Supporters of President Donald Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. One year on, many of America’s closest allies are still profoundly concerned about the state of U.S. democracy. Perhaps nowhere is that feeling more acute than in Germany, rebuilt from the ashes of World War II, thanks in no small measure to the helping hand extended by its former adversary, the United States. But amid the crush of new crises — the COVID-19 pandemic exploding anew, Russia’s threatening stance toward Ukraine — some ordinary Germans see the Capitol riot as fading into the background. Even so, the Jan. 6 riot may have accelerated a trend of increasing disillusionment with the United States as a beacon of pluralism and democracy.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 04, 2022 19:48 UTC