Gratitude to you, Professor Snyder, for all you do in service to freedom and the concept, if not the practice, of democracy...not that you have power over the practice itself. Ever grateful for your work, most important as it is.
Despite the discussion about the Russia-China relationship, the gist of the article seems to be if you can make democracy meaningful, it has power. Preserving the right to vote for all is key. How many people in the US even think about that?
"All that is clear about this common destiny is that it involves the defeat of the United States and the European Union." This ominous statement rings loud with news today that Russia's military buildup around Ukraine continues to grow. Also, perhaps the deepened Russia-China relationship signals that Taiwan is next on the invasion list.
"The statement is very much a twenty-first century document: it contains no positive content, only critique of others. It replicates, on the scale of the world, what individual authoritarians do in their own countries: relativize the values of others, while providing no substitute." - So, if we take this interesting analysis and sharp comments to our hearts we should rather figure out what the US is to do with the gerrymandering, and what the EU is to do with Poland and Hungary, or maybe what to do with the "Polish" and "Hungarian" forces in most European countries.
According to the Joint Statement, China and Russia also agree to make unhistory by “resisting attempts to deny, distort, […] falsify the history of the Second World War [and] tarnish the honour of the victorious countries”.
So, that we cease to remember how Soviet Russia invaded Poland together with Nazi Germany…
With Russia and China snuggled up together along that 4,000-kilometer-long border, what else are they going to do - but agree on but their shared philosophies of autocratic rule? Do they face each other - front to front? Or refuse to face each other, back to back - while grousing at the world about the other? Or just lie their on their collective backs planning how to win it ALL? While the Chinese and Russian people wish to vote, no matter what? We have borders top and bottom - but right now the US is pissing both of our neighbors off. And our political parties are pissing each other off. I read a lot of books now trying to figure out either #1 what to do, #2 where I could possibly move to, safely, #3 really politicize myself to try to keep autocracy and the Republicans at bay. I honestly don't know what to do. And I don't have wealth, which lessens my choices. It's hard to know anymore. It is GOOD to read someone who cares about our situation. Thank you, Professor Snyder
Thank you for another excellent article. Reading the "Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development" after reading this article, I find this passage under Section I to be most interesting: "The sides believe that democracy is a means of citizens' participation in the government of their country with the view to improving the well-being of population and implementing the principle of popular government. Democracy is exercised in all spheres of public life as part of a nation-wide process and reflects the interests of all the people, its will, guarantees its rights, meets its needs and protects its interests. There is no one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy. A nation can choose such forms and methods of implementing democracy that would best suit its particular state, based on its social and political system, its historical background, traditions and unique cultural characteristics. It is only up to the people of the country to decide whether their State is a democratic one." To say that "there is no one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy" is certainly true, but questionable when China and Russia are making that assertion.
Begging the question: Can we make it meaningful?
Gratitude to you, Professor Snyder, for all you do in service to freedom and the concept, if not the practice, of democracy...not that you have power over the practice itself. Ever grateful for your work, most important as it is.
Despite the discussion about the Russia-China relationship, the gist of the article seems to be if you can make democracy meaningful, it has power. Preserving the right to vote for all is key. How many people in the US even think about that?
"All that is clear about this common destiny is that it involves the defeat of the United States and the European Union." This ominous statement rings loud with news today that Russia's military buildup around Ukraine continues to grow. Also, perhaps the deepened Russia-China relationship signals that Taiwan is next on the invasion list.
"The statement is very much a twenty-first century document: it contains no positive content, only critique of others. It replicates, on the scale of the world, what individual authoritarians do in their own countries: relativize the values of others, while providing no substitute." - So, if we take this interesting analysis and sharp comments to our hearts we should rather figure out what the US is to do with the gerrymandering, and what the EU is to do with Poland and Hungary, or maybe what to do with the "Polish" and "Hungarian" forces in most European countries.
According to the Joint Statement, China and Russia also agree to make unhistory by “resisting attempts to deny, distort, […] falsify the history of the Second World War [and] tarnish the honour of the victorious countries”.
So, that we cease to remember how Soviet Russia invaded Poland together with Nazi Germany…
With Russia and China snuggled up together along that 4,000-kilometer-long border, what else are they going to do - but agree on but their shared philosophies of autocratic rule? Do they face each other - front to front? Or refuse to face each other, back to back - while grousing at the world about the other? Or just lie their on their collective backs planning how to win it ALL? While the Chinese and Russian people wish to vote, no matter what? We have borders top and bottom - but right now the US is pissing both of our neighbors off. And our political parties are pissing each other off. I read a lot of books now trying to figure out either #1 what to do, #2 where I could possibly move to, safely, #3 really politicize myself to try to keep autocracy and the Republicans at bay. I honestly don't know what to do. And I don't have wealth, which lessens my choices. It's hard to know anymore. It is GOOD to read someone who cares about our situation. Thank you, Professor Snyder
Thank you for another excellent article. Reading the "Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development" after reading this article, I find this passage under Section I to be most interesting: "The sides believe that democracy is a means of citizens' participation in the government of their country with the view to improving the well-being of population and implementing the principle of popular government. Democracy is exercised in all spheres of public life as part of a nation-wide process and reflects the interests of all the people, its will, guarantees its rights, meets its needs and protects its interests. There is no one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy. A nation can choose such forms and methods of implementing democracy that would best suit its particular state, based on its social and political system, its historical background, traditions and unique cultural characteristics. It is only up to the people of the country to decide whether their State is a democratic one." To say that "there is no one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy" is certainly true, but questionable when China and Russia are making that assertion.