Posted on 01/17/2018 9:34:49 AM PST by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON (AP) — Basic rights and political freedoms in the United States are deteriorating at a faster pace under President Donald Trump, exacerbated by attacks on key institutions like the press and the courts, according to a new report released Tuesday by Freedom House.
In its annual global assessment, the think tank slammed the Trump administration for withdrawing from America's "historical commitment to promoting and supporting democracy," calling it perhaps the most striking on a "long list of troubling developments" around the world in 2017. The report criticizes Trump for making false statements, refusing to disclose his taxes and other information, violating basic ethical standards and taking insufficient steps to counter Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who ran against Trump in the election, said he believed American institutions were strong enough to withstand attacks, but was concerned about Trump's weak support for NATO, the Iran nuclear deal and other global alliances that serve as bulwarks against authoritarian governments. Previewing the report, Kasich said he was also worried that Trump's frequent disparagement of the press and judiciary could send a signal to autocrats overseas that it's OK to delegitimize those institutions in their own countries.
"I would hope that over time, the people who are around the president would make clear that words matter," Kasich said on a conference call organized by Freedom House. "Sometimes when you're frustrated, it makes sense to sit on your hands or keep your mouth shut."
Freedom House, based in Washington, describes itself as a non-partisan watchdog group. Its annual report on the state of political freedoms examines countries around the world and has often focused on the decline of democracy abroad.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
The only democracy in the United Stated is the election and legislature’s processes. Our Constitutional Republic is well removed from democracy as it must be. Democratic processes within the constructs of the republic have not changes one bit.
democratic freedoms, crime and more of it
Bookmark to see what drivel they’re printing (?) now.
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