On November 22 2021, Monday The International Institute For Democracy And Electoral Assistance, based in Stockholm, Sweden released its 2021 report on "The Global State Of Democracy." Democracy is at risk, the report's introduction begins. "Its survival is endangered by a perfect storm of threats, both from within and from a rising tide of authoritarianism." "The world is becoming more authoritarian as non democratic regimes become even more brazen in their repression and many democratic governments suffer from backsliding by adopting their tactics of restricting free speech and weakening the rule of law."
The report identifies the United States as one of the democracies that is "backsliding", meaning that it has experienced gradual but significant weaking of checks on Government and Civil Liberties, such as Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Association and Assembly, over time."
"The United States, the bastion of global democracy, fell victim to authoritarian tendencies itself, and was knocked down a significant number of steps on the democratic scale, " the report says.
That fall continues to be pushed by malign foreign actors. An investigation by Jordan Liles of Snopes.com shows the foreign social media accounts are magnifying right wing voices. In the wake of the Rittenhouse acquittal, for example, foreign accounts posing as Americans appeared to celebrate the decision.
Frank Figliuzzi, the former Assistant Director of US counterintelligence Of The FBI, tweeted 32,315 pro Rittenhouse hashtag tweets from November 19-20, 29,609 had disabled geological location. Of them, 17, 701 was listed as "foreign", and most of those were in Russia, China and the EU.
Plenty of Americans are along for the authoritarian ride, too. A story by David Farenthold, Josh Dawsey, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post revealed that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is using party funds to pay for some of former US President Donald Trump's legal bills. Allies of RNC chairperson Ronna McDaniel note that since Trump is the biggest draw the party has for fund raising, it is important to cultivate his goodwill.
This dumps the RNC into the January 06, 2020 insurrection mess by aligning the party's central organization with Trump.
That mess is deepening. The other day the US House Selection Committee that is assigned to investigate the Jan 06 attack on the US Capitol issued five (5) new subpoenas to people involved in planning the rallies in Washington, D.C. , on Jan 06 and the subsequent march to the capitol.
The subpoenas went to Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lawrence, who organized the "Women For America First" rally, and Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich, who called for a social media blitz. Another subpoena went to Roger Stone, who pushed for the rally and raised money for it, and who hired members of the OathKeepers, several of whom were at the riot as personal bodyguards. Right wing newscaster Alex Jones got one, too; he helped to organize the rallies, spoke at one held Jan 05, and claimed to have provided 80% of the funding for the rally held on Jan 06.
A few days ago, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who sits on the committee, told members of the media that many of people they have interviewed so far ---more than 200---have been Trump officials who testified voluntarily and wanted to be subpoenaed for "cover".
On this same day, Nov 22nd, conservative columnist Max Boot called out Republican law makers for "formenting violent extremism" and noted they have become hostage to the extremists in their ranks because "they fear for their safety should they standup to Trump loyalists. Right-wing extremists have threatened the lives of the 13 Republicans who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Two long-standing Fox news contributors Steve Hayes and Jonah Goldberg quit the enterprise on this day over Tucker Carlson's 3 part series "Patriot Purge." That series, they wrote, "is presented in the style of an expose' , a hard hitting piece of investigative journalism. In reality, it is a collection of incoherent --conspiracy mongering, riddled with inaccuracies, half--truths, deceptive imagery, and damning omissions. "
Hayes and Goldberg said they could no longer work at the Fox News Channel because "we sincerely believe all people of goodwill and good judgement ---regardless of their partisan or ideological commitments---can agree that a cavalier and even a contemptuous attitude towards facts, truth--seeking and truth--telling lies at the heart of so much that plagues this country."
The report identifies the United States as one of the democracies that is "backsliding", meaning that it has experienced gradual but significant weaking of checks on Government and Civil Liberties, such as Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Association and Assembly, over time."
"The United States, the bastion of global democracy, fell victim to authoritarian tendencies itself, and was knocked down a significant number of steps on the democratic scale, " the report says.
That fall continues to be pushed by malign foreign actors. An investigation by Jordan Liles of Snopes.com shows the foreign social media accounts are magnifying right wing voices. In the wake of the Rittenhouse acquittal, for example, foreign accounts posing as Americans appeared to celebrate the decision.
Frank Figliuzzi, the former Assistant Director of US counterintelligence Of The FBI, tweeted 32,315 pro Rittenhouse hashtag tweets from November 19-20, 29,609 had disabled geological location. Of them, 17, 701 was listed as "foreign", and most of those were in Russia, China and the EU.
Plenty of Americans are along for the authoritarian ride, too. A story by David Farenthold, Josh Dawsey, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post revealed that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is using party funds to pay for some of former US President Donald Trump's legal bills. Allies of RNC chairperson Ronna McDaniel note that since Trump is the biggest draw the party has for fund raising, it is important to cultivate his goodwill.
This dumps the RNC into the January 06, 2020 insurrection mess by aligning the party's central organization with Trump.
That mess is deepening. The other day the US House Selection Committee that is assigned to investigate the Jan 06 attack on the US Capitol issued five (5) new subpoenas to people involved in planning the rallies in Washington, D.C. , on Jan 06 and the subsequent march to the capitol.
The subpoenas went to Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lawrence, who organized the "Women For America First" rally, and Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich, who called for a social media blitz. Another subpoena went to Roger Stone, who pushed for the rally and raised money for it, and who hired members of the OathKeepers, several of whom were at the riot as personal bodyguards. Right wing newscaster Alex Jones got one, too; he helped to organize the rallies, spoke at one held Jan 05, and claimed to have provided 80% of the funding for the rally held on Jan 06.
A few days ago, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who sits on the committee, told members of the media that many of people they have interviewed so far ---more than 200---have been Trump officials who testified voluntarily and wanted to be subpoenaed for "cover".
On this same day, Nov 22nd, conservative columnist Max Boot called out Republican law makers for "formenting violent extremism" and noted they have become hostage to the extremists in their ranks because "they fear for their safety should they standup to Trump loyalists. Right-wing extremists have threatened the lives of the 13 Republicans who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Two long-standing Fox news contributors Steve Hayes and Jonah Goldberg quit the enterprise on this day over Tucker Carlson's 3 part series "Patriot Purge." That series, they wrote, "is presented in the style of an expose' , a hard hitting piece of investigative journalism. In reality, it is a collection of incoherent --conspiracy mongering, riddled with inaccuracies, half--truths, deceptive imagery, and damning omissions. "
Hayes and Goldberg said they could no longer work at the Fox News Channel because "we sincerely believe all people of goodwill and good judgement ---regardless of their partisan or ideological commitments---can agree that a cavalier and even a contemptuous attitude towards facts, truth--seeking and truth--telling lies at the heart of so much that plagues this country."
