The British monarchy’s Royal Institute for International Affairs RIIA) think tank issued instructions last week for what the Biden administration must adopt as its foreign policy priorities. First on its list for “foreign policy” priorities: “fix America’s democracy.” Unless the United States restores “confidence in democracy” at home, it will not be able to face down the global challenge of “powerful and competent authoritarianism” such as seen in China, they instruct.
The head of the RIIA’s Americas program, Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri, dictated three steps deemed “essential, though not sufficient alone” for “fixing” our democracy. Second on her list: “It is essential to create a commission to record – and ensure accountability for – the worst violations of the Donald Trump era; this should extend far beyond the more narrow focus of impeachment.” That makes clear what these Brits mean by “democracy.” [https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/01/foreign-policy-priorities-biden-administration]
