Author: Dave Schultz

Democracy is under threat around the world. One of the most elaborate multidimensional measures of democracy, the V-Dem Institute in Sweden, notes that today, 72 percent of the world’s population lives in autocracies and only 13 percent in liberal democracies, with 42 countries autocratising – moving farther away from democracy – in the past year. Yet, such an approach takes a snapshot of current characteristics, fails to acknowledge the different ways in which regimes became undemocratic, and generates unrealistic attempts to nudge regimes towards democracy. Some regimes do not respond because they are platypus. In biology, phenetic classification presumes that we can look at…

A year on from the election of the Albanese Government, Australians would be aware of how much effort has been put into Australia’s ties with the US and the region, including the AUKUS partnership and an extensive program of building links with Southeast Asia and the Pacific. There has been less attention paid to the traditional third pillar of ALP foreign policy, which relates to international cooperation. The ALP National Platform speaks of Australia’s role as a “responsible international citizen” in promoting a “rules-based, multilateral system” and notes that many contemporary problems can only be effectively addressed through international cooperation. Past ALP foreign ministers have used formulations like “good…

Russia will not achieve a military victory in Ukraine and Kyiv’s forces are unlikely to push back all Russian troops from their territory any time soon, the United States’s highest-ranking military official has said. “This war, militarily, is not going to be won by Russia. It’s just not,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday. Russia’s original strategic objectives, including toppling the government in Kyiv, “are not achievable militarily”, Milley told journalists after the conclusion of a virtual meeting of dozens of countries that are members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is also…

LYNNWOOD — When Alexandra Leggett’s son turned 3, Henry could say only a few short sentences. He has a speech impediment and gets overstimulated easily, leading him to shut down. But once he started attending the Woodway Center preschool everything changed. “Henry comes home every day just fulfilled, a smile on his face, he wants to tell us all about school,” Leggett said. “A year later, not even quite to his fourth birthday, his teachers tell us that he’s just a little chatterbox.” Leggett burst into tears when she got an email last Friday from the Edmonds School District announcing…

Montana is a state with a rich history and diverse culture. From its stunning nature to its thriving arts and literary scene, Montana has something for everyone. Home to beautiful rugged mountains and alpine lakes, Montana is known for its vast expanses of the unspoiled wilderness; but there are many other things that make the state special. WHAT IS MONTANA KNOWN FOR? Montana is most famous for its natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and abundance of natural mineral resources. That is why it is called the “Treasure State”. The Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone National Park are two of the state’s most…

The Russian-Chinese statement said that the United States must stop the global missile arms race. He added that the bilateral partnership between the two sides is not directed against a third party. Russia and China have indicated that the United States should respond to North Korea’s “legal and rational” concerns. The statement stressed that there is growing concern about the “Okos” coalition, which includes America, Britain and Australia. The joint statement added that Beijing and Moscow agreed to intensify mutual support for Central Asian countries. Moscow and Beijing also expressed their welcome to the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Russia…

Wenbin added, in a press conference in response to a question about US President Joe Biden’s statement that he will speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping soon, that China believes that “the value and importance of communication lies in improving understanding between the two countries, managing differences, and not just communicating for the sake of communication.” According to Reuters news agency. Wenbin said that in pursuit of selfish geopolitical interests, Australia, the United States and Britain ignored the concerns of the international community and went further in a “dangerous path”, after the announcement in California of Australia’s purchase of…

Marburg virus has killed five people in Tanzania’s north-western Kagera region, the health ministry has said. High fever is a common symptom of the deadly Ebola-like virus, often followed by bleeding and organ failure. Tanzania’s Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said the disease had been contained and she was confident it would not spread further. Three people are being treated in hospital and authorities are tracing 161 contacts, Ms Mwalimu added. Tanzania’s strategy to control the spread was praised by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO’s regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said: “The efforts by Tanzania’s health authorities to…

Former PM Paul Keating’s tirade against the $368 billion nuclear submarine deal got a good reception from Crikey readers. Jo Vallentine writes: Good on Paul Keating for stating some of the bleeding obvious (“Keating’s blast wounds many — and raises inconvenient questions”). Even the amount the government has earmarked for the necessary upgrades to WA’s Stirling naval base near where I live is a scandal at $8 billion — so that we can suffer frequent visits of British and American nuclear submarines until we pay through the nose for the second-hand Virginia-class cast-offs from the United States in the next decade. …

A new report from the American Library Association says attempted book bannings and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022 NEW YORK (AP) — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association being released Thursday. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021 and by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago. “I’ve never seen anything like this,”…