When under siege from authoritarian aggressors, democratic forces are forced to engage in an unending series of skirmishes testing their will and values. We recently saw this play out in three very different settings. In a sign democracy is on the rebound, resolute figures proved themselves up to the task of defending democratic values and institutions.
Delaney Hall is facing accountability
At the Delaney Hall immigration facility, politicians such as Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) have shown up at personal risk to call attention to the horrific conditions for detainees and the abusive conduct toward protestors.
In addition, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and Gov. Mikie Sherrill filed suit against the GEO Group Inc., which operates Delaney Hall, demanding it provide full access to health inspectors or face closure. The city of Newark filed its own action and lifted the curfew that was imposed, ostensibly to reduce conflict between protestors and state officials.
As the New York Times reported, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka moved in to take control on the ground after widespread criticism of state police tactics:
Baraka said that the state officials were handing greater control to the city after the state police failed to cool tensions between the demonstrators and federal immigration enforcement officers. He said that the city planned to remove protest zones that had limited demonstrators’ movements and would lean on street teams largely made up of clergy and community activists to keep the peace.... Mr. Baraka said that the state police used tactics that only made matters worse as the protests grew during the weekend.
In sum, neither stonewalling by the Department of Homeland Security nor ham-handed police tactics by New Jersey state police have been able to silence critics. Rather than intimidate protests, the effort to silence criticism and block investigation backfired. A persistent, disciplined effort undertaken by federal and local officials, litigators, and ordinary Americans to challenge brutality and lawlessness is forcing accountability on the private prison system.
Ukraine persists
On the physical battlefield against authoritarian aggression, Ukraine has defied the odds and turned the tide against Russian invaders. “A small but growing number of European officials and analysts are saying what four years ago was unthinkable: Ukraine isn’t just surviving its grueling war with Russia, it is in some ways thriving and may even be on a path to victory,” Defense One reported. Though Russian aerial barrages kill innocent people and cause great damage, Ukraine has intercepted the vast majority of them. Moreover, Ukraine has taken the fight to Russia’s homeland to shatter the illusion of security for the Russian population. (In a brazen move, as the BBC reported, “Ukraine has carried out a strike on the outskirts of Russia’s St Petersburg, hours before the opening of a major economic forum designed to attract foreign investment into the country.”)
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Ukraine’s AI and drone technology, its willingness to experiment with new tactics, and its development of a sophisticated domestic defense industry have overcome Russia’s overwhelming numbers and a cynical government’s willingness to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of its own people. Ukraine is demonstrating that a thugocracy stultified by corruption, rigidity, and fear is no match for a democracy that benefits from an informed, engaged citizenry, free dialogue and scientific innovation.
Despite threats and pressure from Vladamir Putin stooge Donald Trump, Ukraine seems to have plenty of cards these days. That is why Putin (not unlike Trump in Iran) finds himself trapped in a costly forever war that has served only to undermine his support. As Foreign Affairs explained:
Stopping the fighting now would mean economic dislocation, social upheaval, and a political reckoning the regime is not prepared to face. Moscow, in other words, has stumbled into a war trap that no one designed and no one can easily dismantle. …
He cannot demobilize without setting off a vast unemployment and reintegration crisis. He cannot cut defense spending without devastating the regions and industries that depend on it. And he cannot abandon the narrative of existential struggle without undermining the legitimacy on which his authority rests.
So, Russia plods along at the cost of thousands of deaths each week, further economic hardship, and increased social discord. Trump’s efforts to bully Ukraine into submission have failed. He should spend more time persuading Putin to look for an off ramp. It’s Russia that desperately needs to end this debacle.
Heroic defense of free press
Veteran CBS reporter Scott Pelley channeled the frustrations of his colleagues, conscientious journalists throughout legacy and independent media, and anyone who cherishes a free press when he denounced CBS News chief Bari Weiss and her new executive producer of 60 Minutes, Nick Bilton. Pelley’s refreshing candor in confronting Bilton face to face (after a bloodbath of firings the previous week) served to debunk Weiss’s claims of devotion to the program (she is murdering it, he declared). He also called out their lack of qualifications (so much for merit in MAGA-friendly environs) and denounced efforts to manipulate facts and inject bias. He cut through the fog of cringeworthy platitudes that have poured out of Black Rock since Trump booster David Ellison took control of the network. (As remarkable as Pelley’s interrogation of his boss was, the naivete of CBS’s new management was even more stunning. They plainly underestimated the tenacity of real journalists — and wound up embarrassed when, of course, an audio of the meeting leaked.)
At an editorial meeting after Pelley’s firing was announced, Weiss sounded whiny and defensive, insisting, “Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways.” She added: “We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.” Pelley swiftly denounced that as a lie, again exposing Weiss’s lack of credibility.
Pelley’s stand undermined any claim that Ellison, Weiss, and Bilton are independent figures acting in the best traditions of journalism. He stripped the pretense of legitimacy, which is key to undermining their effectiveness, and robbed them of any claim to independence. He also reminded journalists of their obligation to speak truth to power not only in government but also in their own outlets and to resist manipulation and censorship.
What democracy defenders have in common
In very different contexts, the coordinated effort to end abuse at Delaney Hall, the Ukrainians’ defense of their homeland, and the courageous stance taken by Scott Pelley (backed up by many of his coworkers) attest to the strength of the pro-democracy movement. Undaunted, unintimidated, and uncompromising, those who value democratic norms and institutions have shown they can prevail against entrenched forces that use violence, bullying, threats, and lies to cling to power. We salute those who fight authoritarian oppressors at Delaney Hall, the Kremlin, and CBS/Paramount — which, despite a great deal of bluster, looked small, defensive, and inept in the face of principled resistance.
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