By Cecelia Lynch, Professor, University of California, Irvine, and CIHA Blog Co-Editor
Social scientists, including some of us, will continue to debate the degree to which the U.S. is a fragile and even “failed” state in the aftermath of the attempted white supremacist coup of January 6, 2021. What is clear, however, as we have argued previously in the CIHA Blog, is that the U.S. is not the paragon of democratic virtue that it purports to be. As a result of the very public coup attempt, as the President of Zimbabwe stated (see below), the U.S. has “no moral right” to “punish” other countries (especially African countries) in order to “restore” democracy. The horrific scenes of January 6 should have hammered the last nail in that coffin.
As the statement by Black Political Scientists unequivocally states (posted HERE January 16, 2021); this attempted coup was the work of white supremacists, doing the bidding of the U.S. president. While “attempted white supremacist coup” is accurate, we note that the U.S. has already been governed by white supremacist ideology during the past four years, and not for the first time in its history, and that the recent attempted coup was carried out by those who demanded even more violent action against non-white people in the country.
The racial reckoning that has been happening in the U.S. is productive of a more honest assessment of U.S. history, including the horrors of slavery and the genocide of indigenous people through the ongoing destruction of Black bodies and neighborhoods and the ongoing repression and attempts at delegitimization of Black voters in the U.S. President Biden has promised to continue and deepen that reckoning in a remarkable inaugural address in which he also acknowledged the fragility of U.S. democracy (as did the amazing Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, HERE). Still, we note that the context for that reckoning is one that is both deeply traumatizing and all-too-willing to return to a “normality” that sidelines and silences the attempts to expose structural racism.
The U.S. has long been a conflict-ridden society, one to which experts on truth commissions, peace and reconciliation, and reparations should have long been attuned. Indeed, in a subsequent post, we will continue to reverse the lens to show in a subsequent post how humanitarian groups have begun providing more consistent aid and advocacy to address U.S. needs. Below, we post a number of reactions to the attempted coup and to the inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris on the part of African interlocutors. These reactions indicate how far the U.S. has fallen in esteem on the continent, a precipitous decline which even the relief of a new administration cannot entirely overcome.
Last year, President Trump extended painful economic sanctions placed on Zimbabwe, citing concerns about Zimbabwe’s democracy.
Yesterday’s events showed that the U.S. has no moral right to punish another nation under the guise of upholding democracy. These sanctions must end.
— President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) January 7, 2021
If the US domestic terrorist and extremist activities were happening in any of the countries in the Global South, these imperialist nations would have condemned and threatened intervention by now. Where are our leaders in the @_AfricanUnion? Where is @PresidencyZA? Hiding?
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) January 6, 2021
As Africa we call for Americans to respect democracy, to respect rule of law and allow for a peaceful transition to power.
Do not behave like @edmnangagwa and the Zanu PF.
Follow the example of great democratic states like South Africa which respect outcomes of elections.
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) January 6, 2021
As Africa we call for Americans to respect democracy, to respect rule of law and allow for a peaceful transition to power.
Do not behave like @edmnangagwa and the Zanu PF.
Follow the example of great democratic states like South Africa which respect outcomes of elections.
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) January 6, 2021
BREAKING: President Emerson Mnangagwa has called for calm and says Zimbabwe will continue to monitor the events before deciding whether to impose sanctions on America or not until there’s peaceful transfer of power 😎#CapitolBuilding pic.twitter.com/qebV81o1lk
— Malume (@bozzie_t) January 6, 2021