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An old Russian friend teases me when I complain about British politics. He finds my tales of Westminster negligence and dysfunction touchingly insipid. When I described pro-European trauma on the morning after the Brexit referendum, he shot back: At least you all went to bed not knowing what the result was going to be.

The morning after Russias most recent presidential election in 2018, no one woke up surprised that Vladimir Putin had won. The result did raise a question of how the incumbent would get around constitutional term limits that should exclude his candidacy in 2024. The solution was revealed last week in a proposal to rewrite the rules. The clock will be reset so Putin can run again and again. The arrangements will be ratified in a referendum, on the eve of which no Russian will go to bed unsure about the result.

To oppose Putin in a polling booth is futile, and less secluded action is potentially dangerous. There is a great Russian tradition of defying authoritarian rule, but it proceeds by the slow-burn propulsion of endurance and martyrdom. If the regime has brittleness I am not qualified to measure it. That was hard enough when I lived in Moscow and I know better than to tackle Kremlin enigmas with an out-of-date code book.

My Russian is a bit rusty, too. But I have not forgotten the feeling of a society submerged in mistrust of politics. Communist rule laid deep foundations of cynicism. The Party failed to provide people with the goods and rights they craved, so instead penalised the craving itself as decadent and seditious. Post-Soviet transition swapped the caprice of ideological bullies for lawless gangsterism. The idea of democracy was discredited by the chaos. Justice felt no less arbitrary than before, with the added indignity of losing the USSRs superpower status.

Putin exploited that trauma, casting himself as the guarantor of stability and macho incarnation of national self-confidence. On that ticket he could still have been competitive in elections without all the intimidation and state propaganda but he didnt take any chances.

That political evolution has bred contempt for the idea of public service through elected office. It promotes a jaundiced view of motive, seeing the darkest intent behind any official deed, presuming that the truest analysis is the one that unearths the most malicious plan via the most convoluted conspiracy. And because democracy did not flourish in Russia it must be ridiculed abroad. To suggest that western politicians ever try to do the right thing, or that bad outcomes can be accidental, invites derision.

The taste of that embitterment is not easily forgotten. I recognised it as it seeped into Britain a familiar credulous cynicism that will believe fairytales if they are shared in a paranoid whisper, branded as secrets that shadowy powers do not want you to know. The BBC covers up the truth; Brussels funds the opposition; Zionists pull the strings. This stuff is acrid and endemic online, stirred up by international troll battalions and extremist provocateurs. It corrodes the base of common facts, churning up the level ground on which liberal, pluralist institutions can build consent for government.

That mechanism has been weaponised by the Kremlin. It works by persuading citizens in functioning democracies that their own governments are no better than authoritarian ones, and just as worthy of contempt. It is depressing to see it working, when British citizens denigrate their institutions the way Russians dismiss theirs, complaining as if our own elections are hardly less fraudulent than the ones that keep Putin in office.

It is hardest to praise democracy when its output is unwelcome. Noisy pro-European campaigners hated the referendum result so much they rejected claims that political trust would be undermined by aborting Brexit, although many quieter former remain voters felt the job had to be seen through. Fans of Jeremy Corbyn want to believe that the rightwing media hypnotised the working class out of affection for socialism, although the Labour leader needed no help repelling voters. There is much to repair in Britains electoral machinery, from the voting system to the poor invigilation of campaign finance. Its hinges creak with anachronism, but it is not a sham.

To affirm that faith invites charges of naivety or complacency. History counsels vigilance and the imagination can always plot a curve from ministerial misadventure towards dictatorship. Any slope away from ideal practice can be made to look slippery. The coming months dealing with Covid-19 will test our liberal political culture in unfamiliar ways. Parliament will struggle to function; emergency powers will resemble the draconian expedients of war. It is the closest most of us will come to living under martial law. The pausing of freedoms we have long taken for granted can be tolerable only if we believe they can survive hibernation.

The government response has not always radiated competence. We do not know how the economy or our institutions will cope. Emergency laws expose tensions between liberty and security and it is essential to guard against casual disposal of fundamental rights. It is also important to resist the excesses of anti-political mania common to fire-breathing radicals on the left and right alike, who point at democracys imperfections and call them tyranny.

Boris Johnson is deeply flawed, dishonest and cavalier, but not a thief or a murderer. His unserious style doesnt suit the gravity of the moment, but he is a creature of British political tradition and not a despot. Those who hate seeing him in Downing Street can be consoled by the knowledge that he is not our prime minister for life. Despair at election results is tempered by the belief that other outcomes were genuinely possible. There is democratic privilege hidden in political disappointment, so long as it comes with an element of surprise.

In authoritarian regimes there is no consensual management of freedoms. They are bestowed or withdrawn from on high. Putin adorns his power with the symbols of democracy elections and court rulings but he does it out of contempt for the real thing. The Kremlin-issued facsimile cannot replicate the intricacy and delicacy of a truly democratic system, entrenched in culture, assembled from millions of interlocking parts. Laws and parliaments are the scaffolding that support countless civic acts, each one affirming the faith that ours is a political system that exists for the benefit of the people, not a conspiracy against them. Anyone who has lived under both types of government can easily tell the difference.

Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist

Continued here:
British democracy is about to be tested. I believe it can pass - The Guardian

The Latest: Maryland is postponing its presidential primary to June 2, from April 28; Alabama is postponing its Republican primary runoff for a Senate seat; and the D.N.C. is calling for more states to use vote by mail.

As the coronavirus outbreak upends the presidential campaign, were keeping tabs on postponements and cancellations in the election calendar and on major changes for voting.

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Ohio have postponed or moved to postpone their presidential primary elections. In Ohio, officials declared a public health emergency just hours before polls were set to open on Tuesday.

The other three states scheduled to vote on Tuesday Arizona, Florida and Illinois are holding their elections as planned.

Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, released a statement on Tuesday urging the remaining states to expand their use of other voting methods, such as vote by mail, no-excuse absentee voting with curbside ballot drop-offs and early voting days and polling hours to lessen any primary-day crunch.

As our country deals with the uncertainty of COVID-19, it is critical that states provide clarity and not confusion, which could lead to disenfranchising voters, Mr. Perez said in a statement. States can provide easy access to voting while still taking necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of the American people.

He added that the D.N.C. would work with states around their delegate selection plans and methods; the current D.N.C. rules stipulate that all delegates must be allocated by June 20.

In New York, officials are considering whether the presidential primary election should be delayed. Wyoming is suspending in-person caucuses and asking voters to mail or drop off ballots. Other states are weighing similar options or adding extra precautions for voters.

None of the presidential candidates currently have scheduled events in public. Sunday nights debate was held without an on-site audience to avoid the possible spread of the virus.

Heres a running update of major changes in an election transformed. You can also track our full election calendar.

Ohios governor on Monday night said he and top state heath officials would ignore a court ruling and postpone Ohios presidential primary by declaring a public health emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The governor, Mike DeWine, said that the states health director, Dr. Amy Acton, had issued the order based on concerns that the coronavirus outbreak placed both voters and poll workers in potential danger.

His announcement came just hours after Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas rejected the states request to push back voting to June 2.

During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus, Mr. DeWine said on Twitter.

He added: While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State Frank LaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity.

Arizona still plans to hold its primary election on Tuesday, Adrian Fontes, the Maricopa County recorder, said Monday afternoon.

The Arizona secretary of states office has recommended that voters who have not yet sent in vote-by-mail ballots drop them off at designated locations or at any polling place before polls close on Tuesday. Many voting locations also allow curbside voting.

Maricopa County, the states largest and home to Phoenix, relocated and consolidated roughly 80 polling locations. It will allow voters to select from any of the remaining 151 locations across the county.

More information is available at the secretary of states website arizona.vote.

The Florida secretary of state announced Monday afternoon that the primary election would still be held on Tuesday.

Florida is proceeding with tomorrows scheduled election, said Laurel Lee, the secretary of state. She added that more than two million ballots had already been cast through early in-person voting and by mail. We are fortunate to have numerous options in Florida to cast our ballots safely and securely.

Gov. Ron DeSantis added his commitment to holding the elections. The fact of the matter is these things can be done in a way where youre not going to have crowds, he said.

The secretary of states office has more information here and a polling place finder here.

Illinois is proceeding with its primary election on Tuesday. It is keeping many early voting sites open on Tuesday to reduce crowding at regular precincts.

Illinois officials have also been pushing early voting for the past two weeks to reduce Election Day crowds, and Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the state elections board, said it would undoubtedly set new records for early and mail voting for a primary election.

Much of the voting for this election has already been done, Mr. Dietrich said. Also, at this point, there is no date in the foreseeable future when we can expect greater safety with any certainty.

The Illinois State Board of Elections website is here, though it was loading slowly on Tuesday morning.

Georgia officials announced that the states presidential primary, scheduled for March 24, would be delayed until May 19 in an effort to protect the public from possible coronavirus exposure.

The decision was announced by Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state.

Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is the health of our poll workers, their families and the community at large, Mr. Raffensperger said. Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the presidential primary, and the local elections associated with them.

A special election for Queens borough president in New York City had also been scheduled for March 24, but Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that the election is canceled.

In a democratic society, the canceling of an election is such a rarity, Mr. de Blasio said. It should be avoided at all costs. But in this case with the nature of this crisis, Ive come to the decision that its necessary.

The mayor said there were no immediate plans for a future date for the borough president election, but details for potential options would be provided soon.

Citing the national state of emergency, the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico announced it would be asking the legislature to postpone the primary to April 26.

This is an unpredictable day-by-day situation that requires constant monitoring of the progress of the disease. Our intention is to keep all options open to ensure the citizens right to vote, said Charles Rodriguez, the state party chairman, in a statement.

Mr. Rodriguez also said that the party could postpone the primary further if the coronavirus outbreak still threatens the vote in late April as well.

Alabamas secretary of state, John Merrill, got clearance to postpone the Republican runoff battle for a U.S. Senate seat, which pits former Attorney General Jeff Sessions against Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach and ESPN analyst.

The health and well-being of the people of this state is of paramount importance, Mr. Merrill said in proposing the delay, a move that was sanctioned by Steve Marshall, the states attorney general. No date was announced for the runoff.

The winner will face Senator Doug Jones, a Democrat, in a race that is closely watched because it could be a chance for Republicans to pick up a Senate seat in a red state.

President Trump has endorsed Mr. Tuberville against his onetime attorney general, Mr. Sessions, a longtime politician in Alabama who served in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2017.

Louisiana postponed its April 4 primary for more than two months, rescheduling to June 20, the first state to adjust its election calendar in response to the coronavirus.

Today I have certified that a state of emergency exists and requested that the governor issue an executive order postponing the elections this spring, Louisianas secretary of state, R. Kyle Ardoin, said at a news conference. I want to thank the governor and his staff for working with us in a bipartisan manner to accomplish this mission.

The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that it would continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus, but that by moving its primary to June 20, which is past the June 9 deadline set by the D.N.C., Louisiana could face a penalty that would include a state losing at least half of its delegates.

The announcement from Louisiana was followed by one from Wyoming, which suspended the in-person portion of its Democratic caucuses, scheduled for April 4. Residents will be able to either vote by mail or drop off their ballots at a county polling location. The vote by mail deadline in Wyoming is March 20, and the pickup and drop-off of ballots will be held on March 28 and April 4 at county polling locations.

In Alaska, the state Democratic Party is encouraging voters to vote by mail, and the deadline is March 24. The state has no plans to cancel in-person voting on April 4, but officials said they would reassess on a daily basis whether to postpone the states presidential primary.

Hawaii has taken a similar position, but the state Democratic Party said that a large majority of the Democratic voters in its state votes by mail. The party said it had already mailed out about 57,000 ballots and would be sending out another 15,000 to voters.

In-person voting in Hawaii is limited on April 4, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, as per state rules.

Because the vast majority of our party members are voting by mail, we do not expect a large turnout at these locations, said Kate Stanley, the interim chair of the state party. At this time we intend to go forward with the walk-in voting sites as they will not be large gatherings.

The Wisconsin secretary of state says the primary will still be held on April 7 but has made two changes to voting in response to the coronavirus.

Voters in nursing homes and care centers will automatically be sent absentee ballots. And municipal clerks have been given the option of relocating polling places currently slated to be in nursing homes and other care centers where public health is a concern.

Citing concerns about coronavirus transmission, the Wisconsin Democratic Party said it was encouraging everyone to vote early or absentee. Wisconsin voters may request an absentee ballot for any reason. Heres the link.

Secretary of State Denise W. Merrill of Connecticut said voting would go on as scheduled but also urged Gov. Ned Lamont to issue an emergency order permitting those concerned about going to the polls to obtain absentee ballots.

Under current law, concerns about disease contagion at a polling place is not a reason for voting absentee in Connecticut.

Through surprise October snowstorms, November hurricanes, to the threat of a global pandemic voting in Connecticut must go on, Ms. Merrill said in a statement issued by her office. In order to ensure that Connecticut voters are able to cast a ballot on April 28, absentee ballots must be available for voters who want to follow public health advice and avoid polling places.

The governor was reviewing the request, a spokesman said.

Anthony Albence, Delawares state election commissioner, said there was no provision in state law for postponing an election, but urged voters to apply for absentee ballots, which permits people who are sick or disabled to vote absentee.

If we have an application that is complete and the voter specifies one of the reasons, we will certainly honor them, Mr. Albence said.

This page provides information about applying for a Delaware absentee ballot.

Were making preparations to have sufficient materials in the polling places for cleaning, keeping the locations clean, Mr. Albence said. We will review that with our poll workers and try to ensure that we have best practices to clean the voting equipment.

Maryland became the fifth state to postpone its presidential primary election to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Tuesday that the April 28 primary would instead be held on June 2.

Mr. Hogan said at a news conference that state elections officials had raised concerns about the primary with him last week. Officials considered conducting the entire election by mail but did not believe they had enough time to make that work, Mr. Hogan said.

Like other states have done, all the primary elections will be postponed until June, which gives everyone time to prepare, Mr. Hogan said. Free and fair elections are the very foundation of American democracy, and while there are many valid reasons for unease and uncertainty right now, ensuring that the voices of Maryland citizens are heard shouldnt be one of them.

Mr. Hogan said that a special election in Marylands Seventh Congressional District to replace the late Representative Elijah E. Cummings would not be rescheduled from April 28, but that voters would be encouraged to vote by mail. The Maryland Democratic Party said it believed that election would be conducted entirely by mail.

Elections officials are discussing moving the presidential primary election from April 28 to June 23, the date of another scheduled statewide primary, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has also modified election procedures to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

In an executive order, he lowered the signature requirements for ballot access for congressional and state legislative and judicial races, meaning that door-to-door canvassing for signatures will probably be more limited.

Public health experts have been clear that one of the most common ways to communicate Covid-19 is through direct person to person contact, and we are doing everything in our immediate power to reduce unnecessary interactions, Mr. Cuomo said.

The Pennsylvania secretary of state has reminded voters of the states mail-in ballot option, which permits any voter to request a ballot.

The secretarys office is also engaged in what officials called comprehensive discussions about possible options for the April primary election with the governors office, the legislature, individual counties and the Department of Health.

Our focus is on best ways to protect the integrity of the election while safeguarding public health, said Wanda Murren, a spokeswoman for Pennsylvanias Department of State.

Voters who would like to vote by mail may request a ballot through the state website.

Officials in Rhode Island are encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail.

In a statement, the Rhode Island Board of Elections said it was working on plans to sanitize polling places using guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but reminded voters that voting by mail was easy and secure.

To vote by mail, Rhode Island voters can visit the Board of Canvassers in their City or Town Hall, or complete an application on the Board of Elections website.

Kentuckys secretary of state, Michael G. Adams, announced the state would delay its primary election to June 23 in a video on Twitter.

Postponing the primary was not an easy decision, but the Republican secretary of state and Democratic governor agreed, and so do county clerks from both parties, Mr. Adams said. My hope is that this delay will allow us to have a normal election. Even if not, this delay will allow me, the State Board of Elections and our county clerks time to assess what changes we must make to ensure a successful primary election.

States rescheduling their primaries past a June 9 deadline set by the Democratic National Committee risk losing half of their delegates to the convention.

Reporting was contributed by Matt Stevens, Maggie Astor, Shane Goldmacher and Patricia Mazzei.

Read the original:
2020 Democratic Primary Election: Voting Postponed in 5 States Because of Virus - The New York Times

WASHINGTON (AP) Joe Biden swept to victory in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday, increasingly pulling away with a Democratic presidential primary upended by the coronavirus and building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign.

The former vice presidents third big night in as many weeks came amid tremendous uncertainty as the Democratic contest collides with efforts to slow the spread of the virus that has shut down large swaths of American life. Polls were shuttered in Ohio, and although balloting went ahead as scheduled in the three other states, election workers and voters reported problems.

Still, Bidens quest for his partys nomination now seems well within reach. His trio of wins doubled his delegate haul over Sanders, giving the former vice president a nearly insurmountable lead. Top Democratic leaders and donors have also increasingly lined up behind Biden as the best option to square off against President Donald Trump in November.

Using a livestream to address supporters from his home state of Delaware, Biden seemed ready to move past the primary. He paid tribute to the Vermont senator for advancing key issues like affordable health care and combating climate change.

Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country, Biden said. So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Sen. Sanders, I hear you. I know whats at stake. I know what we have to do.

With the exception of North Dakota and the Northern Mariana Islands, Sanders hasnt scored a victory since Super Tuesday on March 3. He made no immediate move on Tuesday to contact Biden, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the candidates. During remarks early in the night, Sanders said little about the future of the race and instead focused on the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump, meanwhile, formally clinched the Republican presidential nomination after facing minimal opposition.

But much of the action was on the Democratic side, where higher vote totals in some key states suggested enthusiasm that even the coronavirus couldnt contain. Turnout in Floridas Democratic primary surpassed the 1.7 million who cast ballots four years ago.

Sanders path to the nomination is quickly narrowing, and some Democrats are now calling on him to drop out in the name of party unity. Top advisers have said hes considering whether the political landscape could look different as the virus continues to reshape life across the country.

Still, the race increasingly favors Biden. He maintained strength on Tuesday with African Americans and older voters who have been the hallmark of his campaign. He also appeared to chip away at Sanders previous advantage with Hispanics that helped him win Nevada and California early in the race.

In Florida, Latinos made up roughly 20% of Democratic primary voters, and they largely sided with Biden. The former vice president received the support of 62% of Puerto Rican voters and 57% of Cubans, according to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of primary voters.

The public health and economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus will nonetheless influence how the presidential contest unfolds. Rallies and other big events have been canceled. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez urged states with upcoming primaries to expand vote-by-mail and absentee balloting, as well as polling station hours trying to ensure the primary isnt further hampered going forward.

The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and we must do everything we can to protect and expand that right instead of bringing our democratic process to a halt, Perez said in a statement.

But the damage may have already happened.

Four states Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky and Maryland have joined Ohio in moving to push back their upcoming primaries, and others may yet do so. That has left the Democratic primary calendar empty until March 29, when Puerto Rico is scheduled to go to the polls. But island leaders are working to reschedule balloting there, too.

That means there is nowhere for Sanders to gain ground on Biden anytime soon, even if he could find a way to mount a sudden surge.

At least one of Sanders top advisers chided party officials for going forward with voting on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party rightly berates the GOP for ignoring scientists warnings about climate change, David Sirota tweeted. The same Dem Party just ignored scientists warnings & pushed to continue in-person elections during a lethal pandemic, rather than delaying until there is vote by mail.

There were problems across the country on Tuesday. In Illinois, for instance, there was a push to relocate about 50 Chicago-area polling places after locations canceled at the last minute.

Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said the board asked Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week to cancel in-person voting, but the governor refused. Pritzker countered that state law doesnt give him the authority to make the sweeping changes that elections officials wanted.

Let me tell you this: It is exactly in times like these when the constitutional boundaries of our democracy should be respected above all else. And if people want to criticize me for that, well, go ahead, the governor said.

There werent problems, everywhere, though. Mel Dockens, a 49-year-old small-business owner, voted in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale and said it was a tough choice. But he went for Biden because he thought Sanders progressive views might turn off some Democratic voters.

Its all about electability, Dockens said. Its not that I dont trust Bernie Sanders, but I trust (Biden) a little more.

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Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Katie Foody in Chicago, and Seth Borenstein and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington contributed to this report.

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Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game.

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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Excerpt from:
With 3 more victories, Biden pulls further away from Sanders - The Associated Press

Democratic debates in times of coronavirus make for even less interesting television than during normal times, whatever that means in the Trump era. In Sunday nights debate, Bernie Sanders had a double task. For the believers, to make a last pitch that he is the better candidate (which, in terms of the presidency, he clearly is). For the realists, his task was to push the inevitable nominee, Joe Biden, more to the left. He probably achieved neither, as Biden stole the show, by announcing (cleverly) that he will pick a female vice-presidential candidate, a progressive weak point of Sanders (who has remained unclear on this point).

Of course, the announcement should come as little surprise, given how important women have been in the anti-Trump mobilization the 2017 Womens March was likely the largest single-day demonstration in US history, while black and suburban women were crucial to the blue wave that brought the Democratic party the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. And there has been broad and loud disappointment that the most diverse candidate field in any US primary has ended up with just two old white men standing.

Social media was quick to speculate and two names came up most often: Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams. Both women would cater to not just women but also African Americans, two crucial demographics for the Democrats in November, with African American women being proclaimed the saviors of the Democratic party in the midterm elections.

Although Harris has many merits, she also has at least two important weaknesses. First of all, she is from California, a rather unique and ultimately safe Democratic state, and her campaign does not necessarily indicate that her appeal reaches much broader. Second, she has a problematic past in terms of social justice, which also haunted her during her campaign, and could strengthen the authoritarian image of Biden, who has a long track record of being on the wrong side of social justice issues.

Stacey Abrams, on the other hand, has strengths that can help Biden in the campaign, being an African American woman from the south-east (which has several potential swing states), but could also give his presidency a crucial secondary agenda the primary agenda being the return to relatively mainstream liberal Democratic politics.

Abrams came to fame for her campaign for Georgia governor in 2018, which she lost against the man who oversaw the elections, Brian Kemp. While she was often described as an identity politics candidate outside of the Peach State, this was more a reflection of the ignorance, and prejudice of the journalists than of the politics of the candidate. She actually ran on a rather moderate agenda, knowing that while Georgia was in play, it is still the south, and southerners like their Democrats moderate to conservative, if they like them at all.

But after being defeated in a race that saw more direct and indirect voter suppression than most developing democracies, Abrams did not simply roll over and concede, Al Gore-style, but instead defiantly stated: Lets be clear. This is not a speech of concession because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede that. But my assessment is the law currently allows no further viable remedy.

Since then, Abrams has founded an NGO committed to fight voter suppression, called Fair Fight, and built a national network and profile, among others through her widely praised Democratic response to Donald Trumps 2019 State of the Nation. Within her network is a certain Mike Bloomberg, who has given $5m to her organization.

Imagine what Abrams and Bloomberg could do for African American turnout in November, not so much by convincing them to vote, but by simply enabling them to vote, despite almost nationwide Republican attempts to suppress in particular minority votes. Together they have the expertise and resources to, first, organize a massive registration drive and, later, mobilization and transportation operation. If the Democrats want to defeat Trump in November, mobilization of the disenfranchised will be crucial.

And imagine a vice-president devoted to making the US a real democracy not again, no, for the first time in its long history. Abrams could use her office to be the driving force behind a nationwide fight against voter suppression, providing crucial coordination and resources to embattled local and state activists. Even if a Biden-Abrams administration would not do much more than that, this would be a massive step forward to a more progressive future.

See original here:
Vice-president Stacey Abrams would make the US a real democracy for the first time - The Guardian

Remarkable and frightening events are underway across Europe and the United States.

Under the banner of novel coronavirus control, democracies are restricting basic freedoms of movement, of association, of worship. They are enforcing local or nationwide curfews and lockdowns that will inevitably have a ruinous economic impact especially for small businesses that need cash flow. In the borderless EU, borders are suddenly back, and the EU is announcing a 30-day ban on outsiders entry.

These steps are unprecedented in peacetime and draconian. While Covid-19 is a highly infectious but low-mortality illness, many governmentsare benchmarking their responses on the very worst outbreaks Chinas Wuhan and Northern Italy.

Meanwhile, worst-case scenarios are being routinely bandied about by experts and regurgitated by politicians, panicking the public. Could there be another way to bring the virus under control without lockdowns or travel bans?

The EU and US are instigating extreme and frankly authoritarian measures while overlooking the experience of a fellow democracy that was, until last week, the second most infected country on earth.

That country, which has now slid down to fifth place on infection charts behind China, Italy, Iran and Spain, provides an exemplary record of pandemic control without trampling over basic liberties and commerce.

It has seen its numbers of new infections slip from the high hundreds last week to double digits all this week. Moreover, it has probably the lowest mortality percentage 0.7% among all countries that have suffered significant outbreaks of Covid-19.

It has managed these outcomes without locking down even its most affected city. While taking sensible precautions, it has not stifled social and economic activity and has enacted barely any travel bans.

The country? South Korea.

Much has been written of how Korea deployed mass testing of up to 20,000 people per day, offering immediate corollaries of early-stage isolation and treatment. Seoul had astutely leveraged technology, from drive-through test centers to self-monitoring apps.

Cultural factors were also in play. Korean governments have customarily had more of a Nanny State mentality than Western democracies. As a result, there has been minimal complaint about invasions of privacy such as, for example, when big data and GPS are used to track the movements of the infected.

And Koreans, like other East Asians, habitually wear dust masks to fend off pollution. Given near-universal wearage, it seems likely that those with the virus but asymptomatic have not infected others. Meanwhile, Western authorities caution against public mask use.

Moreover, Korea is, geopolitically an island, surrounded on three sides by ocean and on one by a fortified border. However, it has effectively emplaced health monitoring facilities and programs at all ports of entry.

But the above are tactics and conditions. What has been less written about is the overriding principle Seoul placed over virus control. That principle is democratic governance.

Korea as a democratic country, values globalization and pluralistic society, Vice-Minister of Health and Welfare Kim Gang-lip told foreign reporters last week.For these reasons, Korea is adopting a different model for responding to contagious disease outbreaks. The key tenet of our model can be defined as a dynamic response system for open democratic societies.

So, what has South Korea not done?

It has enacted no suppression even of a religious sect that kick-started mass infection and no lockdowns, even in the hot zone of Daegu. Bullet trains ran into, out of and through the city.

Although Koreans are subject to travel bans, restrictions and quarantines from more than 100 countries, the country has only halted incoming travelers from Hubei and Japan, the latter, for political reasons. All incoming travelers are screened on entry and provided with monitoring apps.

While mass gatherings are halted and museums, schools and universities are closed, shops, cafes, bars, gyms, etc, remain open. There has been no panic buying.

We have tried to avoid interrupting the daily life of the people, said Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho.

Even so, economic damage is mounting and emergency budgets are being mobilized. Downtown shopping precincts are near-empty.Lay-offs are underway. Small businesses Asia Times has canvassed taxis, shops, cafes and restaurants complain revenues are down 50% or more.

Compare this moderate response to the extreme Western measures, in which economic and social intercourse is being suspended largely or totally.

No government is a single-issue organization, but we are currently witnessing single-minded prioritization: virus management. Extreme political decisions are being taken at a time when the global economy is on the brink.

Markets that started turning bullish over the novel coronavirus and the related dry-up of Chinas supply chain had been on the rise since the 2008 global financial crisis, so were overdue for a correction, or overcorrections.

Then came the oil-war shock. Then, two of the worlds most vital economic zones the United States and EU started radically restricting transport and intercourse while stifling economies. Some $30 trillion has been wiped off global equity valuations.

Amid this perfect storm, lockdowns are a questionable one-size-fits-all response that does not prioritize the key at-risk populations, which is those with existing health conditions and above all, the aged.

It is clear where peril is concentrated. A study by the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford & Nuffield College, notes: Covid-19 mortality risk is highly concentrated at older ages, particularly those aged 80+.In China, case-fatality rate estimates range from 0.4% (40-49 years), jumping to 14.8% (80+ years). This is consistent with the data from Italy as of March 13, where the reported CFR is 10.8% for those 70-79, 17.5% for 80-89 and 21.1% for those over 90, with only six deaths under the age of 50. Thus far, only 3% of deaths have occurred in those under age 60.

Why, then, are resources and systems not tailored to this demographic?

Essential hygiene, distancing, caution and monitoring protocols essential for the protection of the aged can be laid over existing family care and social welfare care frameworks. Greater attention to the needs of the aged could feasibly emerge as a positive byproduct of the Covid-19 crisis.

Were that done, low-risk members of the population could be freed from lockdown to continue breathing at least some oxygen into economies.

But lockdowns are increasingly the order of the day. B2C sectors travel and tourism, hospitality and retail, catering and leisure, sport and entertainment face devastation.

Big players, such as airlines, will likely benefit from bailouts. But these sectors are heavily populated by small, family-run businesses that require cash flow: Shops and BnBs, restaurants, cafes and bars, gyms and leisure operations.

The hit to Italys economy one heavily based upon Mom n Pop operations is barely imaginable.

Who are influencing media and government? A handful of professional epidemiologists who have become talking heads in global media are forecasting 70-80% infection rates. These data points are being regurgitated by leaders such as Germanys Angela Merkel.

But not only do we know now that some models for prior pandemics were overstated, some influencers are positing absolute worst-case scenarios.

Two distinguished epidemiologists are providing much of the commentary around the Covid-19 outbreak, Dan Strickland, a retired US epidemiologist, told Asia Times, noting that their predictions carry much weight with media and policymakers.

However, both are choosing to describe the worst-case scenarios of the outbreak, likely out of an abundance of understandable caution, Strickland continued. Not all agree with those assessments, but at this point, US state and local governments are preferring that highly cautious mindset for setting policy.

In the EU, governments seem spooked by the Italian death toll. But Italy has the oldest population in Europe and its death rate, hovering at more than 5% is well north of the average which a very recent study calculates at about 1.4%.

Big picture data is telling. Global infections now number just under 200,000 cases. They will no doubt exceed that by the time you read this. In a global population of 8 billion, the number of infected would have to soar to 80 million just to reach 1%.Fatalities at present are under 8,000, or 0.00001% of the population.

If, in time, professionals estimates are proven badly skewed, they and the officials who took worst-case scenarios at face value and used them as bases for policymaking must consider their responsibility.

Long term, they may have cried wolf if a truly existential pandemic appears, their predictions may be jeered at and ignored.Near term, they may find themselves blamed for massive economic carnage.

And economic carnage is real. It means income losses, redundancies, bankruptcies, business closures, poverty, shattered hopes and related traumas. And recessions are deadly.

A 2018 study by the National Academy of Science of the USA found stresses from the 2008 recession literally lifted US blood pressure. A 2016Lancet study found some half a million cancer deaths worldwide were linked to the same recession. A study from Oxford found more than 10,000 suicides were linked to the recession.

More? Post-recession austerity drove 10,000 suicides in the EU and US, 10,000 British families into homelessness and one million people into depression, according to a report in The Guardian in 2013.

A Covid-19-prompted recession now looks a certainty. How long it will last is unknown. If the virus peaks in April, there is the possibility of a bounce back, driven by pent-up consumer potential exploding, and a V-shaped recovery in the summer. But that is speculation.

What is more certain is those at mortal virus risk fall into clear percentiles. Those at risk of economic fallout represent a far wider category. The upcoming recession could feasibly kill more than the virus.

Given such grave potentialities, national governments must focus beyond single issues. They need to calibrate risks, prioritize aims and consider all options from broad and multiple perspectives before acting and then, acting with prudence, not panic.

In that they have sound case studies notably South Korea, but also fellow Northeast Asia democracies Japan and Taiwan to benchmark.

Alas, though, the time for that may already be past.

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Democracies Covid-19 cures could be worse than the disease - Asia Times