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Trump is taking notes from this guys reelection strategies!

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The trend in international politics doesn’t look favorable! Our democracy is “at risk” as well! How active we become can make a difference! Will we? As they say in court, “the jury is still out!”

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I read and watch all of Ms. Ghiat with fear and concern because I like seeing where we're going. I know elections are bullshit under dictators. Of course, Erdogan was going to "win" again. I think putin made a comment that he'd be helping that win as he has with rump.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-small-light-tells-the-story-of-miep-gies-who-hid-anne-frank-from-the-nazis-180982175/

It brought haunting flashbacks from about 55 years ago of going to where the Franks and others hid. It's about the evil of hitler and has some lovely moments of human goodness from the perspective of Miep Gies and the resistance. I highly highly recommend it. It's scary and dramatized (though I don't know how one can make hitler any more dramatic and evil than he was/is).

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If one pairs this post with Heather Cox Richardson's from yesterday, where we are at in the US is unmistakably clear

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sometimes a bit hard to know what an individual can do.....the odds do seem against democracy.

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I remember in one of our Friday Zoom mtgs with Ruth, she said (paraphrased)

something like, “…Trump’s legacy is that he’s leaving the blueprint of his horrendous autocratic/authoritarian behavior for other autocrats to use now and after him.”

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May 30, 2023·edited May 30, 2023

Each time an authoritarian leader like Erdoğan wins an election through electoral autocracy, it reinforces the playbook for other autocrats and authoritarians. These leaders closely watch Erdoğan's moves to see what works, and then they use those tactics in their own countries. Democratic leaders can learn from these examples to better prepare for attacks on their own election systems. For example, in order to prevent subversion, they can strengthen election laws, make it easier for people to vote, and crack down on voter suppression. They can also work to counter disinformation, conspiracy theories and propaganda, especially when the big lie is spread by Donald Trump and his supporters like the Fox News channel. And be prepared for bad faith failures to certify election results from MAGA election deniers on the state level.

As we head into the 2024 election season, it is important to remember that democracy is on the chopping block. Autocrats and authoritarians are watching closely, and they are ready to pounce if they see an opportunity. Democratic leaders must be prepared to defend democracy against all these threats. Our 246 year old experiment in democracy is hanging in the balance.

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Thanks Diane😊🌻

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