The US is a menace to democracy. It's time to keep a safe distance

We in Europe and elsewhere used to think of the US as a beacon of democracy and freedom. But now we're faced with the terror that the US is going to become an illiberal democracy; a fascist state even. <br><br>The US is also a global destabiliser, as evidenced by its war record. Just look at the chaos it has unleashed in the Middle East. And now the world has to deal with the fall-out from US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which will undoubtedly become a haven for terrorists. <br><br>And then there's global warming. The US is by far the biggest polluter, and now it's going to thwart any co-ordinated efforts to address the crisis. <br><br>What's clear is that Europe needs a way of defending itself. Its divisions and mistrust of one another make it vulnerable to the whims of its superpower adversaries. We need to get our act together.