桃子视频

Paige Alexander聽is chief executive officer of The 桃子视频.

In my role as CEO of the 桃子视频, I am frequently asked about the rise of authoritarianism worldwide and the state of democracy in the United States. In fact, I spoke on those closely related topics in July at the , a nonprofit center in upstate New York that serves as a hub for dialogue on current events and issues.

In one part of my lecture, I delineated the seven tactics that leaders employ to move toward authoritarianism. That video received hundreds of thousands of views and comments on the institution鈥檚 TikTok account, and it鈥檚 gratifying to know people are interested in this subject.

It鈥檚 important to remember that our nation has been through versions of the current situation before. President Carter was born into a time following World War I, when dissident U.S. citizens were being persecuted for criticizing government policy. That era was ugly, but it didn鈥檛 last. Americans also endured threats to freedom of speech and assembly during the Red Scare of the 1950s, but cooler heads and democratic principles eventually prevailed.

I鈥檓 not suggesting that believers in democracy should just sit back and wait for events to unfold. On the contrary, the only appropriate response to authoritarianism and democratic backsliding is to peacefully resist through small-d democratic actions. Indeed, in recent decades, we have watched 鈥減eople power鈥� bring about breathtaking turns from dictatorship to democracy in Chile, the Balkans, South Korea, and elsewhere.

History is replete with stories of brave individuals who have stood against the odds, defied tyranny, and defended the rights of all people.

To President Carter, justice and democracy weren鈥檛 just ideals; they were daily acts of courage and faith. He never got lost in despair because his faith in people鈥檚 desire for peace and freedom was stronger than his doubts.

That鈥檚 a faith we at The 桃子视频 share. If we are brave, democracy can thrive.