Former Ambassador Warns U.S. Faces “Biggest, Hardest Fight” to Preserve Democracy
WASHINGTON - The United States is currently engaged in the most important challenge to its democratic institutions in modern history, according to former U.S.Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. In his new book, “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder,” McFaul details a rising global conflict between authoritarian regimes and democratic nations, and warns that the U.S. is not immune to the threats posed by autocratic influence.
The struggle to safeguard American democracy isn’t merely an academic concern; it directly impacts the future of global stability and the preservation of fundamental rights. With democratic norms increasingly under pressure both domestically and abroad, the outcome of this fight will determine whether the U.S. continues to serve as a beacon of freedom or succumbs to the tactics employed by adversaries like Russia and China. McFaul’s analysis offers a stark assessment of the current landscape and a call to action for citizens to actively defend the principles enshrined in the Constitution.
McFaul draws parallels between the current political climate in the U.S. and the early years of Vladimir Putin’s rule in Russia, noting a pattern of consolidating power through media control and suppression of dissent. “This reminds me, what’s happening here, to the early Putin years, when he pushed back and he took over the media. He removed some people he didn’t like,” McFaul explained in a recent interview. However, he expressed cautious optimism, citing the strength of U.S. institutions – including an independent media, a functioning parliament, and a robust civil society – as key advantages over the situation in Russia during that period.
Despite these strengths, McFaul emphasized the need for continued vigilance. ”in my lifetime, this is the biggest, hardest fight for consolidating and preserving democratic institutions in the United states of America,” he stated. He acknowledged that simply possessing constitutional rights is insufficient, and that active participation is crucial to their defense. “People are going to have to fight for the things that are in that Constitution.”
McFaul believes the U.S. benefits from ”hundreds of years of experience with democracy,” a resource Russia lacked in the early 2000s. He also noted a desire for even stronger checks on executive power, and a more robust opposition party. Ultimately, McFaul remains “cautiously optimistic” that the U.S. will navigate this challenge successfully, but stresses that the outcome is far from guaranteed.
