Democracy

How Facebook & Surveillance Capitalism Empower Authoritarianism “Black Elevation.” “Mindful Being.” “Resisters.” “Aztlan Warriors.” Those are the names of some of the accounts removed from Facebook and Instagram Tuesday after Facebook uncovered a plot to covertly influence the midterm elections. The tech giant said 32 fake accounts and Facebook pages… »

Given the overwhelming evidence that activist efforts are failing to halt the accelerating rush to extinction precipitated and maintained by dysfunctional human behavior, it is worth reflecting on why this is happening. Of course, you might say that the rush to extinction is being slowed. But is… »

By JOHN WEEKS 18 July 2018 for openDemocracy What is the source of the 21st century tendency to authoritarianism? The central purpose of neoliberal re-regulation is to remove economic policy from control by representative democracy. It is difficult to find a major country in which… »

He gets almost everything wrong. But last weekend Donald Trump got something right. To the horror of the other leaders of the rich world, he defended democracy against its detractors. Perhaps predictably, he has been universally condemned for it. His crime was to insist that the… »

Maria Ressa, Rappler Executive Editor, and CEO of Philippine online news agency Rappler, was awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom Award by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) in Portugal last June 7. A global network of news publishers whose mission is “to protect the rights of… »

With 180 votes in favour and 169 against, the Spanish Parliament has kicked Mariano Rajoy out of the Moncloa [Parliament] and elected the socialist Pedro Sánchez. Sánchez becomes president of the government after a no confidence motion, an intelligent and timely action. The election of the… »

Malalai Joya is an Afghan politician, activist and writer. As an elected Member of Parliament, on December 17, 2003 in the Loya Jirga assembly, she denounced the presence of people she called “warlords and war criminals” in Parliament. Since then she has suffered attacks and death threats, so much that… »

Representatives of social and popular organizations of Peru, Latin America and the Caribbean, we have met in Lima / Peru from April 10 to 14, 2018 to discuss the political, social and economic reality of our America, to share our struggles and resistances, to strengthen the militant solidarity of our… »

The for-profit social media giant Facebook harvests vast amounts of data from each of its 2 billion users across the globe. This data trove gives Facebook unparalleled commercial power and, as is becoming increasingly clear, the ability to influence significant events, including national elections. Revelations about Facebook’s role in the… »

By Richard Falk, As demagogic leaders with popular approval or at least acquiescence dominate the political process of several important ‘democratic’ states questions need to be asked about the core or indispensable content of democracy. Other states seek the imprimatur of ‘democracy’ but limit drastically the choices open to the citizenry… »