QUESTIONS: DEMOCRACY VS AUTOCRACY

(My life has been busier than usual the past week or so and will continue to be for at least another week or more.   I've been visiting other blogs  less frequently but will resume again soon.) 

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                     Tears For Fears -- "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

Performed on a recent Late Show With Stephen Colbert celebrating the release of their latest album "The Tipping Point".

DW a respected German news source, one of several media in other countries I follow, recently reported "Democracy in decline worldwide" in Peter Hille's article you may read by clicking on that title with these excerpts:  

"For the first time since 2004, the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) has recorded more autocratic states than democracies around the world.  Civil society activists often represent the last bastion of resistance."  [Emphasis is mine.]

Hille's report continues:

"Of the 137 developing and transition countries examined, only 67 are still considered democracies.  The number of autocracies has increased to 70."

Additionally, Hille notes:

"This is the worst political transformation result we have ever measured in the 15 years of our work," says Hauke Hartmann, BTI project manager at the Bertelsmann Foundation.  This is due to the fact around the world there are fewer free and fair elections, less freedom of opinion and assembly, as well as increasing erosion of the separation of powers." [Emphasis is mine.]

Many tactics were employed for four years during our previous president's administration to weaken our democracy including spreading falsehoods about our election's fairness, attempts were made to stifle contradictory opinion, and limiting efforts were directed toward our free press.

Most egregious was the exploitation of the legal system to undermine our U.S. Constitution including efforts to erode the separation of powers in our nation's three branches.  The executive branch increasingly dictated to the other branches, legislative and judicial, often attempting to ignore or circumvent the rule of law which was espoused to being believed but  actions demonstrated otherwise.

You are probably aware of many examples of efforts within our country that continue to be made to weaken our democracy as practiced by that former president and enablers.  Consider voter suppression laws in some states.  Efforts to manipulate election officials.

Those who falsely lament most about our 2020 election being stolen appear to currently be engaged in using nefarious means to be able to attempt to steal future elections should they not like the results of fair and legal voting.  They do so under the false flag our election process cannot be trusted  Even members of their own political party have stated unequivocally there is no evidence our election results were false and cannot be trusted in the future with existing officials.

Unfortunately, one political party appears to currently be dominated by that ex-president with those who are appeasing autocracy supporters, to describe at best what they are about.  This would seem to give voters who want to preserve our democratic republic pause to seriously think about not only their national but local and state candidate selections, including judiciary, plus voting choices in the future.

Voters no longer will be deciding between two political parties with differing issue views but united in their dedication to democracy and how best to govern our democratic republic.

Voters may well be choosing between a party dedicated  to retaining our freedoms within a democratic republic or a party that is masquerading an intent to convert our government to an autocracy with a dictator calling himself a duly elected president.  

Hopefully, more and more people will consider these issues preparatory for congressional elections as well as presidential election primaries, national conventions, and general elections   What are your thoughts?

JOURNALISM vs NEWS -- CONSPIRACY -- SUNNY

The sun’s out here ...... roadways up to various mountain snow recreation areas are clogged with traffic ..... more of my various colored California poppies that self-seeded are blossoming.

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The past couple weeks have been unusual.  I suspect a deep conspiracy is rampant among inanimate objects in my house.    Conspiracies are everywhere according to some people, so why not this?     I found it very troubling that various devices I use every day or so have simultaneously begun malfunctioning.   How to account for that?  

Yes, the plumber ultimately resolved one issue so I have a flushable commode, but then there was the appliance problem requiring a service person. 

Days, then a week became more than two without laundry capability as I insisted what I observed happening to my machine didn’t jibe with the diagnosis – especially when the service man’s first treatment failed to solve the problem.   More water all over the utility room floor when I opened the front-loading door.   

My continued emphasis that this was not a second problem but the same issue I had first reported, ultimately caused him to explore what actually resulted in a much simpler solution than he had considered.   This resolved the problem -- didn’t even require he install the new replacement part that had delayed service -- plus saved me the expense of a second service call.   Conspiracy or not, the commode sewer line reamed out, then the hose from the clothes washer drain adjusted,  I finally have clean clothes again. 

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Preservation of journalism in the news industry continues to be a major concern.   Given the importance of journalism to a democracy, being supportive of responsible journalists and organizations is vital.   There has been a decline in the traditional news sources on which we’ve relied for information though actual media sources have increased significantly.   

The quality of reporting and viability of the facts has been threatened, compromised in some instances,  challenging each of us to be discriminating.  Certainly differentiating between opinion and fact is imperative.   

This Guardian article I read recently by  Hossein Derakhshan poses some interesting thoughts and questions “If news is dying, who will save democracy?”   He differentiates between news and journalism, noting entertainment’s  predominance along with propaganda.

“... if buffeted by the twin forces of entertainment and propaganda, news is dying, how can journalism – and thereby democracy – survive?”

He suggests thoughtful sources beyond the sound bites, short blurbs we mostly receive now becoming increasingly  prevalent.    He says:

“I see hope in three narrative formats: audio (including documentary podcasting), video and non-fiction “literature”.

I haven’t devoted much time to audio podcasts, do view videos, but my non-fiction reading remains mostly with books, television and multiple but selective traditional print web sites, also my city weekly paper, the Claremont Courier for local news.      

I don’t attend to social media sites when I want to know what’s going on, as they have been so polluted, including the one used and abused by our nation’s leader.   With the run-up to our Primary elections and the national election in the coming year we have been cautioned to expect more of the same.

What do you see as the source(s) of journalism and/or news, especially specifically about your city or community?