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David Kirkpatrick, former Cairo bureau chief of the New York Times, gives an account of how the Obama  administration was split in its support of Egypt's beginnings in democracy. Chuck Hagel at Defense, and John Kerry at State Department, sent signals to the military that were different from that of some other members of the Obama administration. General Mattis at Central Command blamed president Morsi's failure on his " imperious leadership." General Flynn headed the Defense Intelligence Agency at the time of president Morsi's ouster by the military. Both Mattis and Flynn later joined the Trump administration with Mattis at Defense.  This report says president Obama accepted the military takeover. President Obama aroused hopes for democracy at Cairo University soon after he became president but he was not able to develop a coherent policy and support within his administration for what would be a difficult transition to democracy in countries that for decades have been ruled by the military. President Trump merely continued the policy followed during the last 2 years of the Obama administration.      ...

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Privileged minorities ethnic or white among large native populations. Amy Chua argues that free markets that empower the white minority giving it special privileged status, and democracy that empowers the native peoples, leads to conflict and exacerbates tensions. She talks about the Venezuelan experience with Chavez. Before Chavez Venezuela had free markets and elections in which two parties alternately controlled the government. Even before Reagan era and post Reagan era promotion of free markets and democracy this existed. However people were fed up with corruption and the native peoples did not see their lives improve. They tried a populist politician in Chavez who redistributes petroleum wealth to the poorer classes. Some of this tension is inevitable, but if all sides use good sense and understanding, and manage this tension constructively there still exists a better situation than there was before- when looking at overall public welfare and considering the welfare of the people and the educated professional classes. When there is a failure to work together it shows the shortsightedness of both sides, the poor understanding and lack of joint effort for mutual benefits, and not the shortsightedness of free markets and democracy. And one is not talking of free markets as American type, but free markets as crafted for each individual country based on its own history, culture, time and place, as free markets are not the same in America, Britain, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea, China and India in the post war period. China is not even a democracy and has practiced one of the wildest kind of free market economy based on its own unique situation, calculated consensus to use exports, foreign investment, and domestic investment in infrastructure as engines of development- its own peculiar use of free market ideas for its own situation. If it works, for as long as it works its good. Now as the situation changes with loss of export markets expected in 2009, China is changing to another kind of use of free market ideas tailored to its idea of free markets for development of the Chinese economy and distribution of benefits to urban and rural areas. ...

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Nizhar Mhani, a 30 year old oral surgeon in Cardiff, Britain, returns to Libya in Febrary as democracy protests erupted in Tripoli. Here he decribes his activities in the Tripoli underground resistance movement. He used a satellite dish to inform people in the capital. His activities included draping the old black, red and green Libyan flag on bridges at night and painting it on roads, and set up loudspeakers on street corners broadcasting the old Libyan national anthem.

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In speaking about Indian democracy and human freedom not mentioned was the unprecedented food security or freedom from hunger that was offered to one sixth of the world's population in India since March 2021, year of the pandemic. Not mentioned was the unprecedented health security or freedom from viral epidemic that was offered to the same people in that period with 900 million vaccine doses. Not mentioned was the freedom of expression in 15 Indian languages including freedom to write about the government at local, state and federal levels in the country with a wider spread of language and regional dialects than Europe for 75 years since independence. Not mentioned was the struggle within this democracy to give the younger generation of people under 30 who make up the biggest part of the population an opportunity for the first time in about one thousand years to take charge of their own future. All this one can see with open eyes and open mind. These are also the young people who have the most to gain or lose from the wrong actions at the wrong time, as they take up the challenges of modernization of a clean and vibrant infrastructure friendly India of the future.  ...

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Failure of governments throughout the Arab world to deliver in the areas of democracy, free expression, education, economic and social development.

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Polls taken before the June 16 elections in Greece show the leading New Democracy party and the Syriza party running very close to each other. Both Tsipras of the Syriza party and Antonio Samaras of New Democracy are calling for renegotiating the agreements with the IMF, EU and the EC, referred to as the troika, so that austerity programs do not fall too hard on ordinary Greeks. Tsipras says the goal is to reach "a just and viable European solution." He added in a news conference in Athens that "We don't claim there is plenty of money. Greeks are not asking for money. They are asking for work and the ability to make a living." The troika imposed a 22% reduction in the monthly minimum wage of 751 euros, or $930. This is unpopular in Greece and both New Democracy and Syriza now support reversing this, and extending unemployment benefits. Syriza proposes a moratorium on debt payments till growth is restored, and stabilizing public spending at 43% of GDP, below the 46% that is the eurozone average and above the 37% demanded by creditors. Syriza says it will scale back the value added tax which falls largely on the poor, raise taxes on the wealthy, and reduce tax breaks....

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How does one ensure social justice and fairness in a society, US society, where two thirds of kids in the 4th grade can't read with proficiency? A section of society is handicapped for life when it can't read and is excluded from its benefits and discourse. This weakens democracy. It also means the quality of manpower in manufacturing and other essential occupations suffers, putting the country at a disadvantage in competition with other nations.

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How Biden's economic ideas for American jobs, union jobs, are taking shape and the role of Jake Sullivan, Janet Yellen, Katherine Tai, Gina Raimondo, in taking these ideas forward is covered by Peter Coy in the NYT. Core challenges Sullivan identified and Biden agrees are the challenge of inequality to democracy, failure of markets to allocate capital efficiently and productively. So badly that two thirds of 4th graders can't meet Reading test proficiency for NAEP.

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Mishra turns a situation of neglect of security needs for Ambassador Stevens and the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, by the Obama administration into full scale questioning of America's role in Asia and the Middle East. Stephens role in bringing freedom and democracy to Libya during the period when young people in Libya without weapons and training were fighting artillery and other attacks from Gaddafi's army is actually an example of the American people and media's efforts to support this effort. Throughout the Arab Spring American print and television media supported the efforts for democracy and freedom, as amply documented in Janvoo, even as the Obama administration vacillated in its decisions and the French under Sarkozy made a decisive and early contribution. Stephens gives America its finest hour and reflects its finest spirit.

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Syria borders Turkey, Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, placing it in a pivotal geographical location. Because of this unique geography what happens in Syria affects Turkey because of the Kurdish minority in Syria, it affects Lebanon because of Syrian support to Hezbollah, it affects Jordan because of demands for democracy there, and it affects Israel because of the Golan Heights. Meantime the Syrian democracy protests continue with the military crackdown by the Assad government, which has ruled Syria since Hafez Assad, an air force commander, took power in 1970. After his death power was passed on to his son, as has happened much too frequently in the Middle East, resulting in the stifling of any movement for change and participation in government. An added complication is that Assad comes from the minority Alawite sect in a largely Sunni country.

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Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, hopes to demonstrate a different way of doing business that supports action to protect the planet from climate change, increases upward mobility in the US, and supports US democracy by distancing itself from socially disrupting social media. In Weekend Confidential WSJ talks to the CEO of Patagonia outdoor clothing retailer.

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The problem of elites in the US controlling most of the wealth and funding of candidates is discussed in The Times by Matthew Syed. The distortions in the American system of democracy and lack of funding of infrastructure, basics of education, healthcare, and public services, the misallocation of capital by capital markets in the current state, a reversal of everything Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and FDR- Truman set out to do, that is a result of the current situation prevailing in America.

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New Democracy led by Antonis Samaras comes in first with 29% of the vote compared to 26% for Syriza led by Alexis Tsipras in the June 2012 Greece elections.

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The protests for democracy continue in Syria in May 2011. On May 20 2011, 26 protesters are gunned down. The Assad government continues to crackdown on the protests. Friedman sees the events in Syria having wide reaching impact on the Middle East. He calls it a keystone nation because of relations with Iran, the Golan Heights, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, the long border with Turkey, the border with Iraq, and Hamas relations with Syria. Compared to Egypt the international community has been for the most part silent in its support for the democracy protests in Syria. Friedman also asks the question about rival sects in Syria and other Arab countries and what happens afterwards. Would a post Assad period lead to people from rival sects putting aside differences and working together to build and sustain a democratic government. He says there is uncertainty but also that something deep down is coming to the top in the Arab world- that Arabs want to be full citizens of their countries with a voice in their government and in the way things are run in their countries. ...

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U.S. Secretary of State Clinton and Turkey's foreign minister Davutoglu met in early August 2012 and agreed to set up intensive operational planning and coordination of the two countries efforts on Syria to end the Assad regime. The two foreign ministers said a unified task force with intelligence, military and political leaders would be set up immediately and will look at all options including direct assistance to the democracy movement and forces fighting the Assad regime.

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The Atlantic evolving with the times. Not just a shift to revenue making journalism with $100 million in subscription and advertising, in addition coverage in depth dropping breaking news coverage entirely. A digital subscription that cost $50 now costs $80. The depth is indepth-indepth meaning taking it to even more than indepth an whole issue dedicated to one topic. The theme of democracy, the US Constitution and other similar topics are taken on in a new way, and open to different points of view. 

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Some Republicans in the three WOW suburbs around Milwaukee, Wisconsin- Waukesha Ozaukee and Washington counties- are shifting towards Democrats. This swing was clearly seen across the US in votes for Nikki Haley even after the Republican candidate withdrew in the contest with Trump. Abortion, democracy, and the erosion of the "big tent" are issues for women and college educated young people. In the past Democrats were dominant in Milwaukee and Madison and Republicans in the suburbs. This is changing in 2024 as the suburbs are being contested.