America's Democratic Wobble
NATO is about more than defense. It is about strengthening democracy. In the age of disinformation, can the US keep up?
Congrats to Emily and Meredith for winning the book drawing for The Fall of Roe.
Remembering Srebrenica, 29 years on.
Sadly, my father, aka Papa B., passed away last week. His life was a gift, as was the time that we spent together. Born into war and ethnic cleansing, he escaped from Crimea to Germany then Turkey before settling in the United States in the early 1960s. An avid gardener and sports fan (a Mets fan!), he never dwelled in the negative, making the most of situations and always finding a way to crack a joke. Even in his final days, he not only chided me for crying at his bedside, but managed to get in a few zingers. He was a generous, kind, and joyful person. Nur içinde yatsın.
As such, I’ve handed my pen to Nina Jankowicz, an Interruptrr fellow and the Co-Founder and CEO of The American Sunlight Project this week. Thank you Nina. I’ll have a number of other guest columnists until the end of the month. — Elmira
My very first piece of writing published in a well-known outlet was released almost exactly eight years ago. For Foreign Policy, I argued that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump misunderstood NATO. Not exactly a shocker. In questioning the Alliance’s utility and describing it as a protection racket, he was undermining its defense posture and security guarantees. But, I wrote in July 2016:
Trump’s preoccupation with the dollars and cents of NATO belies his lack of understanding of the history and meaning of the alliance. Though NATO is primarily a defensive mechanism, it also holds great symbolic weight as a community “founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.” And while NATO’s continued utility in the post-Cold War era has been questioned, rising authoritarianism in Europe presents an opportunity for the alliance to reimagine and reassert itself as the great pro-democratic force the 21st century desperately needs.
This week, leaders gathered in a steamy Washington for the annual NATO Summit, which marked the Alliance’s 75th Anniversary. Questions about Trump’s commitment to NATO still haunted it, with the potential for a second Trump term on the horizon. Some of the “rising authoritarianism” I wrote about in 2016 has since been quelled: Poland’s Law and Justice party’s eight-year uniparty grip on power ended last fall when voters ushered in a centrist ruling coalition. Hungary and Turkey still have worrying anti-democratic tendencies, of course, but NATO has flexed its pro-democracy muscles as it has supported Ukraine over the two and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
So, democracy has returned as a bedrock value of the Alliance, its future secured, right? Not exactly. There is a rather large elephant in the NATO room, and its name is the United States of America. It is not just Donald Trump’s bombastic rhetoric or doubts about Joe Biden’s stamina that are shaking the Alliance. It is America’s current democratic wobble.
Article 2 of the NATO Treaty—the quiet older sister of Article 5, which guarantees that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all—holds that NATO members “will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being.”
Can the United States truly believe that at this moment it is “strengthening [its] free institutions” when the Supreme Court has just declared presidents immune from prosecution while conducting official duties? Are we “bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded” if a former president and current candidate actively spreads disinformation about the outcome of the previous election, and dupes over one-third of Americans in the process? And what about ‘stability and well-being” in a country where women’s bodily autonomy is in question?
The foundation of NATO is the Alliance’s democratic values. They make up some of the key components that make NATO membership an attractive offer to nations like Georgia, which was “one of the largest non-NATO troop contributors to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan,” and Ukraine, which has been defending NATO’s eastern flank since Russia began its invasion in 2014. Safeguarding those values begins at home, and yet in the United States, even under the most progressive president in our country’s history, we are experiencing democratic backsliding that would inspire notes of “serious concern” if it were happening elsewhere.
The Supreme Court’s political posturing, the Big Lie, and the right’s attacks on women are all well-known examples of this phenomenon. But there are thousands of lesser-known case studies. One has scored a direct hit on me and my family: a years-long campaign against independent researchers and civil society organizations that study disinformation. Those leading the campaign erroneously claim that any research on or communication about disinformation is akin to censorship.
I was the first person to be in this campaign’s crosshairs when I was appointed to the Biden Administration to lead a body within the Department of Homeland Security that would have coordinated policy responses to disinformation. I endured a barrage of hate that included doxxing, deep fake pornography, and threats to me and my family. The campaign continued after I resigned, both against me and other researchers in the field. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives led a McCarthyist inquisition against researchers in the field, levying onerous document requests and hauling us before closed-door panels designed to burden and intimidate us, keeping us from doing our work ahead of the 2024 election. The campaign has also included strategic litigation against many in the field. One of the leading research centers working on disinformation was dissolved due to this pressure. These scenes sound like a Putinesque campaign against civil society, not those from the lives of researchers in the country hosting this year’s NATO Summit.
For whatever it’s worth, the Summit Communique recognizes the importance of work to counter disinformation; it mentions disinformation five times. It also underlines the Alliance’s shared values, including democracy, in its opening and closing paragraphs. If Trump wins re-election, one wonders whether either term will appear in future communiques, or whether the United States, shirking its commitment to democratic values, will be a signatory to them at all.
Nina Jankowicz is the Co-Founder and CEO of The American Sunlight Project, a non-profit working to increase the cost of lies that undermine democracy.
I’m opening up my column to others. Please pitch me your op-ed idea/perspective. Let’s get more female perspectives. Email me on endeavoringe@gmail.com or respond to this post.
Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
NATO Summit
NATO is 75. And it’s never looked so….? The White House hosted a summit in DC to mark the occasion this week. Rather than being a celebration, the event, as Emma Ashford notes, is about “whether America will continue to play the leading role in European defense.” (What is to be Done?) 👀😬
Tony P is helping to keep NATO young. The alliance has tapped a number of “20-something influencers to spread its message,” writes Laura Dhillon Kane. Will that persuade Gen Z to get excited about the alliance and its future? 😬There’s lots of that emoji this week… (Time)
Ukraine took center stage at this week’s NATO summit, replete with an appearance from Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That meant that there was also a lot of focus on how the alliance can best defend its allies against Russia, China, and North Korea, writes Khushboo Razdan. (South China Morning Post)
With China and Russia taking an increased interest in the Sahel region of Africa and NATO torn on the specifics of how to approach the region, the southern flank of NATO states risks increased migration and security issues. Silvia Colombo and Intissar Fakir lay out the situation and offer suggestions. (Middle East Institute)
French elections
Whew. The snap French election was definitely full of surprises. To start, it was the shortest campaign in modern history, which makes us incredibly jealous. #LifeGoals. Then there was the unexpected showing for the leftist New Popular Front and the disappointing results for the far-right National Rally that left the country’s parliament in a three-way split. Who will head the country now? Angelique Chrisafis takes a look. (The Guardian)
Did Macron’s election gamble work? What happens in France now? Is Marine Le Pen finished? Clea Caulcutt outlines five takeaways from the French election. (Politico)
Iran elections
Iran’s election also delivered a stunning result. The reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, who is against the compulsory hijab rule, won. Yet, as Holly Dagres points out, many Iranians, particularly the young, did not vote. Gen Z doesn’t see a “bright future,” she writes. Even if Pezeshkian does succeed on his reformist agenda, it is unlikely to satisfy Iran’s 20-somethings. (NYT)
A reformist may have won Iran’s election, but the real power lies with the Islamic clerics, writes Ellen Ioanes. His ability to implement change will be limited. (Vox)
Pezeshkian has indicated that he would like to restart talks with the US. What does that mean for US-Iran nuclear diplomacy? Elizabeth Hagedorn discusses. (Al-Monitor)
UK elections
In the United Kingdom, Labour claimed a decisive victory in the July 4 election. Keir Starmer has taken up as prime minister at No 10. As he works to respond to voters' concerns, can he also improve the UK’s place in the world? Bronwen Maddox and Olivia O’Sullivan look at a number of global challenges. (Chatham House)
Can the UK’s new Labour government successfully reframe the discussion around human rights? Yasmine Ahmed says it is possible, but it will require courage and conviction. (HRW)
US
The calls for Biden to drop out of the November race are getting louder. If he stays, there are questions about whether he can win. If he drops out, there are questions about how fit he is to serve out the remainder of his term. Liana Fix considers the global implications of Joe Biden on the ticket. (CFR)
What is Project 2025? It’s a Heritage Foundation blueprint for another Trump presidency. Laura Barron Lopez lays out what it includes, which is a considerable erosion of checks and balances. (PBS News Hour)
When it comes to nuclear weapons, how do Biden and Trump compare? Caitlin Talmadge examines how each approached the nuclear issue and what to expect upon reelection. (Brookings)
US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Sarah Fortinsky with the details. (The Hill)
Africa
Digital threats continue to undermine elections around the world. Abi Watson and Fennet Habte dive deep into four key building blocks that have proved successful in Africa when it comes to mitigating digital threats to elections. (Global Public Policy Institute)
Asia
Russia and North Korea just entered a new security alliance. What does this mean for global security and geopolitical balance in the region? Sheila Smith explains. (CFR)
India’s recent elections challenged the dominance of the BJP and PM Modi. While the opposition party is gaining momentum, Yamini Aiyar says there is still work to be done. (WPR)
Nepal transitioned away from being a Hindu monarchy between 2006 and 2008 but former King of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah’s, 77th birthday this July is bringing up a big question for Nepalis: Why do they want the monarchy back? Anne Mocko explains how current instability and a constantly changing government frustrate the Nepalese. (The Conversation)
Women and civil society groups were excluded from a UN-convened meeting on Afghanistan in Doha — ironic, right? Shanthie Mariet D’Souza thinks that this was a little counterproductive. (The Diplomat)
The Americas
Panama’s new president, José Raul Mulino, took office on July 1. Mary Triny Zea clues us in on his ambitious agenda which includes closing the Darién Gap to migration and addressing the Panama Canal’s critical water shortage. (Americas Quarterly)
Conservative Evangelicals in Brazil are using social media to sway voters ahead of municipal elections in October. Daniela Dib and Matheus Andrade clue us in on the role this social media content could play. (Rest of World)
Europe
Russia issued an arrest warrant for Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, even though she no longer lives in Russia. Mary Ilyushina and Natalia Abbakumova on what this means, especially given that the announcement came the same day India’s PM Modi was in Moscow. (Washington Post)
Refugees who have landed in Cyprus face challenging living conditions, not to mention an uncertain future. In December 2023, the country banned refugees from obtaining citizenship, which as Hanna Davis notes, “many will never be able to step foot off the island.” She reflects on the harsh policies asylum seekers face. (Inkstick Media)
Double-tap strikes are as gruesome as they sound — one strike followed by another, the second being a direct attempt at harming first responders, civilians, and others who come to assist the victims of the first. That’s what Russia is deploying in Ukraine (after “testing” them out in Syria). Mercedes Sapuppo and Shelby Magid review the accountability mechanisms, or lack thereof, for tracking and eventually punishing perpetrators of the tactic. (Just Security)
Middle East
Despite the impossible conditions, humanitarian aid workers continue their operations in Gaza. Olga Cherevko on the horrors Palestinians are facing. (Al Jazeera)
US President Biden has been pushing for Saudi-Israeli normalization. That’s dangerous, argue Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr. At issue is the establishment of a Palestinian state, which the current Israeli government has said it rejects. (Foreign Affairs)
Science & Climate Change
Hurricane Beryl just surpassed the expectations of what an early-season hurricane could be. Mary Gilbert on what this storm’s rapid intensity could mean for the rest of the hurricane season. (CNN)
Under the Radar
Sigh. A number of anti-trans laws and regulations have been passed in the United States over the past decade or so. Despite so many laws directly addressing their identities, we still have yet to see a trans person in Congress. Delawarean Sarah McBride could change that and become the first. Sara Pequeño fills us in on her story. (USA Today)
Opportunities
In DC, The McCain Institute is hiring a Chief Operating Officer.
In DC, work with the terrific Alyssa Ayres at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs as a Executive Special Assistant.
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Emily Smith
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