Page 31 - Backsliding News Today

To make sure that the ukrainian government has a way to communicate with those populations that might only get their news from the kremlin sponsored state news network. so i think thats very smart. and then more broadly we see the u.s., the uk and the new government really investing in supporting ukraine and the efforts of pushing back on russias disinformation around the european continent. and we are learning. we are learning slowly. i would like to see more investment from all of the ally cou...

>> reporter: the last year has been a bitter less sunday for the heart broken, newly unemployed journalists. >> i trusted for over 27 years. >> i just hope that anyone still have freedom of speech, just, you must hold it tight. >> reporter: ivan watson, cnn hong kong. >> thats what democratic backsliding looks like. it can happen anywhere. well be back this time next week with more "reliable sources."

Democratic forces. and most of the countries that we watched where there have been severe democratic backsliding, hungary, russia, or venezuela, opposition forces have been very weak. parties have been weak, the media is weak, civil society is weak. in the u.s., for all of its flaws, represents a well organized or opposition. and organized civil societies are quite strong. so the ability of republicans who are say trumpist government to just wipe out or we stamp out, the opposition is -- are goi...

Just say this, i posited on the senate floor when i was speaking in favor of the voting rights legislation why is it that republicans seem to have a problem with having ballot boxes in minority communities, drop boxes in minority communities and say that its minority communities it creates fraud, but when you have ballot dropoff boxes in non-minority communities, there is no such fraud? maybe we got our answer. >> and your thoughts on folks like governor ron desantis setting up election police f...

The ukrainian government has a way to communicate with those populations that might only get their news from kremlin-sponsored state news networks. so i think thats very smart. more broadly, we see a lot of western governments, the u.s., u.k. and new governments investing and supporting ukraine in these efforts and supporting pushing back on russian disinformation around the european continent. and were learning slowly. i would like to see more investment from all of the allied countries in this...

>> i dont think anybody knows what vladimir putins final decision will b. he has over 110,000 troops on the border. hes escalated this aggression in a very significant way. we have to help the ukrainians prepare for that possibility. i think president zelensky, whom we met with, is trying to balance not panicking his country but also making certain theyre prepared for it. i think thats the right approach. theyre determined, prepared to fight for their democracy. they made that very clear to us. ...

United states. >> well i dont think its the reason many people often think about it. i dont think its our culture, i dont think its our constitution or history. i think its primarily the strength of a parade opposition or the strength of small democratic forces. and most of the countries that we watched where there have been severe democratic backsliding, hungary, russia, or venezuela, opposition forces have been very weak. parties have been weak, the media is weak, civil society is weak. in the...

I got to tell you, thats damn scary to me to see something like that, given what you said, absolutely, about gabby giffords, to know there was a violent insurrection at the nations capitol on january 6th. that was incredibly scary. and the point -- the bigger point that i would want to make is even though were saying that its trumps party, my biggest fear is that he can not even control what he is wrought at this point. and if that is the case, then we are on a very, very fast track to what one ...

The soviet block have chosen one by one to become more open, more liberal. none on per. far from it. to large countries like poland to tiny ones like moldova, theyve adapted open market economics. theres been backsliding in some countries but the movement towards western values since 1989 is the powerful designation. putins reaction is is a bloody brutal effort. he has watched as the largest pro democracy protest moved

Lasted two years. ill bet this one also flew under your radar. in 2020, azerbaijans corrupt leader eli ali of attacked our medias autonomys territory, known as an agüero car back. which had long been self governed by ethnic our medians. its troops sees much of that territory by force. thousands of armenians soldiers were, killed in it triggered a massive refugee crisis. ali have is still currently attempting a cultural array sure of the armenian population. armeniani dont have time in thw to gi...