The Topline: Democracy's Daily Digest
Welcome to THE TOPLINE's new "week in review" edition, as requested by many of our readers in our recent survey. On Fridays, we'll sum up the major stories of the week with our favorite opinion pieces and links to updates on topics we covered. There will be fresh commentary from Evan McMullin, Mindy Finn, and others, and something extra—book club, good news stories, words of wisdom, and more. And of course, we'll hear from you in "What's Your Take?" We hope you enjoy our weekly digest! —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor
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Milbank: What really happened on 1/6?
"At best, this was a catastrophic failure of government. At worst, political appointees and Trump loyalists at the Defense Department deliberately prevented the National Guard from defending the Capitol against a seditious mob." —Dana Milbank in The Washington Post
Dana Milbank is an author and columnist at The Washington Post.
MORE: Trump State Department appointee arrested in connection with Capitol riot —The Hill
Johnson: The lessons of COVID-19
"[T]here is growing support for the idea of investing in our collective future through doubling down on science—and making sure the benefits are spread more broadly. In 2020, it was our good fortune that some biotech firms had developed technologies that speeded the development of effective COVID-19 vaccines. Surely it makes sense to treat such capabilities as a high priority for national security and strengthen them more systematically." —Simon Johnson on Project Syndicate
Simon Johnson, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, is a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management and a co-chair of the COVID-19 Policy Alliance.
MORE: Kamala Harris breaks Senate tie to begin debate on Covid stimulus bill —USA Today
Litman & Willis: Voting rights are in the Supreme Court's hands
"Democracy in this country is already fragile. This case could be a breaking point, if the court were to give a pass to what look like neutral laws that have the same practical impact as overtly discriminatory ones. That outcome would further empower politicians to make voting easier for people who support them and to ensure that casting a ballot is complicated and burdensome for everyone else." —Leah Litman & Jay Willis in The New York Times
Leah Litman, a law professor, and Jay Willis, a journalist and former lawyer, have written extensively about the federal courts, civil rights, and voting rights.
MORE: House-passed election bill takes aim at foreign interference —The Hill
DN Ed Board: Here's to rules and power sharing
"As America was reminded last week, Congress has some built-in brakes against the unfettered use of power, and rules still matter. If Senate Democrats wish to use the reconciliation process to take away Republicans' ability to filibuster the proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, they must adhere to the Byrd Rule. If that sounds arcane and complicated, it is. Just remember that it keeps senators from piling a bunch of unrelated items into a bill, where they will receive little or no debate, and then ramming them into law." —Deseret News
MORE: Biden backs new war powers vote in Congress, White House says —Politico
Ignatius: Honor Khashoggi by protecting journalists
"[Journalist Jamal Khashoggi] was a victim of a world where autocrats and their stooges seemed to have the upper hand, and the United States didn't speak out in his defense. News organizations and human rights activists should be vigilant to make sure the Biden Administration delivers on its new promise to protect the brave men and women who follow Khashoggi's example." —David Ignatius in The Washington Post
David Ignatius is a columnist covering foreign affairs at The Washington Post.
MORE: U.S. demands Myanmar release detained journalists, protesters —Associated Press
Marques: Navalny's movement deserves support
"The reality is that support for Russian democracy campaigners is sorely needed at one of the country's darkest times in recent memory. Western champions, governments, and other observers would do well to focus less on the individual—tempting as that may be, especially when opposing a highly personalized regime—and more on the wider movement by backing civil society writ large. That would have the benefit of avoiding falling into the trap of lionizing deeply flawed figures, as has happened in the past." —Clara Ferreira Marques in Bloomberg
Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg columnist covering commodities and environmental, social, and governance issues.
MORE: U.S., U.K. weigh more Russia sanctions, possibly targeting debt —Bloomberg
Ingraham: Time for a multiparty system?
"While the anti-democratic faction in the GOP is a small slice of the country overall, it is the most powerful group within the party. ... Other democracies have far-right, anti-democratic factions, too. But nearly all of those democracies have multiparty political systems in which it is much more difficult for a single party to obtain a legislative majority on its own." —Christopher Ingraham in The Washington Post
Christopher Ingraham writes about all things data for The Washington Post. He previously worked at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center.
MORE: South Carolina Republicans face a Trump-fuelled schism —The New Yorker
"Democracy cannot sustain itself amid a high degree of violence."
—Mary Ritter Beard, American historian, author, and women's suffrage activist
I'm very disappointed in, though not surprised by, Gov. Cuomo's behavior in office. He's not the first to get "creative" with data to benefit himself politically (then cover it up), or to treat women who work for him with disrespect, and he won't be the last. Why do so many men like this end up in office? Or does the office make them this way? I want public officials who are competent and decent. We should demand them. —Carole L., New York
The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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