Mediaboss Marketing

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.

Read more:
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.

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

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.

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

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

Fifteen years ago, nations from around the world came together to declare an International Day of Democracya day to reflect on our collective support for representative, transparent governance; equality; respect for human rights and dignity; and the rule of law. In the years since, democracy the world over has experienced significant challenges, with autocrats and illiberal forces increasing the pressure on those who fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We see it in Russias brutal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. And here at home, we are called to renew our commitment to defend and protect the core tenets of American democracy.Our founders established a government of, by, and for the people, built on the unique idea that all people are created equal. They recognized that the strength of a democracy rests in the ability of its people to make their voices heard. And today, Im proud to be hosting at the White House the United We Stand Summit to counter hate-fueled violence, reaffirming that we all have a role to play in fostering a safe, inclusive, and democratic society. In recent months, weve also demonstrated that our democracy can still deliver for the American people. Working together with Congress, Ive been proud to sign into law transformative legislation that will grow the American economy and create more good-paying jobs for American workers, invest in infrastructure, reduce gun violence, improve access to health care, and protect our climate.The United States is also working closely with fellow democracies around the world to tackle the greatest global challenges of our time, and I look forward to building on the progress next year at the second Summit for Democracy. This second gathering of world leaders from governments, civil society, labor, and the private sector will be an opportunity to demonstrate how democracies are working to make life better for people everywhere, and to redouble to our efforts to defend against authoritarianism, combat corruption, and advance human rights.

On this International Day of Democracy, we pause to reflect on the power that we hold in our in our hands and our sacred charge to preserve the soul of our Nation. To preserve that idea of America. To respect the rule of law, and defend free and fair elections. And we renew our dedication to uphold and strengthen our precious democracy and to keep faith with future generations.

###

Continued here:
Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the International Day of Democracy - The White House