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☆ Florida Turns Right, Minnesota Turns Left
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( William A. Galston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

William A. Galston writes the weekly Politics & Ideas column in the Wall Street Journal. He holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A participant in six presidential campaigns, he served from 1993 to 1995 as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton for Domestic Policy. Mr. Galston is the author of 10 books and more than 100 articles in the fields of political theory, public policy, and American politics. A winner of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert H. Humphrey Award, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Persons: William A, Galston, Ezra K, Saul Stern, Dean, Clinton, Association’s Hubert H, Humphrey Organizations: Street, Zilkha, Brookings Institution’s, Brookings, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Institute for Philosophy, Center for Information, Research, Civic, National Commission, Domestic, Liberal Pluralism, Public, Rowman & Littlefield, Liberal Democracy, Yale, American, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Locations: Brookings

CNN —A statue of an antisemitic politician who is said to have inspired Adolf Hitler is to be tilted 3.5 degrees to the right. In 2012, a section of the Ringstrasse, the city’s central boulevard, that had borne Lueger’s name since 1934, was renamed Universitätsring. Debate over the future of the statue, which was erected in 1926, has been raging for years. The future of the statue, which has been repeatedly defaced, has been hotly debated in Vienna. He was therefore one of Hitler’s teachers,” Ariel Muzicant, president of the European Jewish Congress and former president of the Jewish Community of Vienna, told CNN in an email.

Persons: Adolf Hitler, Karl Lueger, Karl Lueger Platz, Austrian Hitler, Mein, ”, Lueger, Klemens Wihlidal, JOE KLAMAR, Wihlidal, ” Ariel Muzicant, ” Oskar Deutsch, —, “ Organizations: CNN, Getty, Public Art, European Jewish Congress, Jewish, of, antisemites Locations: Vienna, Austrian, Lueger, Viennese, AFP, of Vienna, Austria

☆ Why Should Charles III Be King?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Tanya Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

King Charles(Francis Xavier,Professor X) III Prof. King Charles III, a telepath and the leader of the X-Men, is powerfully gifted, like the real Charles III (a noted gardener and watercolorist). King Charlize (Theron) III Charlize III is a gifted actor, which all good monarchs need to be, and an extraordinarily beautiful woman. King Charles III, theMadame Tussauds waxwork Wax Charles III lives in Madame Tussauds on Baker Street, and more people met him in 2022 — 2.5 million — than the real king will meet during his whole reign. King Charlie (Sheen) III Another actor, who has the advantage of already being from a famous dynasty: his father played Jed Bartlet, the philosopher king from “The West Wing.” King Charlie (Sheen) III would be handsome but not as handsome as King Charlize (Theron). King Charles (Dickens) III could not function in a country with failing public services and a system that taxes earnings, not wealth.

☆ Israel's 'Handmaids' become a defining image of the mass protests against Netanyahu's judicial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Women dressed as "Handmaids" are at the forefront of mass protests against the Netanyahu government. Netanyahu's plans to lessen the power of the Israeli supreme court. The protests in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu's plans to lessen the power of the Israeli Supreme Court in favor of elected officials. Israeli protesters wearing costumes from ''The Handmaid's Tale'' particiapte in a rally against Israeli Goverment's judicial overhaul bills at Haogen Junctions on March 16, 2023. Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPeople around the world are also voicing concerns about Netanyahu's plans.

Speaking alongside Netanyahu after talks in Berlin, Scholz said he hoped that a compromise on the reforms suggested by Israel's President Isaac Herzog was not off the table. Netanyahu visited Germany while protests erupted once again in Israel over the reforms by his far-right government that have triggered mass unrest in recent weeks. Netanyahu called criticism of the plans "absurd", assuring Scholz that "Israel will remain a liberal democracy". Netanyahu wanted the meeting with Scholz to focus on efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges that he denies, says the judicial changes will strengthen democracy and boost business.

☆ Elite Israeli reserve fighter pilots and intelligence officers boycott training to protest against Netanyahu's right-wing government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reserve pilots in a top Israeli air force squadron are boycotting training in an anti-government protest. Thirty-seven of the 40 reserve pilots in Israeli Air Force's 69th Squadron joined the protests by refusing to attend pre-scheduled training this week, the Jerusalem Post reports. The 69th Squadron is one of Israel's most prestigious air force units, according to Haaretz. The Israel reserve is 465,00-strong, and the mandatory service is part of the national ethos. Critics of this plan by Netanyahu's right-wing government say that this will weaken Israel's courts, and reduce civil liberties, per Reuters.

☆ The Koch Network Dumps Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( William A. Galston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Why the law Biden is using to cancel student debt is 'highly strained,' according to a group formed by Obama lawyers aimed at protecting American democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protect Democracy, a group formed by Obama lawyers, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on student debt. It said that Biden's usage of the HEROES Act of 2003 to cancel student debt is "highly strained." While there might be another route to cancel student debt, the group said this relief is an overuse of emergency powers. "It is important to recognize that both student debt and the pandemic have disproportionately harmed lower income and minority communities," the brief said. One regarded Biden's student debt relief, and the other was on Arizona v. Mayorkas.

☆ Czech parliament chief assures Taiwan of her support after outcry in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel on a conference call in Taipei, Taiwan January 30, 2023 in this handout picture. Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERSPRAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Czech lower house of parliament speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova on Wednesday assured Taiwan of her country's support for partner states who respect human rights and liberal democracy, ahead of a visit to Taipei planned for March. The Czechs have been intensifying relations with the self-ruled island, which giant neighbour China claims as its own, and President-elect Petr Pavel spoke with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen on Monday, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing. "I assured the minister that systematic support of partners who respect human rights and the principles of liberal democracy belongs among priorities of our parliamentary diplomacy," she said in a statement issued through her spokesman. Most countries avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy.

☆ Want to prevent a civil war? Regulate social media algorithms, says an expert on political violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Political scientist Barbara Walter said unregulated social media is increasing the threat of a civil war. "Let people put whatever they want on social media," Walter said in an interview on Wednesday. And my answer is always the same: regulate social media," Walter said. Russia's Vladimir Putin, through his intelligence services and state-run media properties, has also used social media to pursue his own anti-democratic agenda. "Let people put whatever they want on social media," Walter said.

☆ Trump's biggest accomplishments and failures from his 1-term presidency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He repeatedly attacked the media, leading UN experts to warn that Trump's rhetoric raised the risk of violence against journalists. Though President Joe Biden was the clear winner of the 2020 election, Trump refused to concede. Even as world leaders began to congratulate Biden, a major sign of Biden's legitimacy, Trump continued to deny reality. After the violence, Trump released a video acknowledging that a new administration would take over, but he did not explicitly concede. Every president prior to Trump allowed for a peaceful transition of power after they'd served two terms or lost an election.

☆ A bizarre far-right coup plot uncovered in Germany hints at a much more sinister trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Alexander Clarkson | World Politics Review | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In early December, German police uncovered a plot by far-right conspirators to mount a coup. It is widely acknowledged that the electoral appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, to about 10% of German voters is a matter of great concern. This image of political stability, though not unjustified, caused many observers to downplay the revelation in early December that German police had uncovered an organized plot by a network of far-right conspirators to mount a coup. German police and intelligence services had to take the threat this network represented seriously. This complacency gave the East German Stasi and other Soviet-bloc intelligence services opportunities to reach out to emerging radical networks willing to destabilize the Federal Republic at the time.

☆ Lessons From 2022 for Elitists and Authoritarians
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Gerard Baker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The temptation to look back on a passing year for clues to a larger historical narrative is irresistible. Despite the inevitable short-termism of late-December amateur historiography, I’m not going to resist it. For some, 2022 was the year when liberty fought back. Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine, China’s futile war on Covid and Iran’s brutal war on its own women are testaments to the evil and folly of a system in which leaders face no accountability. Their failures and cruelties—and the tragic human cost—call for humility from those in the West who have spent the past few years denouncing liberal democracy and its works.

☆ Democracy remains vulnerable despite a good year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

PARIS, Dec 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Aristotle said there are three good forms of government – monarchy, aristocracy and constitutional democracy – in which the rulers act for the common benefit. Rich democracies face two main threats: an external one from autocracies, such as China; and an internal one from demagogues. Both autocrats such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and demagogues such as former U.S. President Donald Trump have had a bad year. The world economy faces a tough decade. Until democrats provide some answer to this, they will be vulnerable to new waves of autocracy and demagogy.

☆ EU wrangles with Hungary over Ukraine aid, tax plan as billions at risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

As the wrangling has gone on, Hungary also blocked the 18 billion euros joint EU loan to Ukraine and the tax plan, drawing ire from other countries for what they said was an attempt to blackmail the bloc into releasing the funds to Budapest. Hungary says it opposes joint EU borrowing to support Ukraine but that it would extend bilateral aid to Kyiv instead. Budapest has also said the OECD plan for a minimum corporate tax is against Hungary's national interests. Other EU countries are divided between those willing to punish Hungary more harshly and those saying the amounts frozen would be lessened if Hungary moved on Ukraine and OECD. The rest depends on Hungary, it's their money," said one EU diplomat.

☆ Taiwan pledges deeper Japan security cooperation as senior lawmaker visits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen gives a speech on National Day in Taipei, Taiwan, October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen pledged on Saturday to deepen security cooperation with Japan to ensure freedom in the Indo-Pacific, during a meeting with a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Meeting in the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai thanked Koichi Hagiuda, the LDP's policy chief, for Japan's support over issues like maintaining security in the sensitive Taiwan Strait. "We have seen in recent years Taiwan-Japan relations have become ever closer," she said. Japan has watched with growing concern China's belligerence towards Taiwan as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims over the island.

Formal organizations like the Oath Keepers no longer define the American right-wing landscape. If Biden’s election was illegitimate, the Oath Keepers were ready to defend Trump’s legitimate one. And indeed, the trial has revealed the brazenness of the Oath Keepers, as well as some profound shifts happening in the American right. The evidence of a seditious conspiracy introduced in the Oath Keepers’ trial was damning, yet obvious. While certainly more polished, some of Masters’ talking points would not be out of place at an Oath Keepers meeting.

☆ Canada's Trudeau says people in China should be allowed to protest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Chris HelgrenOTTAWA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that everyone in China should be allowed to protest and express themselves, and that Canadians were closely watching the protests against the country's zero-COVID policy. "Everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves, should be allowed to share their perspectives and indeed protest." Free China! and "Xi Jinping! Hugh Yu, who said he participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and now lives in Canada, helped organize the Toronto protest.

☆ Disillusioned Palestinian voters may shape Israeli election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Some citizens identify as Palestinian, despite their Israeli citizenship, while others prefer to be called Arab citizens of Israel, because they want to emphasize equal rights with Jewish Israelis. Opinion polls he conducted show that more than 70% of eligible Palestinian voters now support an Arab party participating in a coalition, whether they intend to vote themselves or not. Makladeh, the pollster, said the most repeated phrase during interviews with 200 Palestinian citizens in Israel for a recent poll was: "We are voting for nothing." A relatively small group of eligible voters among Palestinians citizens in Israel, around 12% according to Makladeh, has actively boycotted general elections for years. Regional changes have also shifted priorities for Palestinian citizens in Israel, Khalaily said.

☆ China’s Xi Jinping Hails Communist Party’s ‘Self-Revolution’ in Bid to Extend Rule
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Chun Han Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—Chinese leader Xi Jinping shook off concerns over Covid-19, a sluggish economy and troubled ties with the U.S. to offer a robust defense of his decadelong rule, calling on his Communist Party to battle through adversity and reclaim China’s place as a major force in human development. In a Sunday speech, opening a Communist Party congress in Beijing where he is set to defy recent norms and claim a third term as party chief, Mr. Xi recalled his efforts to curb corruption, rally public support for the party and champion China’s political system as a counterweight to Western liberal democracy.

☆ A far-right nationalist looks likely to become Italy’s first female prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Meloni leads the Brothers of Italy Party (Fratelli d’Italia, or FdI), a populist party with roots in Italy’s post-war fascist movement. From left, The League's Matteo Salvini, Forza Italia's Silvio Berlusconi, and Brothers of Italy's Giorgia Meloni attend the final rally of the center-right coalition in Rome on Thursday. Meloni’s office and the Brothers of Italy Party did not answer requests for comment by NBC News. Clashes between protesters and police close to a rally held by election frontrunner Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday in Palermo, Sicily. And now it’s happening with Giorgia Meloni,” he said.

☆ William A. Galston — Opinion Columnist, Politics & Ideas at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( William A. Galston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

William A. GalstonWilliam A. Galston writes the weekly Politics & Ideas column in the Wall Street Journal. He holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A participant in six presidential campaigns, he served from 1993 to 1995 as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton for Domestic Policy. Mr. Galston is the author of 10 books and more than 100 articles in the fields of political theory, public policy, and American politics. A winner of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert H. Humphrey Award, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

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