Another Organization of Conservatives and Republicans Opposing Trumpism

           I have been posting since last year of prominent conservatives and Republicans who have been organizing to oppose Trumpism (protectionism, nativism, isolationism and authoritarianism).  The most recent post was Update: Conservatives and Republicans Are Organizing Against Trumpism in September: https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/09/update-conservatives-and-republicans.html.  I have since discovered another such organization: https://www.republicansforintegrity.org/, which is made up of former Republican members of Congress who are defending the rule of law.

Update on Venezuela: More Deadly Protests against Socialist Dictatorship; Attacks on Aid Shipments

           There have been more protests in Venezuela against the Socialist dictatorship and more deaths of protestors at the hands of the regime and deadly attacks by Socialist forces on humanitarian aid. 

Japan and some additional European States recognized the democratic opposition legislative leader as the de jure president, joining many Western Hemisphere and other European States and Australia.  The Italian Republic was among those who called for new elections.  Russian Federation tyrant Vladimir Putin warns the United States against military intervention, but the Russians have been among those who have already intervened in Venezuela with hundreds of mercenaries to defend the Socialists.

More Venezuelan government officials have recognized the new President and some servicemen have fled the country after being ordered by the de facto regime to block humanitarian international aid shipments, joining the millions of Venezuelans who have fled Socialist tyranny, corruption, crime and shortages.  Some aid convoys were nevertheless attacked and the aid vehicles destroyed and people were killed.  The de jure President has been attempting to coordinate the acceptance of aid.  Meanwhile, a democratic opposition legislative leader was poisoned while in Colombia and an aide was killed, just like how Russia attacks exiles who criticize the tyrant ruling their former country.

Restore the Original Intent of the Holiday of “Washington’s Birthday” to Honor George Washington, Not All the Presidents

As I do every year, I post to urge the replacement of “Presidents’ Day” as an American holiday with “Washington’s Birthday” and to recall the greatness of George Washington as an example to follow.  Sometimes I post on the holiday, like today, and other times on Washington’s February 22 birthday, depending on the circumstances.

This year, it is encouraging that there has been more discussion than usual by historians and others recalling the historic origins of the federal and state holiday that the day was intended to honor Washington, and secondarily Abraham Lincoln at most, not all the other Presidents of the United States.  The federal holiday of “Washington’s Birthday,” which remains its legal name, was intended to honor Washington for all his achievements, including as the General who led the Continental Army during the American Revolution, as a Founding Father, and other contributions to the early Republic, in addition to his great presidency.  Most States in the Union call their holiday “Presidents’ Day” or something similar, without mentioning Washington.  Furthermore, the federal and coincidental state holidays are never celebrated on February 22.

It has thus become the popular custom to refer to the holiday as “Presidents’ Day,” though often lacking the apostrophe or with it placed incorrectly, with a corresponding focus on all of the federal Chief Executives, including those who were scoundrels.  This custom minimizes the greatness of Washington and promotes the cult of the presidency and the elevation of the prestige of the Executive Branch over the two other co-equal Branches of Government and thus the system of checks and balances as part of the constitutional doctrine of the Separation of Powers, something to which the First American President would have objected.  

Washington’s achievements are unparalleled by any other American.  His faith, morality, humility and self-control were essential to his good character and his public reputation and professional success.  On this holiday, it is prudent also to recall particularly Washington’s opposition to bigotry, his openness to those seeking asylum from persecution and his opposition to isolationism, in addition to his fealty to the Constitution and all the principles upon which it is based, such as federalism, the Separation of Powers, the independence of the judiciary and the freedoms of speech and of the press.

With the trend toward States requiring more civics education that I have posted in support of, I hope that more study of George Washington will be included as an example of how to live out American principles of self-government and representative republicanism.  

Freedom House's 2018 Annual Report Cites Continued Decline of Freedom and Particularly Blames Donald Trump

Freedom has declined around the world for the thirteenth consecutive year, according to Freedom House in its 2018 annual report: https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/01/freedom-house-reports-decline-of.html.  The report puts an even greater emphasis on how Donald Trump is undermining liberty in America and globally than in the 2017 report, which I had posted about at the time.

Freedom House cites the challenges to the United States constitutional system as threats that undermine political rights and civil liberties.  Not only is the U.S. withdrawal under Trump from supporting human rights around the world, and also praising and legitimizing authoritarians and sometimes even specifically praising their authoritarianism, exacerbating the global rise of authoritarianism, but tyrants and potential tyrants are copying Trump’s language and methods in concentrating political power and engaging in corruption.  The independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, the separation of powers, the constitutional checks and balances, the freedom of the press and the legitimacy of elections are all under assault under Trump, who is enabled by an inadequate legislative check, although the report observes that other checks have been effective.  America, once the beacon of freedom, is now an effective example of extinguishing liberty. 

Other Western States were criticized by Freedom House for failing to stand up enough for freedom abroad.  The report also particularly chides Australia and Italy for their anti-migrant policies that force migrants to the remote Pacific island State of Nauru or allow them to be detained by warring militias in Libya, respectively.

A trend toward populism on the left and right and especially of far-right nationalism was observed in the report.  This illiberal nationalism threatens migrants and sometimes the rights of various minorities.  Minorities have also been especially persecuted by Burma and Communist China, Freedom House notes.

            The supplanting of elective representative government with repressive autocracy has been noticeable since the early 2000s, particularly in the Russian Federation, Venezuela and, in more recent years, Turkey.  These States have served as examples of how democratically elected governments can become authoritarian, using the veneer of subsequently unfree elections for legitimacy.  This trend is evident even in several of the former Communist States of Eastern Europe.  Indeed, a particularly noteworthy part of Freedom House’s report is that Hungary is no longer listed as a free country, but only partly free — a first for a member of the European Union.  The report also observed a trend against term limits for chief executives.

            The report cited threats against Internet freedom, with Communist China as the leading example, in accord with Freedom House’s report on Internet Freedom I had posted about in November in Freedom House Reports a Global Decline of Internet Freedom, Citing the Chinese Model: https://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2018/11/freedom-house-reports-global-decline-of.html.  The killing of journalists, both at home and abroad, is frequently mentioned in the report.  Another disturbing trend noted in the report is of unfree States attacking fellow countrymen living abroad in exile and expatriates more generally.

            There were several positive developments observed in Freedom House’s report.  Despite an overall decline in freedom, there were improvements in more countries than last year.  The report cited improvements in unfree countries Ethiopia and Angola, and in partly free countries Malaysia, Armenia, Ecuador and the Gambia.  The report also noted elections in Lebanon and Iraq, including the peaceful transfer of power in the latter.  I have posted about many of these developments.

           Another positive trend has been the rise of civil movements in countries ranging from unfree to free, including the United States for freedom or defense of constitutional norms or institutions.  These efforts are essential for defending or promoting liberty.

Foreign Digest Updates: Macedonia and Thailand

Macedonia

            After the name-change from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia, the Slavic state is applying for admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  The Greek Parliament has approved its northern neighbor’s application, which had been the obstacle to Macedonian membership.  All member States must agree to admission.  

           The name change was necessary to mollify Greek concerns that the name “Republic of Macedonia” could have led to succession of its homonymous northern province, where there is some Slavic population.  The dispute over the name lasted over two decades since Macedonian independence from Yugoslavia and was a barrier for Macedonian entry into NATO and the European Union, which is why Russian Federation tyrant Vladimir Putin opposed the name-change accord and fostered the protests that took place in Greece before the approval by the Hellenic Republic’s Parliament of the accord.

Thailand

           Thailand’s military junta has scheduled parliamentary elections for March, the first Thai parliamentary elections in over five years, since the junta seized power following a political impasse between the two main rival parties over mutual allegations of corruption.  The King’s sister recently declared her intention to stand as a candidate for Prime Minister for the party of a former controversial Premier, but the Princess has withdrawn her candidacy because of the King’s concern about the monarchy not being politically neutral.

Update: More Protests and Recognition of Venezuela’s Democratic President

           Protests against the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship continue, with the death toll continuing to rise because of the lack of respect for the freedom to assembly peaceably.  

          Some government officials are recognizing the democratic opposition leader as the new President of Venezuela because of the lack of free and fair elections and the thwarting of the popular will in the supplanting of the popularly elected Congress with a new assembly.  The new President claimed his office by invoking a constitutional provision, supported by the duly appointed Supreme Court. 

           Joining the United States, many other Western Hemisphere States and Australia, most of the major European Union members have now recognized the new President, including Spain, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, among others, following the vote of the European Parliament.  Italy is the exception among the major States because of opposition from the anti-establishment populists who lead the Government, unlike the anti-immigrant League, which supports recognizing him, despite their pro-Russian views.  The Russian Federation’s tyrant, Vladimir Putin, is leading the authoritarian bloc of States in favor of the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship.  Some States are claiming they are trying to avoid interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs, but this response is a cop-out because every state must decide whether a government is the legitimate representative of the people it rules when considering diplomatic recognition.