Crash Course: Is democracy starting to turn the tide around the world? A new report says just maybe

Eight small countries have fought back hard against authoritarianism — oh, and there's Brazil and the U.S. too [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdWxwczZlbGNvdS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaW1sdDI0emw1ZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Is democracy starting to turn the tide around the world? A new report says just maybe Here's the bad news: The erosion of democracy continues to advance around the world, according to the [2023 reportÂ](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveHo5NnN3OGUxcS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)from V-Dem, the independent research institute that seeks to measure the qualities of supposed democratic nations. A record 42 countries experienced democratic setbacks or the process V-Dem calls "autocratization," compared to 22 last year and just 13 in 2022. "The level of democracy enjoyed by the average world citizen in 2022 is back to 1986 levels," said Staffan Lindberg, director of the V-Dem Institute, in a [press announcement](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNWV3dXByeGlzMC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). "This means that 72 percent of the world's population, 5.7 billion people, live under authoritarian rule." For the first time since 1995, Lindberg said, there are more "closed autocracies" (aka dictatorships) than genuine liberal democracies. [Read the rest from Paul Rosenberg.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYmI0NnliYWUxay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images) Ted Nugent calls Zelenskyy a "homosexual weirdo" during Trump's Waco rally Near the 30-year anniversary of the Waco siege, during which Branch Davidian cult leader [David Koresh](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveXMyZjVhYjN5dC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and many others were killed in a gun battle and fiery blaze, Trump is in the midst of a rally . . . in Waco. As Salon's Heather Digby Parton pointed out in an earlier commentary about this rally, "considering that Trump is under investigation for inciting an insurrection that resulted in violent clashes between police and extremists, this is too on the nose to be a coincidence." [Read the rest from Kelly McClure.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveDNiNmJsc3pjMS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images) - Don't sugar coat it: How "[pancake syrup](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNnVqYXB5bTZ1by8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)" stacks up to real maple syrup - Steve Coogan on finding ["The Lost King"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMjcyZ3ZvZmZubi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): "It's not a journalistic piece. It's a point of view" - Despite lurid headlines, there is no "[seaweed blob](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveGlsZTQ2YTM0Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)" coming for Florida, oceanographer says - [Pattie Boyd](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZm85MzdheXd4Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on the Beatles' legacy, working on "A Hard Day's Night" and falling for George Harrison - Buyers pick through [Murdaugh family](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY3ZkZTlpNzZsYS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) belongings in estate auction - ["Ted Lasso"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDBqMWVwdjc1Mi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and the redemption of Jamie Tartt - [Depeche Mode](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZzNoZDRoem5tcC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) embraces life and death with new album "Memento Mori" - [TikTok's algorithm](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbWY2c3lreGtqNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is pushing out extremist and violent content to 13-year-olds If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNHFkODJqeWR5bS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Michigan offers real hope — and a roadmap back to democracy and common sense In the market for a bit of hope on how to return to sensible politics and public policy? Look no further than Michael Moore's home state of Michigan. On March 22, the state legislature [passed](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbzdycDV5d3R4dS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) an eight-bill gun safety package. A repeal of the state's 1931 ban on abortion has also been adopted. On March 19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law bills protecting the rights of LGBTQ citizens. Meanwhile, the legislature is rushing to [expand election protections](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcGpwOXM3bmFyaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) by instituting automatic voter registration, reinstating the voting rights of ex-felons, criminalizing the harassment of election workers and broadening access to early voting. [Read the rest from Dennis Aftergut.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY2I3aGMyZXFpOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) - "Mississippi tornado and storms kill at least 23," [Reuters](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvemhvd3lzejE4eC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Kanye West now “likes Jewish people again” – thanks to Jonah Hill in ’21 Jump Street,’" [NME](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMzYyOTlneTVuNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Principal resigns after Florida students shown Michelangelo statue," [BBC](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYmRnM3U4M3Bpbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Afroman Is Sued by Police Officers After Using Their Faces in Music Videos," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMXg5cWx1OXJzZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW1XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) NASA hopes to clean up space junk; experts say the days of uncluttered night skies are "over" "We have to learn how to live in our own filthy bathwater at this point." Dr. Moriba Jah's words were hardly reassuring — but, then again, he was not trying to be. An associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin's Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department, I'd asked Jah what it would take for Earth's skies to be clear again for astronomers. As many stargazers will tell you, there are so many satellites and chunks of man-made debris in orbit around the Earth that it is difficult to observe the wonders of the universe without distraction. Before the Soviet Union launched humanity's first artificial satellite (Sputnik) in 1957, this [so-called "space junk"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMjYzNHJ6N21rYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) literally did not exist. Now it is so prevalent that Jah bluntly informed Salon the days in which Earth-dwellers could gaze at a pure night sky are forever "over..." "It's like [plastics in the ocean](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMWp4bjl4dnVvcS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)," Jah continued. "Just like we'll never have pristine oceans, we'll never have pristine land. It's done." [Read the rest from Matthew Rozsa.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvczQzZjNyYjRxNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPTBxaDVna3cweW0mbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZApHJiBkKnunxlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Getty Images/janiecbros) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmQKRyYgZCp7p8ZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmAqtGP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpkCkcmIGQqe6fGUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)