Democracy (Theory and Philosophy)
What’s at Stake
To understand the importance and consequences of Tuesday’s midterm elections, I spoke to Astead Herndon, a political reporter who has been covering this election cycle for the Times podcast “The Run-Up.” Claire: Hi Astead. I live in Europe, where many people are only now starting to tune into the midterms. How would you explain to […]
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The Week in Political News
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times Voter turnout in Georgia is far outperforming that of previous midterm elections, rivaling presidential-year figures. On the first day of early voting, more than 130,000 people cast ballots — a more than 85 percent increase from the same day in 2018, according to the secretary of state’s office.
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Norman Lear: What Archie Bunker Would Have Thought of Donald Trump and Jan. 6
Well, I made it. I am 100 years old today. I wake up every morning grateful to be alive. Reaching my own personal centennial is cause for a bit of reflection on my first century — and on what the next century will bring for the people and country I love. To be honest, I’m […]
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On U.S. Foreign Policy, the New Boss Acts a Lot Like the Old One
WASHINGTON — A fist bump and meeting with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Tariffs and export controls on China. Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. American troops out of Afghanistan. More than a year and a half into the tenure of President Biden, his administration’s approach to strategic priorities is surprisingly consistent with the […]
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We Are Retired Generals and Admirals. Trump’s Actions on Jan. 6 Were a Dereliction of Duty.
These are essential checks on civilian officials who would make unlawful use of U.S. military personnel. Governors, who possess broad command authority over our 54 National Guard organizations, for example, may face political pressure to deploy these forces to illegally interfere with elections or other democratic processes. To recognize these threats to our democracy, military […]
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Is the World Really Falling Apart, or Does It Just Feel That Way?
Has the world entered a time of unusual turbulence, or does it just feel that way? Scanning the headlines, it’s easy to conclude that something has broken. The pandemic. Global grain shortage. Russia’s war on Ukraine. Political and economic meltdown in Sri Lanka. A former prime minister’s assassination in Japan. And, in the United States: […]
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Donald Trump, American Monster
WASHINGTON — Monsters are not what they used to be. I’m reading “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley for school and the monster is magnificent. He starts out with an elegance of mind and sweetness of temperament, reading Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” and gathering firewood for a poor family. But his creator, Victor Frankenstein, abandons […]
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In the Senate, Chasing an Ever-Elusive Gun Law Deal
“We know we can pass legislation that will be supported by 88 percent of Americans, for example in the case of background checks, but we need to have 60 votes in the Senate for that to become law,” he said. If it fails, he said, voters will have the last word in November at the […]
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U.S. Report Describes a Global Retreat on Human Rights
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Tuesday that governments around the world, including in Russia and China, grew more repressive last year, as the State Department released its annual report on global human rights. The department’s 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices echoes President Biden’s warnings that authoritarianism is on […]
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