By Mike Zonta, BB editor
(Image from Wikipedia.org)
The Apostle Paul said:
–I Corinthians 13:2
–Mike Zonta, BB editor
(Image from Etsy.com)
6/3/26
Nearing our 250th Declaration of Independence celebration, some words/thoughts by some of our colonial Fighters for Independence/Constitutional-Founders & Framers that didn’t make it into our Constitution; *plus, the words of possibly the most forward thinking scientist; **and the words/thoughts of one retired (2006) Supreme Court judge (who died in 2023):
“Government is, or ought to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community…when any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, inalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.” George Mason
“That there be prefixed to the Constitution a declaration, that all power is originallyvested in, and consequently derived from the people.” James Madison
“The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instrumentsof tyranny at home…the armed forces kept under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.” James Madison
“…this (new government under the Constitution) is likely to be well administered for a course of years; and as other forms have done before, the people, being incapable of any other mode, will become so corrupted as to need authoritarian rule, such that, this Government will end in Despotism!” Benjamin Franklin
“As Nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need for masters. Only a virtuous people are capable of Liberty.” Benjamin Franklin
*”The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” Albert Einstein
(Pasoir.com)
| World Cup 2026 kicked off last week, as 48 countries faced off in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With all the excitement, it’s easy to forget that just four years ago the world’s most-watched sporting event, held in Qatar, was mired in controversy over human-rights abuses, backroom dealings, and geopolitical maneuvering. Qatar’s World Cup is just one of countless examples of “sportswashing” — the use of sports by autocratic regimes “to bolster repression at home and gain influence abroad.”To learn more about this growing phenomenon, read the following Journal of Democracy essays by Sarath K. Ganji. |
| The Rise of Sportswashing The staggering global popularity of soccer makes it a prime target for regimes that worry about the negative press they get for their undemocratic practices. The Gulf monarchies have led the way in getting into the wide world of sports as a means of cleaning their image. By Sarath K. Ganji |
| How Dictators Use Sports to Win Friends and Influence People Authoritarians are developing new tools to project their malign influence across the globe. The world of sports can teach us a lot about the games they play. By Sarath K. Ganji |
| How Qatar Became a World Leader in Sportswashing The government has spent billions preparing to host the 2022 World Cup. Never mind the abusive labor practices and human-rights violations. It’s betting that your love of the “beautiful game” will make you more fond of this tiny Gulf state, too. By Sarath K. Ganji |
The Journal of Democracyis published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Subscribe now for full access to our archives.
| Since winning Turkey’s 2023 national election, President Erdoğan and the ruling AK Party have seen their popularity plummet. In response, they’ve ramped up their repression of the main opposition party — most notably, jailing its presidential candidate, Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and removing party leader Özgür Özel. Don’t miss Özel’s recent Journal of Democracy essay outlining his vision for restoring democracy in Turkey, along with our coverage of the country’s hard turn toward autocracy in the last year. |
 How We Restore Turkey’s DemocracyPresident Erdoğan’s rule has grown more repressive as he realizes he has no democratic path to power. But we are united in our resolve and determined to make Turkey a democratic republic worthy of its people. By Özgür Özel |
| How to Fight Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn As President Erdoğan’s grip on power is slipping, his regime is turning more repressive. But Turkey may still avoid becoming a full-blown autocracy. The opposition is increasingly popular, and there remains a way to tilt the playing field to their advantage. By Berk Esen and Sebnem Gumuscu |
| Turkey’s Hard Road to Democratic Renewal Turkey’s democratic future hinges on its opposition parties doing something few expected: winning elections in unfair conditions. Yet the opposition’s strong performance in local elections suggests that they may be putting together a winning formula for Turkey and beyond. By Ayça Alemdaroğlu, Toygar Sinan Baykan, Ladin Bayurgil, and Aytuğ Şaşmaz |
| Secularism, Islamism, and the Future of Turkey The political struggle between President Erdoğan and opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu is a fierce battle for the country’s democracy. But it goes deeper than that. It is also a struggle between Islamist and secularist visions of Turkey. By Ahmet T. Kuru |
| After Crackdown, Is Turkey an Autocracy? Turkey’s president would rather turn his country into a full autocracy than give up power. But the Turkish people are clinging to what remains of their democracy, and they are ready to fight for it. By Berk Esen and Sebnem Gumuscu |
The Journal of Democracy is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Subscribe now for full access to the Journal of Democracy archives.
Tay’s Photography’s Post (Facebook.com)
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Obama Foundation Streamed live on Jun 18, 2026 Livestream of the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center on June 18, 2026 in Chicago, IL. Featuring speeches from President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and performances by Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Common, Eddie Vedder, Guitars Over Guns, Illinois Army National Color Guard, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, Tems, The Roots, U2’s Bono and The Edge,. and Uniting Voices Chicago An invocation led by Pastor Joel Hunter and Joshua DuBois. Remarks and special appearances from Marsai Martin, Marty Nesbitt, and Valerie Jarrett.
MS NOW Jun 18, 2026 Former President Obama spoke at the opening of his Presidential Center in the South Side of Chicago. MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.
June 18, 2026 (jodemocracy.org)
| The United States and Iran formally signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17. Under the terms, which include ending sanctions on Iran, releasing its frozen funds, and pledging not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs, both sides have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire to allow further negotiations toward a final peace deal. The following Journal of Democracy essays cover the war that began on February 28 with attacks launched by the United States and Israel, the massive uprising of Iranians that preceded it, and the most recent chapter of the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of its people. |
 The Islamic Republic’s War on IraniansIran’s theocracy has waged a brutal campaign against its own citizens for years. Now that the Woman, Life, Freedom movement has stripped the regime of any legitimacy, the mullahs have had no response but to sharpen their instruments of repression. By Ladan Boroumand |
| The War with Iran Made the IRGC Stronger If one of the goals of the war was to decimate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it has had the opposite effect. The IRGC will come out of the conflict stronger and more embedded in Iranian politics. By Roya Izadi |
 Why the Iranian Regime Owns the StreetsThe progovernment rallies that crowd Iran’s streets are no accident. They are a critical and underappreciated pillar of the regime’s strength, and they are shaping Iran’s response to the war. By Mohammad Ali Kadivar |
 Why the Islamic Republic Still StandsAfter January’s mass protests, Iran seemed on the verge of revolutionary upheaval. How is it weathering the U.S.-Israeli assault? By Peyman Asadzade |
 Iran’s Democratic Hopes Amid the Smoke of WarIf the war ends with the dismantling of the regime’s repressive apparatus, the Iranian people will have a rare, if fraught, opportunity. The totalitarian mindset often survives totalitarian regimes. By Ladan Boroumand |
 Iran’s Massacres Will Haunt the RegimeIran’s hardline government responded to nationwide protests with horrific violence, killing thousands of Iranians in a matter of days. There is nothing the regime can offer its people to regain their support. By Ehsan Habibpour and Sharan Grewal |
The Journal of Democracy is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Subscribe now for full access to the Journal of Democracy archives.
The Future of Multiracial Democracy
| Immigration to the West has long been soaring, as growing numbers of people flee hunger, poverty, and war. This surge of migrants has taken a toll on the democracies they wish to call home, many of which are struggling to serve even their own citizens. The complex questions that arise in response have become flashpoints for conflict, sometimes escalating into violence. The following Journal of Democracy essays explore these tensions, with an eye on making democracy work in societies that are becoming more diverse than ever before. Read free for a limited time. |
| Why National Identity Matters From enhancing physical security to encouraging mutual trust, an inclusive sense of national identity continues to be crucial to the flourishing of modern states. By Francis Fukuyama |
| Majoritarianism Without Majorities Majoritarian nationalism is a defining feature of our time. If we are to resist ethnonationalist leaders trying to recast our societies into imagined majorities, we must revise our conception of democracy and the exclusion inherent in majority rule. By Kanchan Chandra |
| Liberal Democracy in an Age of Immigration Immigration threatens to erode liberalism, as far-right parties and migrant communities with illiberal views gain power. Mass publics have shouldered the blame. But should political elites be held responsible? By Rafaela Dancygier |
| Democracy and Diversity in Western Europe Immigration has changed the face of Western Europe. Yet mainstream political parties have largely ignored citizens’ concerns about what immigration means for their societies, leaving them ripe for far-right populists to exploit. By Sheri Berman |
| The Rise of Multicultural Nationalism Some liberals attribute the origins of our polarized political era to “identity politics.” But multiculturalism need not provoke majoritarian anxieties — not if national identities can open ways for all citizens to be recognized and heard. By Tariq Modood |
| The Journal of Democracy is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Subscribe now for full access to the Journal of Democracy archives. |
Image credit: Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
| June 1 marked the start of Pride Month in the United States, a celebration of LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms born from the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. The decades since have seen great strides toward equality for LGBTQ+ people in countries across the world. Yet today, more than a half-century of progress is under threat — coinciding, not coincidentally, with the global autocratic upswing. The Journal of Democracy essays below examine why this vulnerable community is under fire, the different ways in which autocrats weaponize LGBTQ+ rights for their own ends, and whether democracy is strong enough to protect them. Free for a limited time. |
| The Global Resistance to LGBTIQ Rights Autocrats have found a new way to turn citizens against liberal democracy: convincing them that LGBTIQ rights, granted and protected in much of the West, pose a threat to their nation and its values. Phillip Ayoub and Kristina Stoeckl Why Autocracies Fear LGBTQ+ Rights The battle over rights for sexual minorities has divided countries into opposing camps. But autocrats are lashing out with one aim: countering the liberal international order. Gino Pauselli and María-José Urzúa Is Democracy Bad for LGBT+ Rights? LGBT+ rights are under threat across the globe. Populist leaders stirring fear and animosity for political gain understand how democratic institutions can be harnessed and manipulated to curtail these rights, not enshrine them. Kristopher Velasco, Siddhartha Baral, and Yun (Nancy) Tang Gay Rights: Why Democracy Matters In a year that featured unprecedented strides for gay rights in some parts of the world, particularly in Western Europe and the Americas, other places experienced startling setbacks, especially in Russia and some countries in Africa. Omar G. Encarnación Latin America’s Gay-Rights Revolution Even before Argentina’s landmark gay-marriage law was passed in July 2010, a gay-rights revolution was well underway across Latin America. But do gay rights by law equal acceptance of gays in practice?Omar G. Encarnación |
