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To figure out where you stood on the issue, you had a few options. You could read the arguments in your various mailboxes. You could bring it up at school trivia night, maybe, and hear what people thought. Or you could make a gut call. Those are valid ways people decide things.

Heres what you couldnt do: You couldnt rely on some vaguely understood, loudly articulated party line. There was no conservative or liberal, no Republican or Democratic side to the road rerouting debate. There was just a problem that a community needed to resolve.

Americans are fond of saying that all politics is local, but the thing is, when its local, its not politics at all at least not as weve come to understand it. That $329,700 road grader? I could figure out to the penny what part of it I paid for. And every time our dirt road frost-heaves itself into disastrous lumps next winter, Ill know it was worth it. But our friends on the paved part of the road? Maybe they thought we could live without a new grader.

Thats the way it goes in a small town. The money comes in from taxes, mostly, although in 2015 we apparently made $169.50 from the use of the town copy machine. And the money goes out salt for the roads, fire truck maintenance, toner. You can count it, feel it.

Many of the people who were surprised by the result of the last national election have invested considerable time in trying to understand the differences in opinion that led up to it. Theyve read, debated and posted about how little Americans understand one another. But youre far more likely to learn about the ways people who share any community can differ if you leave your laptop at home and go to the equivalent of your local town meeting. New Hampshires brand of direct democracy may be rare outside of New England, but there are neighborhood associations, school boards, City Councils and public hearings all across the country.

You may think were all pretty much alike here in my part of the bubble. But youre not. You dont all have school-aged children, you dont all live on a dirt road, some of you are on the wrong side of the washed-out culvert. Those differences force us to ask the small questions that are also the big questions, the ones that help us figure out what connects us together as a town or a state or a country. What do we owe our neighbors? How do we value that which is not of direct value to us? Who gets to decide? The answers arent color-coded in red or blue.

You learn pretty quickly that if you dont treat every washed-out road as though it were your own, you may not like what happens when it is.

The rerouting of the road passed, by a vote of 161 to 148. So there will be a road, there will not be farmland, this time. Next time, there will be another debate.

KJ DellAntonia is a freelance writer and former columnist and editor for The Timess Well Family.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

A version of this op-ed appears in print on July 3, 2017, on Page A17 of the New York edition with the headline: Democracy Without Politics.

Continue reading here:
Democracy Without Politics - New York Times

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: Over 4,000 people gathered in Chicago in June for the three-day Peoples Summit, organized in part by National Nurses United. Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders gave a major speech, where he attacked both President Trump and the Democratic Party. Senator Sanders spoke at a time when some of his supporters are pushing for him to form a new political party ahead of the 2020 election and run again for the White House. Today we spend the hour airing Bernie Sanders address.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I want to thank many, many of you for your work on our presidential campaign. You understood something that the establishment, the pundits and the corporate media did not know and still do not know. And that is that the American people are profoundly sick and tired of establishment politics and establishment economics. As RoseAnn just said, the question all over this country that people are asking themselves is: When will my life get better? And it aint gonna get better through establishment economics or establishment politics, thats for sure. At a time of massiveand vulgarincome and wealth inequality, and the movement of our country toward an oligarchy, where a handful of billionaires control our economy, our political life and much of the media, you understood that the American people want a government that represents all of us, not just the 1 percent. And thats what all of us are fighting for, and I thank you very much for all that you have done, are doing and will do.

And, by the way, Jane and I just returned from the U.K. the other day. And I want to tell youwant to tell you what you already know, is that the movement for economic, social, racial and environmental justice is not just growing here in the U.S., it is growing worldwide. All over the worldall over the world, people are asking: How does it happen that, globally, the top 1 percent now owns more wealth than the bottom 99 percent? How does it happen that the eight wealthiest people on this planet own more wealth than the bottom half of the worlds population3.4 billion people? And just the other dayjust the other day, in the U.K., against all of the predictions, the Labour Party there won 30 new seats. And they won those seats not by moving to the right, not by becoming more conciliatory; they won those seats by standing up to the ruling class of the U.K. And all of us congratulate Jeremy Corbyn and his team for what theyve accomplished.

This evening, what I want to do is give you, as I see it, some good news. I want to be honest and tell you about the bad news that I see. But Im going to conclude with very good news.

Now, the good newsthe good news is that, together, because of the grassroots efforts of millions of Americans, from coast to coast, taking on the entire political establishment, our campaign was able to win 22 states in the Democratic primary, over 13 million votes, some 46 percent of the popular vote. Togethertogether, in virtually every state, in virtually, I think, every single state, we won the votes of young people under 40, young people who are black and white and Latino and Asian-American and Native American. We won those votes by overwhelming numbers, and we ended up, I believe, getting almost twice as many votes as Clinton and Trump combined, among young people.

And what that meanswhat that meansand please do not forget thisis that our ideas and our progressive vision, we are the future of this country.

AUDIENCE: Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: No.

AUDIENCE: Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Its not "Bernie." It is you! We are in this together, and always have been and always will be. Together, during our campaign, we organized some of the largest rallies in the campaign, speaking to over 1.4 million people. In other wordsin other words, we have the enthusiasm. We have the momentum. And as I look around this theater tonight, I can see we have the energy to transform America.

And this is what else we have accomplished. After the campaign, we helped write the most progressive political platform of any party in American history. Together, we transformed campaign finance in this country and showed the world you dont Wall Street and corporate money to run an effective campaign. When you stand for something, people will respond. We received two-and-a-half million individual contributions, averaging

AUDIENCE: Twenty-seven dollars!

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Thats right, 27 bucks. But, most importantly, we may have lost the election in 2016, but there is no questionthere is no questionthere is no question that we have won the battle of ideas. And we are continuing to win that battle. And that is, brothers and sisters, no small thing.

Because of the grassroot efforts of activists like you throughout this country, we have in recent years made enormous progress in advancing the progressive agenda. And I want all of youyou know, sometimes what we all do is we look at today, and we say, "Well, you know, thats kind of the way it always was." Thats not the case. Ideas that just a few years ago seemed radical and unattainable are now today widely supported, and, in fact, some of them are being implemented as we speak. And I want you to appreciate what together we have accomplished. Dont take this for granted.

Five years ago, not a long time ago, with a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an houra starvation wageif five years ago somebody here jumped up and they said, "Bernie, you know, weve got to raise that minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour," person next to you would have said, "You are nuts. You cant double the minimum wage at one time. Cant be done." In fact, three years ago, what the Democratic leadership was talking about was $10.10 an hour. That was then. Today, federal legislation for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, which I introduced in the Senate a few weeks ago, now hasnow has 31 co-sponsors in the Senate andand 155 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. And $15-an-hour legislation is being passed by city councils and state legislatures all across America. My understanding is that right here, in the state of Illinois, a $15-an-hour minimum wage bill is on the governors desk. Governor, sign that bill! All over in Illinois and all over this country, the working people of this nation need a raise. And what we are saying, as loudly and clearly as we can, is that if you work 40 or 50 hours a week, you should not be living in poverty.

But its not just a minimum wage and the fight for 15. I want you to think about this: Five years ago, if we were here, the majority political sentiment in this country, among Republicans and many Democrats, was that our trade policies were just great. What was the problem with NAFTA and PNTR with China or the TPP? So what if those trade policies cost us millions of decent jobs and drove us into a downward spiral, a race to the bottom? Our trade policies were great. That was five years ago. Today, the American people, all across the political spectrum, are saying that we need new trade agreements that work for workers, not just the CEOs of large corporations. And I want to thank all of you for creating the movement that defeated the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

But its not just trade that weve had an impact on. Today, the idea of a trillion-dollar investment to create up to 15 million jobs, good-paying jobs, by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure is now widely accepted. Just three years agonot even five years ago, three years agoI proposed a trillion-dollar investment, got virtually no support, had to cut it in half. But today, all across the political spectrum, people understand that we need to repair our broken bridges, our roads, our water systems, our wastewater plants, our levees, our dams, our airports. We need to build affordable housing.

Five years ago, you talked about paid family and medical leave, people didnt even know what you were talking about. But today, not only is support growing for paid family and medical leave, but the very radical concept that women in the year 2017 should not be paid 79 cents on the dollar, that we need equal pay for equal work, thats also growing.

AMY GOODMAN: Former presidential candidate, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, addressing 4,000 people at the Peoples Summit in Chicago in June. Well return to the speech in a minute, as he talks about healthcare, fossil fuels and his free college tuition plan. Stay with us.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, as we return now to the former presidential candidate, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, addressing 4,000 people at the Peoples Summit in Chicago in June.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Five years agothink about it, not a long time agofive years ago, there was almost no discussion about making public colleges and universities tuition-free. Today, all across this country, people understand that in a highly competitive global economy, it is insane that hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college and that many of you have left school deeply, deeply in debt. And what we are seeing now in states and in communities all over this country, the movement toward making public colleges and universities tuition-free. And let me tell you this, because Ive introduced the legislation. Next fall, on college campuses all over this country, youre going to see young people stand up and tell the establishment, "Were not leaving school $100,000 in debt."

Think back five years ago. There was, at that point, widespread belief that the Affordable Care Act, so-called Obamacare, was about as far as we could go as a nation in healthcare. Thats about it. Past Obamacare, cant do any more. Today, as you know, that view is radically changing. Nurses, thank you for your help on this. Today, all over our country, the American people understand that there is something profoundly wrong when we remain the only major country on Earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people as a right, not a privilege. And there is also something profoundly wrong when millions of Americans cannot afford the prescription drugs that their doctors prescribe. And what the American people from coast to coast are catching onto is the function of healthcare is to provide quality care to all people, not to make billions in profits for the insurance companies or the drug companies. And as weas we sit here tonight, the California state Senate has passed single payer. Thank you, nurses! And now, now its up to the California House and the governor to do the right thing and help us transform healthcare in this country by leading the way.

Today, by very large and growing numbers, the American people understand that climate change is real, is caused by human activity and poses a very serious threat to our planet. And there is strong and growing supportnumbers have never been higherfor taking on the fossil fuel industry and for moving our energy system to sustainable energy and energy efficiency. Despite the current president of the United Statesoh, you know who I am talking toyou know who Im talking aboutthe American people, whatever Trump may think, or, as usually the case, not thinkthe Americanthe American people understand that we have a moral responsibility to leave this planet healthy and habitable for our children and for our grandchildren, and that we can and must lead the world in combating climate change. And, by the way, when we do that, we create millions of good-paying jobs in America.

Further, again, by overwhelming numbersand you have to understand thisby overwhelming numbers, the American people support comprehensive immigration reform and a path toward citizenship. No, were not going to scapegoatwere not going to scapegoat the undocumented in this country. They are hard-working, honest people, and were going to work with them to create a path toward citizenship. And again, that isagain, thats not my view. Thats not your view. That, in fact, is the view of the overwhelming majority of the American people.

Today, againagainby overwhelming numbers, the American people understand that our criminal justice system is broken and that there is something wrong and disgraceful when the United States of America has more people in jail than any other country on Earth, including China, and that there is something profoundly wrong when we understand that the people in jail are disproportionately African-American, Latino and Native American. The American people, including a growing number of conservatives, understand that it is absurd, that it is crazy, that we spend over $80 billion a year to lock up over 2 million of our fellow Americans. And all across the political spectrum, including conservatives, there is a growing belief that it makes a lot more sense, for our young people, to invest in jobs and education, not jails and incarceration.

Further, not only are we winning the battle of ideas on almost every major issue facing this countrythe vast majority of the American people are on our sidebut not only are we winning the battle of ideas, we are seeing more and more progressives becoming involved in the political process, running for office and winning office. And let me just very brieflybecause there have been victories all across this country, let me just mention a few. And I apologize if I mispronounce some names; Im not so good at that. Jackson, Mississippilet me repeat that in case you didnt get it rightJackson, Mississippi, has a new mayor, Mayor Lumumba. Great City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, has a new district attorney, Larry Krasner. Christine Pellegrinowhere is Christine? OK. Hi, Christine. Christine won a landslide victory for the New York State Assembly in ain a district that had overwhelmingly gone for Donald Trump. Iowa has a new progressive in their House, Monica Kurth. In South Fulton, Georgia, City Council has a new member, Khalid Kamau. Andrea Jenkins, Minneapolis City Council, Jillia Pessenda, Minneapolis City Counciltwo members. John Courage, San Antonio City Council. Stephanie Hansen, Delaware state Senate. Valdez Bravo, Portland, Oregon. Rita Moore, Oregon school board. Natalie Vowell, St. Louis Board of Education. Lori Kilpatrick, Dallas school board. And, brothers and sisters, those are just a few of the victories that we have had. Let me ask you a question: How many of you have run for office or are actively involved in local campaigns? Stand up! All right! Brothers and sisters, this is the political revolution!

Now, clearly, clearly, our progressives have not won in every election they contested. We have lost some tough races in Montana, in Kansas and in Nebraska. But what we showed is that even in these very, very red states, strong progressives could do far, far better than anyone imagined, and that with proper organization and financial resources, we can win, in any district in the United States of America. So the point that I want to makeand I hope you all appreciate itis that because of your efforts and the efforts of millions of people all across this country, we are making enormous progress in creating our progressive vision. Now, thats the good news.

Let me give you the bad news that you also know. And that isthat isthat is, todaytoday, in the White House, we have perhaps the worst and most dangerous president in the history of our country. And we also havenot to be forgottenextreme-right-wing leadership in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. Now, what I find particularly disgraceful about Trump is not just his reactionary economic, environmental and social policies or the fact that he lies all the time. What I find beyond belief is his incredible hypocrisy. This is a man who ran for president telling the people of this country that he was going to stand up for the working class, that he was going to stand up to the political and economic establishment. And thenthen, once he got elected, and without a seconds hesitation, he brings more billionaires into his administration than any president in history, and he hires the former president of Goldman Sachs to be his chief economic adviser. And thenthen, four months in hiswithin his administration, he pushes some of the most destructive pieces of legislation in the modern history of our country, legislation that will cause intense suffering and pain for millions of working-class families.

Mr. Trump, do not tell us that you are a friend of the working class, when you propose to throw 23 million Americans off of healthcare. Dont tell us that you care about working families, when you want to cut Medicaid by over $800 billion, when you want to raise premiums for older workers in a very dramatic way, and when you tell, Mr. Trump, two-and-a-half million women in this country that they no longer have the option of getting their healthcare at Planned Parenthood. President Trump, spare us the lies and the hypocrisy. Dont tell us that you are a friend of working families, when you propose devastating cuts to Head Start, child care, public education, when you make it harder for working-class kids to get a college education because of massive cuts in the Pell Grant program. Dont tell us that you support workers, when you propose massive cuts in nutrition programs, including the WIC program, designed for low-income pregnant women and their newborn babies.

Meanwhile, at the exact same time and within the exact same legislation as Trump makes massive cuts to life-and-death programs for millions and millions of children, working people, the elderly, the sick and the poorat the same exact time, he proposes a budget that, over a 10-year period, would provide $3 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1 percent. Trumps budget is the most massive transfer of wealth from working people to the billionaire class that we have ever seen in this country. If you can believe it, he wants to repeal the estate tax, which applies only to the top two-tenths of 1 percent. And that means that while children will go hungry, people will die because they dont have access to healthcare, the Walton family, a family worth $130 billion, could get up to a $52 billion tax break. What kind of morality is that, when you take from the most vulnerable people in this country to give to the very, very richest? And, Mr. Trump, we say to you tonight, you are not going to get away with that absurd set of priorities.

AMY GOODMAN: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, speaking at the Peoples Summit in Chicago in June. Well return to the conclusion of his speech in a minute, where he talks about why he believes the Democratic Party is an absolute failure. Stay with us.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, as we return now to the former presidential candidate, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, addressing 4,000 people at the Peoples Summit in Chicago in June.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: We have a president who displays every day a massive disrespect for democracy, for tolerance and for traditional American values. His unprecedented attack against the media is nothing less than an effort to intimidate those who would criticize him and to undermine respect for dissent and a free press. His attacks against the judiciary seek to diminish the separation of powers that our Constitution outlined. The degree to which he tells blatant lies is unprecedented for an American president. And his outrageous claim that up to 5 million people in the last election voted illegally is nothing less than an attempt to tell Republican governors all across this country to accelerate their efforts to suppress the vote.

I also find it strange that we have a president who seems to be more comfortable with autocrats and authoritarian politicians than with leaders of democratic nations. All of us are scratching our heads trying to find out why is Trump so much enamored with Vladimir Putin, a man who has severely repressed democracy in his own country and spent the last number of years trying to destabilize democracy in countries around the world, including our own. Americans are wondering why Trump seems to have such affection for the leaders of Saudi Arabia, a hereditary monarchy which treats women as third-class citizens and which promotes Wahhabism, a radical and extreme version of Islam that has spread throughout the Muslim world.

And lastly, in terms of Trumplastly, in terms of Trump, he is doing what demagogues have done throughout history. And that is, instead of bringing people together to confront the serious problems that we face, what he is doing is trying to divide us up by our religion, by our race, by our gender or where our families came from. Even a very conservative presidenteven a very conservative Republican president like George W. Bush understood that one of the important functions of a leader in a democratic society is to bring people together, not separate them. And I sayI say to President Trump: This country has struggled too long, too many people have fought, too many people have died, too many people have been beaten, too many people have gone to jail, in the fights against racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia. Mr. Trump, we are not going backwards. We are going forwards!

Now, I am often askedIm often asked by the media and others: How did it come about that Donald Trump, the most unpopular presidential candidate in the modern history of our country, won the election? And my answer isand my answer is that Trump didnt win the election; the Democratic Party lost the election. Let uslet us be very, very clear: The current modelthe current model and the current strategy of the Democratic Party is an absolute failure. This is notthis is not my opinion. This is the facts. You know, we focus a lot on the presidential election, but we also have to understand that Democrats have lost the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate. Republicans now control almost two-thirds of the governors chairs throughout the country. And over the last nine years, Democrats have lost almost 1,000 legislative seats in states all across this country. Todaytoday, in almost half of the states in America, Democratic Party has almost no political presence at all. Now, if thats not a failure, if thats not a failed model, I dont know what a failed model is.

The Democratic PartyDemocratic Party needs fundamental change, fundamental change. What it needs is to open up its doors to working people and young people and all people who are prepared to fight for social and economic justice. The Democratic Party must, finally, understand which side it is on. And that cannot be the side of Wall Street or the fossil fuel industry or the drug companies.

Brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters, these are difficult times and pivotal moments in American history. And I am more than aware of the political obstacles that we face. I understand very well the nature of our corrupt political system, which, as a result of Citizens United, allows billionaires like the Koch brothers to spend unlimited amounts of money, allows them and their billionaire friends to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in an election on ugly 30-second ads that try to undermine the honesty and integrity of progressive campaigns. And thats all they can do, because they cant stand and defend their position on the issues. And we just saw this a few weeks ago in Montanas Rob Quist. And what happened to Rob is going to continue to happen. What happened to Rob is he did a great job raising money from small individual contributions. I think it was 25 bucks a contribution. Fantastic! Raised over $5 million, $6 million. Fantastic! Did great. Butbut the billionaire class got very, very nervous, and they put almost $7 million in independent expenditures byand by a 10-to-1 ratio, their independent expenditures outspent Robs. And he lost that election.

Now, I also understand that corporate media is not particularly interested in our issues, the issues that impact working families, but very often they prefer six-second sound bites and endless discussion about political gossip. In fact, in the last presidential election, there was less discussion about the real issues impacting the American people than in any election in American history. And I also understand that over 90 percent of talk radio is right-wing or extreme right-wing. I got all of that. I know that. Thats what were up against.

And we also have to deal with the fact that the American people are today extremely demoralized, that we have the lowest voter turnout of any major country on Earth. And I am more than aware that Republican governors all across this country are working overtime to suppress the vote, to make it harder for people of color, poor people, old people, young people to vote. That is what we are facing today. And that is a lot of obstacles.

But this is what I also know. I also know something about American history. And I know that 150 years ago in this country, working people had no rights. They were treated like animals. They were forced to work 12, 14 hours a day. Children of 10, 11 years of age were working in factories and losing their fingers. Kids were working in fields. And workers 150 years ago stood up, under tremendouswith tremendous opposition against them. And they said to their bossesthey said, "We are not animals. Were not beasts of burden. We are human beings. Were going to form trade unions." And I thank the American trade union movement for all they have done. And my pledge to you is we will pass legislation making it easier for workers to form unions.

And when we think about American history, we think about a hundred years ago, 120 years ago, when African Americans, under the most outrageous conditions, stood up and fought for dignity. And we will never knownever knowhow many were beaten, how many were lynched, how many were jailed in the fight for basic human dignity. But we do know that over the years millions of people, black and white and everybody else, stood together and said that we will end the scourge of racism in this country.

And many of the children dont know this, but a hundred years ago today, women in America did not have the right to vote, did not have the right to do the jobs, to get the education they wanted to havea hundred years ago, no time at all. But women stood up. They went on hunger strikes. They went to jail. And they said, "Women in America"and they stood with their male allies. They said, "Women in America will not continue to be second-class citizens."

And 20 years ago, 25 years ago, no time at all, people who were gay, who were public with their sexuality, were humiliated, were beaten. But the gay community, and their straight allies, against incredible pressure, stood up and said that in the United States of America, people will have the right to love whomever they want, regardless of their gender.

Now, Ive given you that brief overview of American history to make this simple point: Now is not the time to throw your hands up and say, "Im giving up. Im in despair. Im burnt out." I want you to think about the incredibly brave heroes and heroines in our history, against unbelievably daunting odds, who risked their lives for social justice, for economic justice, for racial justice.

Now, the fight that we are engaged in now is a tough one. No question about it. We are taking on an extremely powerful billionaire class whose greed has destroyed the middle class of this country, whose greed says that it is not enough that the top 1 percent today owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. Not enough! They want it all. And what we are saying today: We are going to stand up to that greed, to that recklessness, and tell the billionaire class that this nation belongs to all of us, this democracy belongs to all of us. And when we stand together, when we stand together and not allow demagogues to divide us up by the color of our skin or the country we came from or our sexual orientation or our gender, when we stand together, there is nothing that will stop us! Thank you all very much!

AMY GOODMAN: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, speaking at the Peoples Summit in Chicago, addressing about 4,000 people.

Originally posted here:
Bernie Sanders on Resisting Trump, Why the Democratic Party is an ... - Democracy Now!

As a neighbor, Hungary should, of course, pursue good relations with Russia, which provides most of its energy, Mr. Jeszenszky said, but NATO and the European Union are the countrys natural allies and the guarantee against any aggressive tendency by Russia. Mr. Orban, he said, is tying Hungary too closely to Russia; one deal, to buy a costly new Russian energy plant, will indenture Hungary to Russia for years to come.

The meeting in Pecs was spirited and generally well mannered, even as a few audience members expressed anti-Western sentiments. Mr. Sermer, the Liberal Partys chief organizer, envisioned it as part of an effort to nudge Hungarians disaffected by the venality of Orban-controlled politics back into the political dialogue and eventually to vote. Many young Hungarians, including some of his friends, are moving abroad, Mr. Sermer said. But he believes that there is still hope for democracy, and, for now, he plans to stay and fight for it.

There are many reasons to be concerned about Hungarys eroding democracy, with its echoes of the populism and creeping authoritarianism infecting the other parts of Europe and even the United States. Mr. Orban has altered the political system to make it easier for his Fidesz Party to stay in power, enabled corruption, cracked down on independent media and civil society groups, and refused to share the burden of accepting migrants arriving in Europe. Although Hungary receives billions of dollars annually from the European Union, his government regularly demonizes the bloc, even spending tax dollars on anti-E.U. billboards.

Mr. Orbans campaign to shut down Central European University in Budapest, the school founded in 1991 by the Hungarian-born American billionaire George Soros to bring Western-style education to his homeland, has become obsessive. The government recently passed a law requiring that the school have a branch in the United States; it doesnt and may have to close.

However, unusually large street protests in Budapest and international criticism have forced the government to at least pretend to seek a compromise. In June, its representatives met in New York, where the university is registered, with officials from Gov. Andrew Cuomos office. The school is being allowed to operate during the 2017-18 academic year, but its future remains uncertain.

It should not be forgotten that Mr. Orban, once a liberal, was educated at Oxford with scholarship help from the same George Soros he now pillories as a foreign agent intent on fomenting dissent against the government. Mr. Soros, a benefactor of pro-democracy groups in Hungary and elsewhere, accused Mr. Orban in a recent speech of presiding over a mafia state.

Hungarians who want to see Mr. Orban replaced in the 2018 election know they face stiff odds. Everything is stacked against them: the structure of the political system, the heavily controlled media, the corruption, the fact that opposition parties are weak and unlikely to maximize their leverage by uniting behind a single candidate.

But many also ask a fair question: Why havent NATO and the European Union, which accepted Hungary to ensure its pro-Western future, reacted more strongly as those core values are eroded?

An earlier version of this Editorial Observer misspelled the name of a Liberal Party activist. She is Anett Bsz, not Annett Boesk.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

A version of this editorial appears in print on July 2, 2017, on Page SR10 of the New York edition with the headline: A Democracy Road Trip Through Hungary.

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A Democracy Road Trip Through Hungary - New York Times

This week the United States is celebrating its birthday. While the focus of the Fourth of July has become fireworks, family, friends, food and a midsummer holiday, it is important to remember why we celebrate.

The United States of America is a beacon of hope and possibility for people around the world. As a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we are imperfect because we are people. We make mistakes, we disagree and we debate, but like any other family, we have always pulled together and united whenever confronted or threatened.

I realize the latest election cycle has left a lot of Americans disappointed and disillusioned. It is important in America that we focus our feelings of discontent into positive and productive pursuits. If you are among those who did not like the last election, the midterm campaigns are already organizing, and they will provide you with an outlet for your efforts and energy.

Democracy is an exercise in compromise which inevitably means that no one gets all of what they want, but all of us get some of what we want. Just as in our legal system, we derive our closest version of truth and justice by having a jury of citizens evaluate and decide between two opposing positions. Our government functions best when the various factions work out their differences in the public forum.

Democracy is never efficient, clean or streamlined, but it is the best chance we humans have to provide everyone with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. You can find a smooth, efficiently running government in North Korea. A completely new policy can be imagined in the morning, drafted during the day and implemented by nightfall.

There will be no debate, dissent or dispute, but I cant imagine any of us here in America wanting to trade our turmoil for that brand of false tranquility.

Even in the midst of the most turbulent political process in recent memory, this grand ideal we call America worked well. Our greatness is symbolized and lived out when one administration relinquishes control and voluntarily turns it over to an incoming administration even though the two groups may be polar opposites and diametrically opposed to one another. Our system is not always comfortable or attractive. It is simply the best one the world has ever known.

As you go through your day today, celebrate what America is and what it can be.

Todays the day!

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network and a published author of many books. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by email at Jim@JimStovall.com; on Twitter at @stovallauthor; or on Facebook at facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.

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Jim Stovall: Despite the turbulence, democracy has served America well - Tulsa World

When it comes to our democracy, the best insight I ever received was not from a book or lecture. Rather, it came from a merchant I was haggling with over a souvenir as I traveled in the Middle East some 20 years ago.

The old, haggard man said, "Why do you Americans complain about your government? It is actually your government. You own it. You can change it. We can't do that here."

Though voiced as a complaint, the man's comments are profound.

In much of the world, there is no democracy. Or if there is "democracy," it is democracy in name only.

Just check out Freedom House's annual survey that objectively tracks and ranks freedom around the globe. It classified countries as either "free," "partly free" or "not free." And one look at its world map shows that more real estate on our globe is still classified as "not free" or "partly free" than "free."

As we learn in grammar school, the opening words of the U.S. Constitution say it all: "We the people of the United States ..."

Note how it does not begin. It does not begin with "I, the King," or "Me, the dictator," or "They, the corporations," or even "Lord, our creator." But instead, "We the people."

The old man had it right.

"We the people" actually have the power to change our government. Though we've done our best to gum it up at times, the structure is all there for change. All it takes is "we the people."

Americans can actually sue their own government, and win! And openly protest the government. Try doing that in much of the rest of the world and let me know how it turns out.

It is why the U.S. has such an immigration problem: No matter all of our problems, more people want to come here it's still the land of opportunity than anywhere else.

Of course, some might dismiss this thought as naive. After all, have you seen how special interests, corporations, computers, the press, "fake news," foreign countries and even Kim Kardashian control so many aspects of our lives?

But they only control us to the extent we allow them to do so. That, too, is a choice.

Our democracy is hardly perfect, but it was never intended to be. What makes it unique and enduring is that it was set up with the ability to adapt, to change. No coups or revolutions required.

Just as Barack Obama came out of virtual nowhere to lead our democracy, so, too, did Donald Trump. One was born of modest means and the other massive means, but so what? In both cases "we the people" elected them and made it happen. No party or person has a monopoly on our government. Instead, "we the people" do.

And therein lies the beauty. Whether it's voting, fighting a bogus parking ticket, attending a local zoning meeting or running for president, if Obama and Trump could do it, so can you.

So no matter where you may fall on the political spectrum, and no matter how frustrated you might grow at times, remember the old man, who today still could say: "It is your government. You actually own it. Or can."

William Choslovsky, a Chicago lawyer, loved democracy until he was recently defeated in his run for a third term on his local school council.

Continued here:
We the people have a democracy to celebrate - Chicago Tribune