USA : Recently, a video has been widely circulated showing a veteran in uniform rejecting U.S. support for the Gaza war. The person sharing this content tries to smear American democracy by depicting the U.S. system as morally flawed, comparing it to “socialist democracies” such as China and Russia.
My response is simple: this is irrelevant since the United States has already taken steps to end direct military involvement in Gaza and has led diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire. Furthermore, it is absurd to compare closed autocracies with democratic systems that are accountable to their citizens.
1. Immigration and Political Mobility: How the U.S. Leads the World
When it comes to attracting immigrants, empowering minorities, and producing immigrant public officials, the United States remains unmatched. Let the facts speak for themselves.
1 The United States has approximately 47.8 million immigrants, accounting for about 15% of its population [1].
2 China, despite its population of over 1.4 billion, has only around 1 million foreign-born residents, less than 0.07% of its population [2].
3 Russia’s foreign-born population is approximately 11–12 million, with over 90% coming from former Soviet states, not from democratic countries like the U.S. [3].
4 In contrast, only a few thousand Americans have voluntarily moved to Russia in recent years, and almost none have held any public office [4].
5 The U.S. Congress currently has 80 lawmakers who are either immigrants or children of immigrants—61 in the House and 19 in the Senate [5].
6 Among immigrant citizens in the U.S., 83% are registered to vote, showing strong political engagement [6].
Compare that to China or Russia.
• Neither country permits immigrants to run for local or national elections.
• Neither has an immigrant served as mayor, governor, or legislator.
• Neither offers meaningful pathways to citizenship for Muslim or non-Han immigrants.
So when you compare these systems to the United States, the facts show the truth: America’s democratic capitalism attracts immigrants and offers opportunities for their success, while socialist or authoritarian regimes are dead ends for newcomers.
2. The Myth of “Mass Exodus to Socialist Democracies”
The same individual ironically predicts “a mass exodus of Muslim immigrants to China and Russia in search of socialist democracy.” Facts once again disprove this fantasy:
7 China’s net migration rate in 2023 was –311,380, indicating more people left China than moved in [7].
8 Russia’s migration patterns indicate small inflows, primarily from neighboring ex-Soviet states rather than from the U.S. or Muslim countries [8].
9 In contrast, the United States welcomes over a million new immigrants each year, with hundreds of thousands becoming citizens annually [1].
If democracy were declining and socialism thriving, we would observe migration in the opposite direction. However, almost no U.S. citizens choose to migrate to China or Russia for political or economic reasons. The flow of people—toward the U.S.—demonstrates where human aspirations truly lie.
3. The Beauty of American Democracy
When the critic tried to deflect by saying, “You can’t compare these systems; they have different heads of state,” I reminded him: the structure matters less than the substance of opportunity. In the United States:
• Any immigrant can achieve political power, as demonstrated this week by newly elected Muslim mayors and state representatives in New York, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and New Jersey.
• The system tolerates dissent, celebrates diversity, and—most importantly—allows immigrants to become decision-makers.
• Economic freedom and private enterprise form the foundation of equality here.
It is this capitalist democracy that offers upward mobility for everyone—including Muslims and minorities. No such openness exists in Moscow or Beijing.
4. A Firm Answer to the Anti-Democracy Narrative
To those who use selective clips or ideological bias to undermine American democracy, the solution is straightforward:
Show us how many Americans have become mayors or lawmakers in Russia or China.
Show us how many Muslim immigrants are governors or parliamentarians there.
Please show us the net immigration into those countries.
Then, compare it with the U.S., where tens of millions of immigrants live freely, vote, and lead.
The United States still stands as the top choice for those looking for freedom, dignity, and economic opportunity. That fact alone is democracy’s strongest proof.
5. The Lesson for the Critics
A single viral video can’t undo the record of a system that keeps producing immigrant success stories generation after generation. From Muslim mayors in Michigan to immigrant legislators in Virginia and New Jersey, the U.S. remains a symbol of inclusion.
Meanwhile, the “socialist democracies” mentioned have little to show beyond state-controlled narratives and empty slogans. No exodus heading east; the world still lines up for America.
Author Introduction
Dr. Gholam Mujtaba is a Pakistani American scholar, political leader, and a senior Republican figure in the United States. He holds dual doctoral degrees—an M.D. and an Ed.D.—with a focus on leadership studies in Pakistani civil and military leadership. As Chairman of the Pakistan Policy Institute USA, he often appears on Al Jazeera English to discuss geopolitics, U.S. foreign policy, and Islamic doctrine. A committed Pakistani American and Republican, his writings promote interfaith harmony, democracy, and economic empowerment for immigrants.
References
[1] Migration Policy Institute, “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States,” 2023.?[2] Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), “Why Isn’t China Considering Immigration Against Demographic Decline,” 2023.?[3] Wikipedia, “Immigration to Russia,” updated 2024.?[4] The Free Press, “American Men Seeking the American Dream in Russia,” 2023.?[5] Pew Research Center, “Immigrants and Children of Immigrants in the 119th U.S. Congress,” 2025.?[6] Public Policy Institute of California, “Immigrants and Political Engagement,” 2017.?[7] Macrotrends, “China Net Migration 1990-2023,” accessed 2024.?[8] CEIC Data, “Number of Immigrants by Country – Russia (Non-CIS/USA),” 2018.
