250 years of independence: is the US still a role model?
The US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Britain on Saturday, 4 July. In particular since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office, the global power's standing in Europe has diminished, as a glance at the commentaries confirms.
The harder they fall
The US's long heyday is over, Mladina posits:
“In 2026, the American constitutional republic is looking more and more like a system in which the president wields almost monarchical power while the state is dominated by an alliance of political and business elites. Its political order is becoming ever more akin to the state-controlled capitalism of Russia and China. The US is the undisputed political and economic winner of the 'long 20th century'. Yet the economic costs of this global supremacy are becoming increasingly unsustainable. The United States' waning political legitimacy is seen as an almost inevitable harbinger of the decline of the Pax Americana.”
Post-war model on its last legs
The Insider sees the world heading towards global chaos:
“Even if someone 'more reasonable' from the perspective of traditional diplomacy were to hold the US presidency, a return to the model of the past 80 years would be impossible. The world is careening towards a state that feels like global chaos, and the current US administration is only accelerating this process. ... Until recently, we assumed that if a country abided by the rules, it would enjoy a more or less predictable future. If it broke them, a predictable backlash would follow. ... But now the very 'architects' of the rules are beginning to resort to direct violence.”
Stop copying trash culture
Sweden should look for new role models, recommends the Göteborg-Posten:
“Over the past few decades, Sweden has adopted virtually every American cultural trend, be it populism, activism or popular culture. Perhaps we should draw a little more inspiration from our European neighbours: from German high culture, Dutch consumer culture or French conversational culture, for instance. All phenomena which, in the world's oldest democracy on the other side of the Atlantic, have now been replaced by trade tariffs, polarisation and an increasingly vulgar public discourse.”
History offers consolation
The Economist recommends focusing on America's founding ideals:
“The country's great liberal experiment is under strain. Politicians show little regard for many of the Enlightenment ideals the founders held dear. Americans themselves are bitterly divided, rarely agreeing on what ails the country, let alone the cures. History offers some consolation. The American experiment has faltered before - and recovered. Its story has been one of setbacks as well as renewal. From the moment the framers set out, in the constitution's opening sentence, 'to form a more perfect Union', the country has wrestled with its imperfections.”