• Mon, December 9, 2024

by: CounterPunch

How Republics Succeed, Falter, and Fail

The U.S. enjoys many strengths that give it an edge over other republics, such as a decentralized and innovative economy that draws global talent and

by: Mediaite

'Wants to Protect His Child': Durbin Defends Biden as Tapper Grills Him On Hunter Pardon President 'Said Again and Again' He Wouldn't Do

Joe Biden's unconditional pardon of Hunter covers any crimes his son might have committed dating back to 2014, which Durbin said is just being a loving dad.

by: The Indian Express

Decode Politics: Who is 'Telangana Thalli', why there is a row over her statue

The Revanth Reddy government has received flak from the BRS and the BJP for tweaking the design of Telangana Thalli, or the mother of Telangana, with the move labelled an attack on the state's cultural identity.

by: Brisbane Times

The LNP MPs paid extra to lead scrutiny of the government's new laws

While those elevated to chair parliamentary committees may get less attention than ministers or opposition frontbenchers, they wield a lot of influence.

by: ABC12

Trump lays out sweeping early acts on deportation and January 6 pardons

President-elect Donald Trump in a television interview that aired Sunday previewed a sweeping agenda for his first days in office, outlining how his administration will prioritize deporting migrants w

by: Business Standard

Who is George Soros, the man at the centre of political debate in India?

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress president Sonia Gandhi of links to an organisation funded by the George Soros Foundation, which supports the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation

by: Prime Minister of India

PM addresses the programme organised by Ramakrishna Math in Gujarat

Addressing the gathering, Shri Modi extended his greetings to the revered Shrimat Swami Gautamananda Ji Maharaj, revered saints of Ramakrishna Math and Mission from India and abroad, the Chief Minister of Gujarat,

by: WLRN

Lara Trump steps down as RNC co-chair and addresses speculation about Florida Senate seat

Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee. One of her potential next steps is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state.

by: New York Sun

Greater Idaho Movement and Other Secessionist Groups Look to Trump 2.0 as Their Time

Campaigns to change state borders or form new states speak to the divide among rural and urban, red and blue, that the 2024 election map showcases.

by: The Bulwark

Stay on the Road to Damascus

Syrians gather at Umayyad Square to celebrate the collapse of 61 years of Baath Party rule in Damascus, Syria on December 9, 2024. (Photo by Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images.)

by: NBC News

'It's like Game of Thrones': Inside the jockeying for Trump administration jobs

Trump has moved quickly to identify top officials for his next administration, but it hasn't all gone smoothly.

by: Mother Jones

What Local Texans Pay to Subsidize New Gas Terminals: $4 Million Per Job

The tax breaks that Gulf Coast communities hope will attract investment and employment mainly help the developers, a new analysis finds.

by: The Mirror

Labour echoes Dominic Cummings' drive to recruit 'weirdos and misfits' into Whitehall

In a speech on shaking up Whitehall, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden pointed to Dominic Cummings' callout for 'super-talented weirdos' to work for Boris Johnson back in 2020

by: Associated Press

How some legislatures are undercutting their voters, plus Trump's negotiations with world leaders

This newsletter was originally sent out via email to our Ground Game subscribers on Dec. 9. You can subscribe at any time at apnews.com/newsletters.

by: ABC

Biden says fall of Assad regime in Syria is a 'historic opportunity'

The current and next president responded to the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime after he fled the country as rebels advanced into Damascus.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

Bowen makes 'hypocritical' nuclear claims as Dutton accuses scientists of bias

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he's happy to take expert advice after the nation's top science agency had a second go at working out the cost of competing forms of energy.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

'I did some exercise': Albanese returns serve over tennis photos

The prime minister said he had already visited a synagogue and had six hours of meetings before he was photographed playing tennis on Saturday afternoon.

by: The New York Times

New York Times - Top Stories

Rebels stormed the Syrian capital on Sunday without encountering any significant resistance from government forces. Assad's Whereabouts Are Unclear 1 min read Who Is the Leader of Syria's ...

by: The New York Times

A Century-Old Law's Aftershocks Are Still Felt at the Supreme Court

Congress let the justices choose the cases they would decide. That change "continues to prompt political contention and crisis," a scholar argues.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

Australia spends $140m to China-proof Nauru

China will be blocked from striking any security or telecommunications deals with Nauru in exchange for $140 million from Australian taxpayers.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

Travel warning for Jewish visitors to Australia after synagogue attack

Anthony Albanese announced a new taskforce to tackle antisemitism, but the US-based Jewish human rights organisation still issued a warning.

by: MSN

Parliament narrowly passes controversial Communications and Multimedia Act amendments after Opposition bloc vote

Government lawmakers got away with a narrow majority to give the Communication and Multimedia Act (amendment) Bill passage after being surprised by the Opposition's request for a bloc vote. The Bill was approved for the Committee Stage reading with just a 19-vote majority,

by: MSN

Russia Breaks Silence On Defeat In Syria | Blow To Putin As Massive Army Losses, Friend Assad Flees

Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has resigned and fled the country, just ahead of a massive rebel takeover. Russia, a long-time ally of Assad, has labeled the opposition forces as 'terrorists' and emphasized that they must not be allowed to seize control of Syria.

by: MSN

Trump wants to dissolve the Department of Education. Experts say it could change public schools

Education experts offered Fox News Digital their thoughts about President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to shutter the federal Department of Education and how it could impact schools.

by: MSN

Trump's Musk-led efficiency drive may spur defense-tech partnerships

President-elect Donald Trump's planned U.S. government efficiency drive involving Elon Musk could lead to more joint projects between big defense contractors and smaller tech firms in areas such as artificial intelligence,

by: MSN

Israel attacks Syria's capital as troops seize buffer zone in Golan Heights

Follow the latest on Syria Israel attacked Syria from the air and on ground, opening another front in its regional war as its neighbour tries to cope with the sudden collapse of its government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced its military has temporarily seized control of a buffer zone in the Golan Heights

by: MSN

Trump's Border Czar Issues Warning to Democrats

Texas Senator Ted Cruz told Newsweek that Tom Homan will take the U.S.-Mexico border crisis "seriously" as he is a "serious man."

by: MSN

Trump Won't Be Able to Save the Struggling US Beef Industry

Even before the Republican's upcoming return to Washington, the country's cattle industry has been in a deepening rut.

by: MSN

Trump calls for 'immediate' cease-fire in Ukraine, says U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible

Donald Trump calls for an immediate cease-fire in Russia's war on Ukraine, and the president-elect renews warnings that he's open to leaving NATO.

by: MSN

Trump repeats tariff threats, shares his take on Trudeau visit in NBC interview

In his first television interview since winning the U.S. election, president-elect Donald Trump hardened threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He also vowed to end automatic birthright citizenship,

by: MSN

Biden is right that the DOJ is biased, but he has it backward: Mollie Hemingway

Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway and 'The Claman Countdown' host Liz Claman discuss the political implications of President Biden pardoning 'criminally convicted' Hunter on 'MediaBuzz.'

by: MSN

Syria live updates: Putin to give Assad asylum in Russia, Kremlin says

Rebel forces in Syria captured the capital Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.

by: MSN

Ecostani: Why the landmark RTI act is moribund and who is to blame

The SC has asked states to file status reports on the information commissions as a petition has claimed that over 50% posts of commissioners were lying vacant

by: MSN

Trump lays out sweeping early acts on deportation and Jan 6 pardons, says Cheney and others 'should go to jail'

President-elect Donald Trump previewed immigration actions he plans to take in his first days in office and outlined how he expects his Justice Department to handle investigations into his political opponents and the criminal cases against January 6 defendants in his first network television interview since winning November's presidential election.

by: MSN

Fall of the House of Assad, with a billion-pound fortune and blood on their hands

He didn't look like a dictator. Awkward and gangly, his mannerisms unassuming, at least until he opened his mouth, Bashar al-Assad exuded none of the machismo of other Arab strongmen like Muammar Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein.

by: MSN

Alleged mining scandal won't affect Sabah politics, says analyst

by: MSN

Bangladesh and India hold talks aimed at defusing escalating tensions

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India met Monday in Dhaka to discuss the strained relations between the two neighbors, including the growing tensions after former Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in India in August.

by: MSN

Chris Bowen and Ted O'Brien face off in live debate over Australia's energy future, following release of CSIRO GenCost report

The debate over Australia's energy future took place on 7.30 with Ted O'Brien making "assurances" for the opposition when it came to costings.

by: MSN

Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch considers setting up party after 'getting taste' for politics

The veteran criminal has said he's thinking about forming an 'independents alliance' and claims he 'isn't done with politics'

by: MSN

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow under asylum, Russian news agencies say

Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia and have been granted asylum by the Russian authorities, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday.

by: MSN

Why Measles, Whooping Cough and worse could roar back under RFK's watch

The availability of safe, effective covid vaccines less than a year into the pandemic marked a high point in the 300-year history of vaccination, seemingly heralding an age of protection against infectious diseases.

by: MSN

European Commission questions viability of Hungarian government's medium-term economic forecast under EDP procedure

By Tamas Csonka in Budapest Hungary's medium-term fiscal plans are missing significant information and are based on unreliable data. European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis said in a letter to Finance Minister Mihály Varga,

by: MSN

Starmer tells new Syrian leaders to renounce terror and violence

Sir Keir Starmer has told the new leaders of Syria that they must renounce terrorism and violence following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Speaking as he arrived in the Gulf for trade talks,

by: MSN

Government extends analogue switch-off deadline to March 2025

South African government has extended the analogue switch-off deadline to March 2025, aiming to ensure indigent households receive set-top boxes and access digital broadcasting amidst costly delays.

by: MSN

Auchincloss: Syrian government collapse is a 'potential win' but 'not uncomplicated'

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) said on Sunday that the collapse of the Syrian government is a "potential win" for the U.S. but noted the dynamic is more complicated since the rebel forces are still "some pretty bad guys.

by: MSN

From eye doctor to brutal dictator: The rise (and fall) of Syria's Bashar al-Assad

Bashar al-Assad never intended to go into politics. He became one of the world's most brutal dictators whose thuggish rule ended abruptly when rebels stormed into Damascus Saturday night, causing his army − and him − to flee.

by: MSN

Syrian premier says government still functioning but challenges loom

But there were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country, which is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance.

by: MSN

Civil Service needs 'innovators and disrupters', McFadden says

Civil Service needs 'innovators and disrupters', McFadden says - The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster cited Airbnb, WhatsApp and Spotify as examples of start-ups the Civil Service could emulate.

How Republics Succeed, Falter, and Fail

The U.S. enjoys many strengths that give it an edge over other republics, such as a decentralized and innovative economy that draws global talent and
The article "How Republics Succeed, Falter, and Fail" by Paul Street, published on CounterPunch, discusses the historical trajectory of republics, focusing on the United States. Street argues that republics often fail due to internal contradictions and external pressures, particularly when they deviate from their founding principles. He highlights how the U.S. has moved away from its republican ideals through the influence of money in politics, systemic racism, economic inequality, and the erosion of democratic institutions. The piece critiques the notion of American exceptionalism, suggesting that the U.S. is not immune to the same pitfalls that have led to the decline of other republics. Street points out that the rise of authoritarianism, the weakening of checks and balances, and the failure to address social and economic injustices are signs of a faltering republic. He concludes by emphasizing the need for vigilance, civic engagement, and structural reforms to prevent the U.S. from following the path of failed republics.

Read the Full CounterPunch Article at:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/12/09/how-republics-succeed-falter-and-fail/