor to either the incumbent or the challenger It sums up all that went wrong with American policy «
In Japan, a debate earlier this month between three candidates seeking prime ministerial post was a stilted – if not downright sleepy – contrast to the fireworks of the Trump-Biden showdown. p>
The Japanese are savvy spectators of American politics, and Mr. Trump is a known quantity, but the tone of this debate still came as a shock Many were surprised when Mr. Biden told M Trump at one point to ‘shut up, man,’ said Ichiro Fujisaki, former Japanese ambassador to the United States « If the president says that, everyone takes it for granted, » he added, « but for an honest man like Biden to say it’s a bit of a surprise »
Mr. Trump has fans in Japan A tweet about the debate proclaiming it « looks like Trump will be re-elected, almost certainly » was liked about 9,000 times and retweeted 1,000 times Another social media post queried NHK, the public broadcaster, for cutting « Biden’s bad scenes » and said the editors « intentionally misinterpreted Trump’s remarks »
Yujin Yaguchi, professor of American studies at the University of Tokyo, said English-language students in Japan often watch presidential debates to study the technique of speaking “What we saw today is just not usable,” M Yaguchi said politely « Most people in Japan would be appalled at the confusing style of the debate »
Mr. Fujisaki said the Japanese reaction should wait for the results Citing a diplomatic joke, he compared the election to a Christmas present
« You don’t say anything until Christmas Day, and when you open the box you scream, ‘This is exactly what I wanted! « », he declared « If M Trump is re-elected, we say, « We look forward to working with you for four more years, » and if that’s Mr. Biden we say, ‘Oh we’ve been waiting for you’
The report was written by Elian Peltier from London; Damien Cave from Sydney, Australia; Motoko Rich and Hikari Hida from Tokyo; Mike Ives from Hong Kong; and Hannah Beech of Bangkok Coral Yang contributed research
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News from around the world – GB – Trump-Biden debate sparks shock, despair and, in China, joy
