"They Used to Say Arabs Can’t Have Democracy Because It’d Be Bad for Israel. Now the U.S. Can’t Have It Either"
"Arab publics favor the Palestinians, the thinking goes, & will vote in governments that act accordingly — & that is a no-go zone."
Now, "the U.S., it seems, can’t have democracy either, lest an American democracy end its support for everything & anything Israel wants to do to the Palestinians."
#metoo likely revival as women and the men who love them, react to the badgering of #stormydaniels and the overall treatment of women by Republicans and denial of #abortion and #bodyautonomy to women. #vote like #democracy is on the line. It is.
Poll-driven “balance” reps a dubious safe harbor when the central issue is preserving or abandoning free & fair elections, sovereignty & the #ruleofaw. #J6 wrote Trump’s intentions in blood. He promises more depredations & his authoritarian platform calls for turning the fed bureaucracy into his personal instrument. He vows to make the DOJ a weapon of “retribution” against his enemies, & raises the specter of violence “if we don’t win.”
Autocrats in China, Russia are now making common cause with MAGA Republicans to discredit liberalism and freedom around the world. 🚨
These dictatorships around the world have coalesced to promote autocracy - and how some Americans (we see you, Republicans) and Europeans help them.
Lawsuits, threats, and smear tactics have chilled government, academic, & tech-company responses to disinformation.
One could call this a secret authoritarian “plot” to preserve the ability to spread Antidemocratic conspiracy theories, except that it’s not a secret. It’s all visible, right on the surface. Russia, China, & other state actors—Venezuela, Iran, Hungary—work with Republicans to discredit democracy, to undermine the credibility of democratic leaders, to mock the rule of law. They do so with the goal of electing criminal Trump, whose second presidency would damage the image of democracy around the world, as well as the stability of #democracy in #America, even further.
”My organizing background is the reason that a bedside emergency room nurse ... was able to break onto the political scene and move into the electoral space with success in a brief period of time.”
US is interfering in India's internal affair just weeks before elections. Is it some kind of tactic?
Washington lacks understanding of India's national mentality and history and continues to make "unfounded accusations" about religious freedoms in India, says a Russian spokesperson.
Don Harwood responds to New York Times editor Joseph Kahn, who says that the attack on democracy represented by Trump is not the premier campaign issue:
"Donald Trump is the first American presidential candidate to explicitly threaten the democratic system on which a free press depends. He could win. Considering the stakes for the country, that ought to be the campaign issue that dwarfs all others."
Just read @pluralistic's latest and now I'm angry all over again about how I can no longer call myself a Realist or a Rationalist because assholes have appropriated those terms to justify their bigotry and greed.
FWIW? A true Realist believes in full equality and rights for all without favor – because, realistically, any alternative system might get applied to YOU. It's irrational to think you are special.
"They Used to Say Arabs Can’t Have Democracy Because It’d Be Bad for Israel. Now the U.S. Can’t Have It Either"
"Arab publics favor the Palestinians, the thinking goes, & will vote in governments that act accordingly — & that is a no-go zone."
Now, "the U.S., it seems, can’t have democracy either, lest an American democracy end its support for everything & anything Israel wants to do to the Palestinians."
Janis Kluge sur 🐦 : "Russia's economy is in a war boom. If Russia were to suddenly return to pre-war levels of military spending, it would be a major economic disruption. However, Russia will most likely keep militarizing for many years to come, no matter what happens in Ukraine. 1/3"
Rachel Maddow discusses her research into fascism, disinformation, and propaganda.
It's not merely an attempt to foster animosity towards a particular group. Fascist disinformation is to erode our democracy by convincing us that a specific group is perilous, untrustworthy, and should be disenfranchised.
What has transpired since 2016 with the former president is not just the vilification of ethnic minorities. He, along with Fox propaganda and other purveyors of disinformation, have escalated lies and disinformation into a violent domestic terrorist movement and a MAGA-driven fascist party. The presence of Republican fascists is a reality now.
👇
Fascism ... is about getting us to undo #democracy and we shouldn't stand for it.
Through June 1, 969 million Indians will vote to elect the next government in the world's biggest democratic exercise.
Context (from the Thomson Reuters Foundation) has curated stories about the election, including challenges presented by Hindu-Muslim tensions, the nation's many migrant workers, stifling heat, and more.
"Top NYT Editor Offers Stunning Defense of Coverage of Trump."
"The failure to clearly describe Trump's plan to cancel prosecutions of himself & other elements of his legal strategy as threats to the system itself, that is, as efforts to put himself above the law."
The European Union’s anthem turns 2⃣0⃣0⃣ today and it is time to celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven’s masterpiece!
Composed in 1824, the excerpt from the prelude to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was adopted as the anthem of the EU in 1985 and is one of the most known symbols of our unity. It speaks volumes through its melody, embodying the shared European ideals of freedom, peace, and solidarity.
One anthem, a whole Union. Happy birthday, Ode to joy!
@curt_nordgaard
I won't make a prediction, but I don't think I'm alone in my growing enthusiasm to take down the right wing facists. If I disagree with #Biden on 10 things, I disagree with #Trump on 1,000 things. Never have I ever voted for myself (ie a perfect candidate). Its like buying a car: choose the one that most closely fits your needs. #Democracy fits my needs in 2024, even an imperfect one.