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Beijing [China], September 20 (ANI): China has sharpened its line of attack on the Wests version of democracy ahead of President Xi Jinpings crowning achievement at the National Party Congress this October the third term in office a feat not achieved since the death of Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976.

Chinese theorists, ministers and spin doctors came together to set out their plans for a new era of government one they hoped would allow the Chinese Communist Party to remain in power forever while giving it the international respect it craves, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH)

They were annoyed at the optics of China being snubbed from US President Joe Bidens Summit for Democracy, had grown frustrated at Chinas economic power not being matched by its diplomatic clout, and were anxious to avoid the endless cycle of rising and fall that has bedevilled Chinas empires for millennia.

In meetings in the capital, the officials at the State Council Office sharpened their line of attack on the Wests version of democracy. They argued it was full of selfish politicians, broken campaign promises and fragmented societies, reported SMH.

There is nothing wrong with democracy per se, the advisers offered bluntly in a 50-page white paper. Some countries have encountered setbacks and crises in their quest for democracy only because their approach was wrong.

Democracy with Chinese characteristics, they said, could unite countries behind their long-term economic goals and guarantee stability.

The launch of the white paper in December was a brash affair. Fronted by Guo Zhenhua, the deputy secretary general of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress and Xu Lin, the minister of the State Council Information Office, it was largely dismissed by the West because of its colourful language, contradictions and propaganda, reported SMH.

But between metaphors, the white paper contained a plan not just for Chinas future, but the push to export Chinas model and burnish Xis legacy as he becomes the most powerful leader since Mao.

China did not duplicate Western models of democracy, but created its own, the State Council said. It all boils down to whether the people can enjoy a good life.

They argued what defined democracy was not whether one person had one vote, but whether the government fulfilled promises and enforced the rule of law.

There is no fixed model of democracy, the State Council said. Whether a country is democratic should be acknowledged by the international community, not arbitrarily decided by a few self-appointed judges, referring to American-led multilateral groups such as the Quad, Five Eyes and the G7, reported SMH.

The advisers acknowledged that in Chinas version of democracy there were no opposition parties, but argued that Chinas political party system is not a system of one-party rule.

Moreover, Xi now has unparalleled power at home. Chinese media reports suggest the 69-year-old is likely to be named as either the Peoples Leader or Chairman at the National Party Congress on October 16.

But he faces trouble overseas, where Chinas growing aggression towards Taiwan, bellicose diplomatic rhetoric and COVID-19 response have isolated it from advanced economies. Chinas push to rebrand democracy is part of its global outreach campaign to developing countries that feel isolated by the West. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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China sharpens attack on Wests version of democracy ahead of Xis third term - ThePrint

By Cristina Cabrejas

Rome, Sep 20 (EFE).- Favorite to win the upcoming elections and become Italys first ever female prime minister, the far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni insists that no-one in the country thinks that a victory for her party poses a threat to democracy, as claimed by her rivals.

Five days out from the vote, and in a brief pause in a campaign trail that has taken her up and down the country, the Brothers of Italy (Fdi) leader also said in an interview with Efe that her party was not anti-European Union.

EFE: Italy is facing huge challenges. If you win the election, what is the first thing you will do?

MELONI: The top priority is to support families and businesses in this awful period of rising prices and energy (costs). In Italy, too many companies have reduced or stopped production and it is likely they will close if the government does not intervene with drastic measures.

Many families risk not being able to pay their bills. A European price cap on gas and the decoupling of gas and electricity are immediately necessary. This last measure can also be adopted immediately on a national level.

Secondly, we want to relaunch the economy by lowering taxes on employment, simplifying bureaucracy, building strategic infrastructure and relaunching an industrial policy based on the principle of Made in Italy.

We also want to restore security and stop uncontrolled immigration with the left in government, illegal arrivals to our coasts have reached unbelievable numbers.

EFE: Why must Italians vote for the Brothers of Italy?

MELONI: On September 25, Italians have a great opportunity to end the long tenure of the left, which has been in government almost uninterruptedly without ever winning elections. A vote for the Brothers of Italy, however, will not be a protest vote, but rather one for strong change. Italians know they can trust us because we are coherent.

Weve been in the opposition for a long time, but weve never stopped making proposals and offering support for useful measures from different governments. Those who choose us know exactly what theyre getting. They can like it, or not, but there are no hidden surprises.

EFE: Are you ready to govern?

MELONI: Brothers of Italy is the party of conservative Italians. We believe in personal freedom and the centrality of the family, in the Italian, European and Western cultural identity, in private initiative and social solidarity. Our party leadership is competent and prepared. We feel ready to govern, if the Italians want it.

EFE: What do you think of those who say your victory and that of the center-right would be a danger to democracy.

MELONI: Its paradoxical. For years in Italy we have had governments run by unelected prime ministers, often with (parliamentary) majorities distinct to those that arose in elections. In the pandemic, we saw unprecedented restrictions on freedom. However, only now are we talking about the threat to democracy, because in the end Italians will vote and maybe they will give a big majority to the center-right led by the Brothers of Italy.

No-one in Italy believes it, not even the left-wing which uses it as a weapon of desperation. We are a strong democracy, and those that sound the alarms about the future of Italy are not doing damage to Giorgia Meloni but rather Italy itself. The truth is the only thing in danger is the left-wings system of power, as in Italy they always govern without winning elections.

In the end, we will be a right-wing government, we already govern in 15 regions and hundreds of councils What are we talking about?

EFE: You have harshly criticized the European Union, is there an anti-EU wing in your party? What would you tell those in Europe who fear the arrival of the Brothers of Italy in government in Italy?

MELONI: My party does not have an anti-European wing, we only have one line, which is that of European conservatives. The pandemic before and the war now has shown us what hasnt worked in the construction of the EU in recent decades.

For too many years, Brussels has extended its powers in many aspects of our daily lives, forgetting about foreign policy and a collective defense, of assuring energy autonomy. I would like a Europe that does fewer things, but does them better, with less centralism () less bureaucracy and more politics. We are not at all against Europe, but rather for a more efficient Europe, which knows how to be a true added value for its citizens.

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Giorgia Meloni: No-one in Italy thinks we are a threat to democracy - La Prensa Latina

We all remember Sept. 11, 2001. An attack caused by hate, ignorance and fear of American democracy was fomented and planned by one man, Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda.

We all remember Jan. 6, 2021. An insurrection caused by hate, ignorance and fear of American democracy was fomented and planned by one man, Donald Trump, a Republican.

Barack Obama ordered bin Laden killed for his crimes against America.

Joe Biden ordered al-Zawahiri (Osama bin Ladens No. 2) killed for his crimes against America.

Trump, a Republican, is being investigated for his potential crimes against America including top secret government records taken and improperly stored in his house, electoral interference in Georgia, the Jan. 6 Insurrection, and his business dealings.

On Aug. 28, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham stated publicly there will be riots in the streets if Trump is prosecuted.

Behaviors have consequences.

No man or woman is above the law, including Trump.

Had Trump accepted his attorney generals proclamation that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Trump could be playing golf contentedly. Recently, Trump spent his time in a deposition pleading the Fifth Amendment over 400 times so as not to incriminate himself.

Are more Trump depositions coming? Is a Trump prosecution coming? Are riots in the streets coming?

Solution? Elect Democrats Susan Wild and Tom Malinowski to Congress to maintain the Constitution I took an oath upon enlistment to support and defend against foreign and domestic enemies.

Reggie Regrut is U.S. Army Reserve veteran who lives in Phillipsburg.

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Elect Democrats to thwart the threat to democracy from Donald Trump | Letter - lehighvalleylive.com

1. A Crisis Coming: The Twin Threats to American Democracy  The New York Times
2. Five Strategies to Support U.S. Democracy  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
3. Let's not give up on democracy but agree on how to make it better Oregon Capital Chronicle  Oregon Capital Chronicle
4. Republicans and Democrats agree that democracy is in trouble. They just don't agree on its definition.  America Magazine
5. Letters: Democracy  Ukiah Daily Journal
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Originally posted here:
A Crisis Coming: The Twin Threats to American Democracy - The New York Times

There are any number of reports to suggest democracy is in trouble. So what can citizens do about it? Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

There are any number of reports to suggest democracy is in trouble. So what can citizens do about it?

When Liz Truss took power last week in London, she became the United Kingdom's fourth prime minister in six years. In Israel, voters are about to hold their fifth election in less than four years.

And in the U.S., many Americans still refuse to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election, prompting President Biden to recently warn that "equality and democracy are under assault."

All over the world, democracy seems to be experiencing indigestion.

First, the bad news.

A raft of reports in recent years have documented democracy in decline around the world and the U.S. Here's just a small selection:

"Major democracies turned inward [in 2020], contributing to the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom, according to Freedom in the World 2021," Freedom House reported.

The figures from Our World in Data paint a graphic picture.

"The number of democracies in the world reached an all-time high in 2012, with 97 electoral democracies. A decade on, their number has fallen to 89 countries," it reported this month.

Democracies are embattled both by internal factors and external shocks, says Moiss Nam, a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Democracies are having a very hard time fulfilling the dreams, expectations and needs of the population," he said. "And then they have to cope with external shocks that change things dramatically. What we're seeing with inflation, for example, or of course, climate change, terrorism."

A vendor hangs electoral merchandise of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for reelection next month. Eraldo Peres/AP hide caption

Nam adds Italy and Brazil alongside Israel, the U.S. and the U.K. as countries currently grappling with this situation.

"Italy is going to have an election very soon, and a candidate that has its origins in the fascist movement is likely to win," he said. "The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has said he's questioning the system, and he probably wouldn't leave the government if he loses the election."

In many of these countries, we see larger-than-life figureheads at the center of the drama.

There's Boris Johnson in the U.K., Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Donald Trump in the U.S. and Bolsonaro in Brazil.

Nam said there was a connection between that kind of reality TV style-leader and political instability in a democracy.

"They all are victims of the expectations they cannot fulfill by traditional methods," he said. "They have become populists in terms of stoking divisions that the country has."

"Trying to divide and conquer becomes a requirement to survive in politics. Then fueling polarization and the wedges and amplifying and multiplying the wedges that fragment society."

This view is echoed by Shawn Rosenberg a professor of political science and psychology at UC Irvine who warns that opportunistic leaders can strike because liberal democratic politics is complicated.

"Populist alternatives offer a vision that is much simpler," he told Salon. "All that populism demands is a simple story of cause and effect. All one needs to do is act: Authoritarian power is the solution."

In his widely covered speech in Philadelphia at the beginning of the month, Biden warned that democracy was under assault, and he took particular aim at Donald Trump and election deniers.

"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic," Biden said.

"But while the threat to American democracy is real, I want to say as clearly as we can: We are not powerless in the face of these threats. We are not bystanders in this ongoing attack on democracy."

Biden delivered his prime-time "democracy" speech at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia on Sept. 1. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

Biden delivered his prime-time "democracy" speech at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia on Sept. 1.

On this last point, Nam agrees. And if people really want to protect democracy, then they need to take ownership, he said.

"Citizens need to start thinking that democracy is not cheap in terms of real time and commitment and engagement," he said. "Voting every four years may not be enough. They need to strengthen their ability to detect charlatans and lies and populist behaviors. Citizens need to be more citizens and just less of the dwellers of a country."

The radio interview with Moiss Nam was produced by Michael Levitt and edited by Justine Kenin.

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Democracy, are you OK? What recent history tells us about the state of politics - NPR