Capitol Hill down: Produced by US democracy

Editor’s note: President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday, a shocking event for the US and the rest of the world. What kind of far-reaching impact will the dramatic storming bring to US society? Experts share their views with China Daily. Excerpts follow:

Let us be reminded the assault on freedom and democracy in the US began 20-plus years ago when those in the halls and boardrooms of power decided to govern for the wealthy, corrupting and sucking dry as a bone all the goodness found in Western capitalism’s attributes. While both sides naturally play the blame game, the neutral observer informs us that focusing the blame on Trump misses the bigger picture. America is in ruinous decline because its government and economic system was forged into something rotten and was neglecting society in many ways.

Why is this chaos and decline really upon us? What is the simple magic missing ingredient? When those in power promise “what’s best for the American people”, they don’t mean it and they don’t actually care one bit. Their shameful lip service is evident in the decisions, the legislation, the policies. They have created a society where the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is not even possible because the opportunities to do so have vanished.

Mario Cavolo, an American writer living in China

To predict the future one does not need crystal balls or tarot cards. Underlying America’s unfolding political crisis is the same alchemy of political-social-financial-pandemic issues that amalgamated in the Great Depression (1929-1938).

America’s past decades of national debt over-leveraging supporting capital markets that enrich a super elite at the cost of debt riddling most households, now crippled by a global pandemic, and unable to put food on tables, are the ingredients of populist movements that surged in both Europe and America during another era.

Such movements are resuscitating today, evidenced by hardline rightist protestors and militia storming Washington DC’s Capitol. Trump has achieved the kind of historical personality of populist leaders of another era. It should be clear what is coming next.

Laurence Brahm is a US documentary filmmaker living in China

The illegal occupation of Capitol Hill by the American populists for three hours has disrupted and delayed the congressional confirmation of the Biden-Harris administration as the incoming US administration. It had been well-planned, instigated and orchestrated by the current White House holder and his loyalists. This had been predicted and could have been prevented if he was reasonable.

However, populism is as destructive as it can be not only for the US, but also for the world. Populism is reckless, ruthless and rudderless. I hope that the incoming Biden-Harris administration will not only uproot Trump’s wrong policies in domestic politics but also in US foreign policies including its policy on China.

To inherit the current administration’s foreign policy without mentioning its author while trying to clean up its ideology domestically would only be applying double standards and condoning this ideology at home.

If not contained, in the foreseeable future, populism would bite even harder and create more havoc not just for the US and China, but also humanity as a whole.

Jia Wenshan, professor of Communication and Global Studies, Chapman University

Before thousands marched to the Capitol, Trump earlier urged his supporters to go to the Capitol to register their discontent. But it's hard to say how the president will be held accountable for the chaos according to US laws, especially because it is unprecedented in the history of US presidential elections. But the US may amend laws in the future to prevent such things from happening again.

Biden will give top priorities to domestic affairs. But dealing with a split America is a daunting task. He needs to contain the COVID-19 pandemic within the US soon as possible, but the disagreement on how to end the crisis still divides the US.

Li Yan, a researcher on US studies with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

The entire world was astonished by Wednesday’s chaos in the US, the biggest developed country that respects law and order. Inevitably such a large-scale rally will tarnish the image of the US as a great power on the international stage.

US President Donald Trump fanned his supporters to release their anger for a so-called “stolen election”. His words are considered by many Americans as unleashing the forces of hate and divide in the country.

Those who were involved in the riots broke US laws. And several Congress members are calling for impeaching Trump for the unprecedented riots engulfing Capitol.

This unrest reflects the split between the people for and against Trump in the US society. That means Biden will face big challenges after he is sworn in on Jan 20. Facing such a divided and torn society, Biden has too many hot potatoes including bridging social gaps, promoting pandemic control and facilitating economic recovery.

But in the short term, the dramatic chaos may help Biden elicit more support, which may enable the power handover to go more smoothly. Besides Democrats, more Republicans have stood up to criticize Trump for harming their party’s reputation.

Given that Democrats will take control of both Senate and House of Representatives, it will be relatively easier for Biden to appoint secretaries in his administration and carry out policies.

The world is watching the developments in the US.

Yuan Zheng, deputy director of Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences