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Mathias Dpfner is chairman and CEO of Axel Springer, POLITICOs parent company.

We have underestimated the enemies of democracy for far too long because its been more comfortable that way.

But now, we are at a tipping point, faced with the possibility that even democracy itself could be overwhelmed. The simultaneous occurrence of so many crises and so much war presents the democracies of the world with a historic challenge. The question is, how steadfast and willing will the West be to defend its interests in this fight?

Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has already strained United States and NATO capacity financially and militarily. And the Gaza crisis may now unleash a war on several fronts.

It will be difficult to overcome Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, Yemen, as well as the enablers and financiers from Qatar and Iran, even with a coherent Western alliance. And we mustnt lose sight of the fact that the serial crises were confronting directly play into the hands of China, which is waiting for any opportunity to enforce its reunification with Taiwan and take over by military means.

All of this is happening as a tumultuous election looms in the United States, which is, once more, a competition for power between two old men. And if were overcome by what, in effect, could collectively be seen as a third world war, well be faced with a new world order one that is not to our liking.

This new order would be one in which the U.S. falls into isolation, no longer able, or willing, to play its crucial role in underpinning European security. Europe would become an annex of Asia, with China defining the rules, and the Middle East would return to the Middle Ages, with no possible challenge to Islamic fundamentalism.

Hamas attack on Israel wasnt just an act of war but part of a genocidal campaign. No one should have been surprised by its brutality, and anyone who believes the beheading of babies and the murder of the elderly were just reactions to Israeli wrongdoing should read the original Hamas Covenant from 1988 a constitution of sorts for the organization.

This covenant notes that as the Prophet says: The Last Hour would not come until the Muslims fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them, and until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say, Muslim or Servant of Allah there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.

This describes what just happened in Israel.

But the massacre isnt Israels problem alone. The enemies of democracy, be they secular or religious, are keen to exploit and feed of these attacks. Some coordinate their actions, others are eager to fan the flames and lend rhetorical support.

Meanwhile, some Western policymakers and commentators are now warning against doing anything that might cause an escalation or prompt a spiral of violence. They say we should have more understanding for the Palestinians, so badly treated by Israel after all, Israel has made many mistakes. However, this is just blaming the victim. And similar arguments have been put forward, often by the same people, to explain Putins war on Ukraine or at least to play it down.

These arguments are just diversions from the fact that in the Levant, Hamas wants to kill Jews and wipe Israel from the map. The chant From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free makes that explicit. And it is for that stated purpose the eradication of the state of Israel that Hamas is funded by Iranian and Qatari paymasters.

But again, the challenge we face isnt just confined to Israel. A defeat there would have immense wider repercussions: Democracys foothold in the Middle East would be extinguished, weakening the West, while our enemies would celebrate and be emboldened much as they did when we turned tail in Afghanistan.

They already see us as weak and divided and truth is, we have been.

In recent years, Germany has played a particularly shameful part in this. First, influenced by environment emotionalism, a weak Christian Democrat-led federal government decided to phase out nuclear power following the accident at Fukushima in 2011. This, in turn, only increased Germanys dependence on Russian gas (from around 36 percent in 2011 to 65 percent in 2020), profiting Putin in the process and providing him with the funds to attack Ukraine.

Then, it was former Chancellor Angela Merkel who suspended established law, drawing refugees from all over the world without devising a plan for successful integration. This has subsequently led to parallel societies, xenophobia, antisemitism and the rise of the right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany.

Compared to all this, what current Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock have achieved since taking office almost seems like a show of strength. Scholz is currently correcting some of his predecessors missteps, including boosting defense funding. He has also delivered weapons to Ukraine a democracy defending itself against an autocrat.

Nevertheless, as the enemies of democracy test us, much remains to be done. And the intelligent way forward would be for Germany to finally, and fully, grow out of its naive pacifism, as well as reorder an economy that depends on investment from the Gulfs oil kingdoms and, above all, China the Communist dictatorship that flashes a friendly smile.

But before anything else, we Germans and Europeans must answer some fundamental questions. Will we stand with Israel against the enemies of freedom despite the risks, or will we allow fear and opportunism to prevail? And can the U.S. really count on us in the face of what amounts to existential challenges, even if theres a price to pay?

If our answer to these questions is yes, then we must act and offer massive, unstinting political, financial and military support to both Ukraine and Israel, so that the enemies of democracy can be reined in before a truly global conflict spirals beyond control.

A little friendship with the U.S. and a little friendship with China or Russia or the mullahs in Iran will no longer work for Europe.

Whether Democrat or Republican, Americans will be asking us one thing perhaps politely or perhaps more abrasively: We came up with Marshall Plan to help you recover from World War II, we organized the Berlin Airlift, we won the Cold War and now were doing the heavy lifting to protect you against Putins imperialist aggression will you now redouble your efforts to support Ukraine and stand with us in the Middle East and as we confine China?

How we answer that question is not only about Israel and Ukraine its also about us and the open society model.

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The enemies of democracy are testing us - POLITICO Europe

Since the beginning of October, Guatemalans have been blocking roads across the country and taking to the streets. Later in October, many camped outside the public prosecutors office in Guatemala City. Protesters called for the resignation of officials who were attempting to undermine the recent election and win of Bernardo Arvalo, the centrist anti-corruption candidate from Guatemalas Seed Movement party, against former first lady Sandra Torres, who is considered part of the long-standing political establishment.

Bernardo Arevalos victory is seen as a repudiation of the political elite in the Central American nation, long the target of corruption allegations, reported the BBC.

That Arvalo was able to run at all, much less win with a party that has not received much support since it was founded in 2017, could be seen as a stroke of luck, maybe good timing. Another explanation is that the doggedness of years of grassroots organizing and building support beyond the major cities has paid off, according to Foreign Policy.

Its not just that [Seed] got lucky, wrote Melndez Snchez in a tweet that was mentioned in Foreign Policy. In a sense, the party made its own luck by working diligently and patiently for years, building an organization based on democratic principles when NO ONE not even themselvesthought they stood a chance.

The post-election drama continues to play out as the transition period for the new president draws closer to January. As one of the estimated 1.8 million Guatemalans living in the United States as of 2021, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, I was baffled and skeptical, not so much by the slow-rolling coup that I was reading aboutthis was more or less predictable because of the countrys decades of armed conflict and corruption. I was in disbelief about how the Semilla Movement gained so much support.

As I read more about the mobilization of indigenous and civic pro-democracy groups all over the country, I started to feel something I had not felt in a long time: faith. Its a feeling or belief that democracy could be real and not just a set of mechanical processes manipulated and optimized like any machine for human convenience and gain. Its not something I expected to feel when musing on the current political demise of my home country.

When I left Guatemala in 1982 at the age of 5, I joined the immigration tide of thousands of people fleeing Guatemalas civil war, poverty, gangs and corruption to enter the United States illegally. For many of us who grew up here, Guatemala was a country so mired in its history of dictatorships and decades of civil war that the idea that any kind of democracy could emerge and flourish therethe place we had thrown ourselves to the mercy of the desert to fleewas beyond anything we could imagine.

But many stayed behind and are perhaps teaching one of the broader lessons that can be drawn from the Seed Movements resounding victory: that in a country with a fragile and eroding democracy, belief coupled with working diligently on democratic principles can lead to change.

Its a faith I also bring to our reporting work at Carolina Public Press, that if we continue to work diligently and patiently for years, we will continue to support the larger work of democracy in our communities, in our state and beyond.

_____

The opinions and perspectives expressed in NC Talks columns are those of the authors. Submissions have been edited for length and clarity. They do not purport to reflect the views of Carolina Public Press, its staff, board of directors or contributors. To contribute an editorial or opinion piece, please email nctalks@carolinapublicpress.org with a brief summary of the topic, your full name and location. Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? If you find an error or have a response, please let us know at nctalks@carolinapublicpress.org.

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NC Talks: The veil of democracy and faith in the thing itself - Carolina Public Press

A New York Times editorial recently stated that the relationship between Israel and America is rooted in a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The next two elections in Virginia and the nation will determine whether we remain committed to those principles.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, stated in his recent retirement address that the oath American service members take encompasses all enemies, foreign and domestic," and that:

We dont take an oath to a king, or a queen, or to a tyrant or dictator,and we dont take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We dont take an oath to an individual.We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and were willing to die to protect it.

President Biden said during his recent speech honoring his friend, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, that theres something dangerous happening in America now. ... Today, democracy is at risk.

Democracies dont have to die at the end of a rifle, Biden said. They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn the threats to democracy, when people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated, disillusioned, tired, alienated.

So the president asked, Do we still believe in the Constitution? Do we believe in basic decency and respect? The whole country should honestly ask itself what it wants and understand the threats to our democracy.

If we are to continue to be a country rooted in a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, every Virginian and every American must vote in the next two elections. The world is watching.

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Letter | If Virginians are committed to democracy, they must vote - The Daily Progress

An election law expert says guilty pleas from Trump lawyers in Georgia's election interference case probably won't change the minds of voters who think the 2020 election was stolen.

David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, said he has empathy for "good" Americans who sincerely wanted to see Donald Trump re-elected as president in 2020.

He said he believes they're still convinced it was rigged, because they've been targets of a long-term disinformation effort to keep them angry - and sending money to pay his legal bills.

"It's going to be very hard for them to get to the point," said Becker, "just because of a few guilty pleas or prosecutions, of seeing that the target of this disinformation, of this grift, was them."

Becker said he is also concerned about a recent State Department cable that says the U.S. intelligence community found evidence that America's adversaries are amplifying narratives that question election integrity.

The assessment found that several countries, including Russia, are making a concerted effort to undermine faith in the voting process using social media and other "messaging."

Becker said the most perilous time following the 2024 election will be from November 5 to January 20 - because losing candidates who insist they won will be more organized this time around and better funded than they were in 2020.

He said he worries that as Trump's rhetoric gets louder and louder, some may try to disrupt next year's voting process.

"The fact is that every state has security measures, every state has verifiable, transparent secure elections," said Becker. "And it's time for all of us to step up and say that, so we can prevent the possibility that there might be chaos or violence in the post-election period."

Despite his 2020 victory in Texas and no credible evidence of widespread fraud, Trump called for election audit legislation. The Texas secretary of state nonetheless declared the election "smooth and secure."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the State of Iowa is focusing on potential threats to the online integrity of upcoming elections.

Given the increasing importance of electronic information and a reliance on data being stored "in the cloud," Iowa's Chief Information Security Officer Shane Dwyer said the state is bolstering cybersecurity across all platforms.

This includes investing in intrusion-detection systems, firewalls, 24-7 monitoring devices, and better communication with election officials statewide.

"We have a presence in all 99 counties, from a security tooling and monitoring perspective," said Dwyer. "I think those are really critical things for Iowans to understand. We're looking at these things from multiple layers to ensure that your vote is secure."

Absentee voting and casting a ballot early by mail are options in Iowa, but you can't vote or register to vote online.

While the integrity of election-related information is critical, Dwyer said cybersecurity goes beyond election season.

He cautioned people to be careful with their personal information - no matter what they are doing online. He added that local governments need to take the lead.

"Really, [Cyber]security Awareness Month is about having discussions in your communities about the importance of cybersecurity, and really building up knowledge within those communities," said Dwyer. "Almost everyone is fully ingrained in technology, and I think those discussions are extremely crucial."

Online awareness is also increasingly important as the holidays near. Officials have warned people to be on the alert for cyber scams as they use credit cards and personal information to shop online.

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For the first time in more than a decade, Washington residents will not see advisory votes on their ballots in this year's elections.

Advisory votes asked people if they approved of tax laws passed by the Legislature, although the results had no effect on the tax laws themselves. Critics argued they cluttered ballots, making them harder to understand. During the 2023 session, lawmakers agreed, nixing advisory votes completely from future elections.

Hailey Wu, community engagement coordinator for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, said she saw people struggle with the nonbinding votes in the past.

"For some people, if it's their first time voting, it kind of creates a challenge for them," Wu observed. "It kind of decreases their enthusiasm in voting. It really creates a barrier for those people who don't speak the language."

Advisory votes were established as part of a ballot initiative passed in 2007. Lawmakers in support of the advisory votes argued it should have been up to voters whether to get rid of them.

The repeal of advisory votes is expected to save counties millions of dollars. According to an analysis of the 2017 election by the Northwest Progressive Institute, advisory votes cost counties more than $2.7 million in total.

Andrew Villeneuve, executive director of the Northwest Progressive Institute, said the wording of the votes was also misleading, because it did not mention where the taxes you were advising on would be invested.

"It asked you if you wanted to repeal it or maintain it," Villeneuve explained. "Well, no matter how you voted, nothing was going to happen. So, it was a false choice. I mean, people were being asked to weigh in on something that didn't actually have any merit or bearing on anything."

In place of votes on tax laws, Villeneuve noted the state has set up an online fiscal dashboard.

"Our listing of bills that raise revenue is actually more comprehensive than what people were seeing on their ballots, which was not fair or neutrally worded," Villeneuve asserted.

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When the postal service works better, people are more likely to vote - according to new research.

The study published in the Election Law Journal finds efficient postal service increases voter turnout regardless of a state's mail voting laws.

Some states have passed more restrictive mail-in voting laws since the false accusations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Author of the research, Michael Ritter - assistant professor of political science at Washington State University - said the link is strong between good mail service and voting probability.

"Which indicates that the postal system is a critical factor," said Ritter, "in structuring the ability of mail voting to promote higher voter turnout at the individual level in the country."

Ritter said mail speed can determine whether a ballot makes it to an election office in time to be counted.

According to the study, people in states with universal mail-in voting - like Washington - had the highest probability of voter turnout in 2018 and 2020, at 70%.

There was talk of reduced postal service in the run up to the 2020 election, which may have hurt confidence among some potential voters that their ballot would be delivered in time to be counted.

Ritter said that underscores the importance of mail service in elections.

"Does the postal system have sufficient resources to be able to reliably administer mail voting?" asked Ritter. "I think that's an important factor."

Ritter said the connection between mail service and voter turnout remains a critical issue.

"What I find in my article - that the postal system matters in moderating the impact to mail voting," said Ritter, "will continue to be the case in subsequent elections in the future, including 2024."

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Democracy experts worry about chaos, violence ahead of 2024 ... - Public News Service

Eliminate all; Bad Upbringing, Poverty, Mental Illness, Greed, Corruption, Addiction and Hate that causes people to commit crime.

Thats from the 128page NYC General Election Voter Guide with matching English and Spanish halves that the Campaign Finance Board sent to New Yorkers mailboxes ahead of this years elections about (almost) nothing.

It comes from a Brooklyn City Council race pitting a Democratic incumbent against a challenger running on the Republican and Conservative lines. Neither offered any information for voters to consider while a third candidate running on a vanity party line including her own name did bother, so the guides Compare Candidates spread has a Crime section with two columns of did not submit a response followed by that rather ambitious Eliminate All agenda.

The cold comfort is that none of it really matters, let alone for Protecting Democracy, since almost no one will turn out and the Democrat here will handily win the most-votes-gets-the-seat general election that follows the ranked-choice primary which also had no real contest and glancingly few voters.

Turnout will be a little better in the handful of districts with competitive general elections, but not by much.

New Yorkers dont agree on a lot but they do onthe futility of participating in a mostly rigged political game, and thats just fine by the people who are rigging it.

Thats not to mention thejudicial elections wheremost ballots will have as many party-picked candidates as there are open seats on the bench so everyones a winner except for voters who have no say at all.

Or the two impenetrable ballot proposals to amend the state Constitution that the voter guide tries to explain, with one in headline case and one in sentence case, for Removal of Small City School Districts From Special Constitutional Debt Limitation and Extending sewage project debt exclusion from debt limit.

Of course, voters already amended New Yorks Constitution to enshrine the nonpartisan election maps Democrats in Albany are nonetheless fighting to redraw for their own benefit in the expectation that having forced the weak governor to put in their selection to lead the Court of Appeals, the states highest court will reverse its earlier ruling rejecting their efforts to pick their voters instead of the other way around.

You dont need to be a Republican to understand the Democrats in control here dont love democracy.

You shouldnt need to a political scientist degree to understand a system that has closed ranked-choice primaries where only party members can vote followed by a traditional most-votes-wins general election open to any registered voter but after most contests have already been effectively decided is inscrutable and corrupt and meant to keep citizens at arms length from their representatives.

Non-partisan elections open to all registered voters would immediately increase turnout and create more competitive contests, but the office holders selected in this jerry-rigged system arent eager to reform themselves out of power and your silence is all the consent they need.

(Eric Adams knew this back in 2003 when he said the system of choosing candidates is not open to all New Yorkers, and the best election system would be. Hed changed his tune by 2021, as he navigated toward a winin a closed primary.)

Early voting has started and you can go to findmypollsite.vote.nyc/ to see whats on your ballot, where you can got to vote early and on Election Day (it may not be the same place) and check out the voting guide and do a little research of your own. Then show up and cast a vote, defaulting in every non-competitive contest toward either the underdog or a write-in pick.

A closing note about the Campaign Finance Board, which also runs the citys public matching funds program, and Adams:

As the boards voting guide explains it, that program helps ensure that campaigns are funded by small dollar donations from New Yorkers, not special interests since When you contribute $10, the candidate receives $90,

Funny, thats almost exactly how the people people cooperating with prosecutors now after getting caught allegedly making donations in other peoples names to Adams winning mayoral campaign explained it:

Make sure its $1000 in your name and $1000 in another persons name because the matching funds is eight-to-one, so $2000 is $16,000.

The Adams campaign which has not been implicated in the DAs case against his straw donors and says it followed all the rules repeatedly ignored the Campaign Finance Boards requests for more information about the supporters who put hundreds of thousands in donations together until long after the campaign was done and it was too late for any take-backs from voters.

Siegel (harrysiegel@gmail.com) is an editor at The City and a columnist for the Daily News.

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NYC is protecting democracy, but hardly has one - New York Daily News