Since the end of World War II, Western nations, along with some Asian ones, have elevated democracy to near-sacred status, treating it as an infallible doctrine or, as the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama once argued, the final stage in the evolution of political systems. In doing so, the victors of the war largely dismissed the decisive contributions China and the Soviet Union made in defeating the Axis powers. America’s immense wealth and industrial strength dazzled much of the world into believing that democracy, a system defined by governments chosen through popular vote, would guarantee individual freedoms, ensure prosperity, and secure lasting peace.
Yet democracy’s record tells a different story. According to the US-based nonprofit political advocacy Freedom House, global democratic standards have been in uninterrupted decline for 19 consecutive years as of 2024. Still, many adherents cling to the belief that democracy represents the pinnacle of human political organization. Since US President Donald Trump re-assumed office in 2025, however, no leader has done more to dismantle what remains of this faith.
The first myth Trump shattered is the notion that democracy protects individual rights and freedoms. Since assuming office, his administration has waged a sustained assault on the civil and political rights of both citizens and non-citizens entitled to equal protection under the law. Federal agents have aggressively rounded up new migrants, often identified by skin color, including individuals with lawful residency. Many have been sent to detention centers under deplorable conditions. The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old mother of three in Minneapolis, and two others in Portland, allegedly for “weaponizing” their vehicles against federal agents, has ignited protests nationwide.
Academic freedom has also been undermined. Federal funding has been used to pressure universities into compliance, while political opponents, most notably former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, have faced prosecution on questionable grounds. Law firms involved in investigations of Trump have been threatened with executive orders capable of destroying their business and coerced into providing hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono services. Major media organizations have been threatened with defamation suits, and funding for public broadcasting has been cut.
Eighty years after World War II, history appears to have come full circle. The world’s most powerful democracy, under Trump’s leadership, has hollowed out democratic norms and revealed that its pursuit of global dominance recognizes no legal boundaries. Its aggressive unilateralism is constrained only by opponents strong enough to resist
Another enduring myth is that democracies do not attack one another. Trump has thoroughly dispelled this belief by openly expressing his intention to annex Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, shortly after returning to office. In recent statements, Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have escalated their rhetoric, making clear that the US would seize Greenland for “national security” reasons if necessary.
These threats are especially grave given that Denmark is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member. Under Article V of the NATO treaty, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. As Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned, a US takeover of Greenland would effectively spell the end of NATO. In a single move, Trump would dismantle both the myth of democratic restraint and the military alliance the US helped establish after World War II.
Democracies are also presumed to be governed by law, bound by constitutional norms and international legal frameworks. Trump’s disregard for these principles is evident in his prolific use of executive orders. In just one year, he has issued 225, far exceeding both former president Joe Biden’s total and his own output during his first term. His invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose so-called “reciprocal” tariffs is now being challenged before the Supreme Court.
Trump has made no effort to conceal his contempt for Europe or for international institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Shortly after his reelection, he again withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. In a recent interview with The New York Times, he declared, “I don’t need international law.” Power, not principle, has become the guiding rule, replacing the West’s vaunted “rules-based order” with naked coercion.
Eighty years after World War II, history appears to have come full circle. The world’s most powerful democracy, under Trump’s leadership, has hollowed out democratic norms and revealed that its pursuit of global dominance recognizes no legal boundaries. Its aggressive unilateralism is constrained only by opponents strong enough to resist. By contrast, China now presents itself as a defender of the Charter of the United Nations and the multilateral system, emphasizing sovereignty, development, and mutual respect.
For decades, democracy has been wielded by the West as a political weapon. In places such as Hong Kong, it has been used to foment unrest and destabilize governments. Unsurprisingly, the term has acquired deeply negative connotations in many regions. Western prosperity itself has been built not only on innovation and industry, but also on imperialism and colonial extraction. Today, US imperial ambitions appear to be resurging. The real choice confronting the world is no longer between democracy and autocracy, but between neo-imperialism and a vision grounded in peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.
The author is convenor of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
