This July 4, Be Thankful the Biden Administration Has Revived Soft Power | Washington Monthly |

A 2022 report from the Eurasia Group Foundation, "Democracy's Promise: International Views of America in the Biden Era," found that favorable views of the U.S. and American democracy had increased to over 50 percent, the highest level in four years, but with caveats. Our country is viewed positively for high tech, entertainment, sports, military, and universities but not as much for the health care system, racial discrimination, and the state of our democracy.

This should not be surprising. The U.S. ranks 26th between Chile and Estonia in the Economist's most recent Democracy Index. Freedom House ranks the U.S. below Argentina and Mongolia in access to political rights and civil liberties. Summing up these studies, international public opinion expert Bruce Stokes concludes, "Those who care about U.S. stature and influence in the world must engage in strengthening American democracy at home." 

Former President Donald Trump's assault on fair elections and the backing that he receives from most Republicans--even after being indicted--is not, shall we say, a winning narrative for American influence. Neither is Congressional gridlock nor stories of Supreme Court justices accepting gifts from billionaires. America's failure to stem mass shootings makes us a global outlier, and not in a good way. Right-wing state legislatures' attacks on women's reproductive rights are out of sync with our message of personal freedom.

Nice of Adam Shearer to mention Ben and Jerry's ...

Ben & Jerry's settles lawsuit, freezes out Israel

Biden's poor record on universal human rights, sending lethal weapons into conflict zones Israel, Arab States, Yemen and Ukraine ... just to mention a few. No support for the rights of Palestinians on their own land. Hypocrisy.

Amnesia and Gaza Genocide