Dear @nytdavidbrooks,
Democracies *have* been teetering for over a decade, & have not stopped. Authoritarians continue to be on the march, from Russia to China to Iran to Myanmar to the streets of our union.
Please review the evidence: freedomhouse.org/report/freedom… & write a followup
"Advances in global levels of democracy made over the last 35 years have been wiped out."
"The world has more closed autocracies than liberal democracies for the first time in more than 2 decades"
Global level of democracy "back to 1986" @vdeminstitute: v-dem.net/documents/30/V…
It’s not just Trump doesn’t “understand” democracy or patriotism, where people put country before party or personal interest: it’s that he’s an autocratic demagogue hostile to democratic institutions & processes: washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/…
Under @POTUS45, global democratic erosion.
At #SummitForDemocracy, @POTUS@JoeBiden claimed the @WhiteHouse is “working” to pass the John Lewis Voting Right Act & the Freedom to Vote Act to strengthen American democracy — but he knows neither will pass this House, after he didn’t prioritize enacting voting rights on 2021.
Each #SummitForDemocracy@POTUS@JoeBiden convened has been far more focused on the health of other nations, despite the abundant evidence of its decline & the growing risks to American democracy from domestic threats to the Constitution & a void in accountability for corruption.
“Rights advocates say there is little evidence the countries joining the #SummitForDemocracy have made progress on improving their democracies, & that there is no formal mechanism to hold participants to the modest commitments made at the first meeting.” reuters.com/world/us/biden…
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Transparency & accountability have not been a priority for a @WhiteHouse that briefs on background & relegates open government to a compliance exercise.
Opacity atop secrecy: @politico granted US officials anonymity to say @DeptofDefense did not tell @POTUS @JakeSullivan46 & NSC aides @SecDef was hospitalized for 3 days,
Austin recognized he “could have done better job” informing the public.
@politico @DeptofDefense @POTUS @JakeSullivan46 @SecDef Official opacity: @Axios granted the @WhiteHouse anonymity to claim that President Biden & Austin had “a warm conversation” & that @POTUS “has full confidence in @SecDef & is “ looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon.”
I heard a thunderclap in DC on a sunny day.
It appears it was a sonic boom from @DeptofDefense fighters scrambled from Andrews @airforce Base to intercept an unresponsive Cessna that overflew DC.
This is the least useful PSA I’ve encountered in some time, @AlertDC — could you please investigate and then elaborate when you confirm what has happened, @DC_HSEMA@SafeDC ?
🚨✈️🛫💨💥?
I take it back, @AlertDC: it was useful to hear that “there is no great at this time,” but being aware of reports of a loud “boom” doesn’t add much context for millions of people wondering what we heard.
If you know there was a sonic boom from scrambled fighters, please say so.
I’m at the historic @WarnerTheater in DC to bear witness what @PowerUSAID invited all Americans to learn about this morning:
How Ukraine is delivering services online in a democracy at war with @USAID. @karaswisher live now: usaid.gov/diiaindc
19M Ukrainians using DIAA now
As @karaswisher said, there has a been backpack against disruptive technologies like the Internet, smartphones, & social media.
We now worry about AI.
But all governments must harness these technologies to provide critical info & deliver services to networked publics, everywhere.
Today, @PowerUSAID says delivering services showed how “robust & secure digital public infrastructure” enabled Ukrainians to access services in a war while minimizing corruption.
She says @USAID supported in e-gov in Ukraine since 2016. “
The result: “Government in a smartphone.”
I find it encouraging to see @USAID@StateDRL rejoining international open government circles.
It’s discouraging @OpenGovPart@OGP_IRM have said so little about @WhiteHouse45@WhiteHouse acting contrary to process after @POTUS45 made a mockery of the US being in “good standing.”
No #AprilFools: @Twitter to remove @verified status from journalists, after enabling anonymous accounts to spread misinformation & lies using @elonmusk’s ill-designed pay-to-get-seen system “to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility” apnews.com/article/ohio-t…