"In a democracy, the majority of the citizens is capable of exercising the most cruel oppressions upon the minority." ~ Edmund Burke
Kleptocracy
Kleptocracy is a term used to describe a system of government or state in which leaders or officials exploit their power to steal resources from the country they govern, often for personal gain. The word comes from the Greek words klepto (meaning theft) and kratos (meaning power or rule). Some characteristic of kleptocracies: Corruption The … Continue reading "Kleptocracy"
We need a true public space online!
The Internet holds a lot of promise for connecting people around the world. The problem is that it has been taken over by corporations for their benefit, not necessarily ours. What is needed is a social platform that is owned by the people that use it, without algorithms pushing content that is negative and often … Continue reading "We need a true public space online!"
Improving Digital Literacy
Digital literacy refers to the ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information through digital technologies. Digital literacy is increasingly crucial for protecting democracy in our interconnected world. In the context of protecting democracy, it’s particularly focused on: Information evaluation: Identifying credible sources vs. unreliable ones. Understanding how search algorithms work and can be biased. Recognizing … Continue reading "Improving Digital Literacy"
Protecting Democracy
Experts predict a 19.2% four-year likelihood of democratic breakdown in the United States as of 2022.1 When democracy breaks down, it typically takes many years, often decades, to reverse the downward spiral. In the process, violence and corruption typically flourish, and talent and wealth flee to more stable countries, undermining national prosperity. It is not … Continue reading "Protecting Democracy"
Who gets to vote and who doesn’t
As our country approaches a presidential election in 2024, access to voting is changing at the state level. A 2022 investigation from The Center for Public Integrity found over half the states in the United States of America had made access to voting worse than it had been previously. Slightly less than half of the … Continue reading "Who gets to vote and who doesn’t"
Insurrection Defined
Watching the violence of January 6, 2021, I could not believe what I was witnessing in the United States of America. As I watched and followed the news of this incident, some people called the act an insurrection and some people called it a peaceful protest with people taking a tour of the Capital building! … Continue reading "Insurrection Defined"
Election information?
Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. In contrast, misinformation refers to inaccuracies that stem from inadvertent error. Disinformation is an managed activity in which people introduce strategic deceptions and media manipulation tactics to facilitate political, military, or commercial goals. UNESCO and Ipsos did a survey (August-September 2023), in 16 countries, asking among … Continue reading "Election information?"