DᗩNCEHᗩLL STᗩRZ RᗩDIO🇯🇲🇬🇧🇳🇱🇨🇦🙏🏾❤️💛💚

I, for one, would rather be in the good graces of the United States and its democratic allies than romanticize dictatorships built on Soviet-style propaganda and political repression. 😏 Let’s be honest: the freedoms we enjoy in democratic societies allow us to criticize our governments, express our opinions, build businesses, pursue opportunities and live without constantly worrying that disagreeing with those in power could cost us our freedom. And while no country is perfect, there is a reason millions of people risk everything to migrate to the United States and other Western democracies in search of opportunity. Some people are so caught up in opposing America that they are willing to overlook the abuses of its adversaries. They criticize Western foreign policy, sometimes with legitimate reasons, but suddenly develop selective amnesia when it comes to political prisoners, censorship, authoritarian rule and human rights abuses elsewhere. Criticizing America does not require defending dictators. We can acknowledge Western hypocrisy where it exists without pretending that authoritarian regimes offer a better alternative. And for those who believe life is automatically better under America’s geopolitical rivals, I would say this: travel, experience different societies, understand their laws and cultures, and examine how foreigners are treated before declaring one system superior to another. Don’t assume that every country outside the West is more welcoming, more tolerant or more respectful of people who look like us. As a person of darker pigmentation, I am certainly not going to romanticize any government or society without considering how it treats people like me. Racism and discrimination exist in Western countries too, but we should be able to discuss those problems honestly without pretending they exist only in the West—or that authoritarian governments are somehow immune to them. I believe in choosing freedom over oppression, opportunity over stagnation, and accountability over blind loyalty to a political ideology. My loyalty is not to Washington, Moscow, Beijing or any other foreign capital. My loyalty is to freedom, human dignity and the right of ordinary people to determine their own future. But if the choice is between living under a system where I can openly criticize my government and one where doing so could land me in prison, I know which side of that argument I stand on. Democracy may be imperfect, but the answer to its imperfections is to strengthen freedom—not surrender it to dictators.