Half of world's democracies in decline: intergovernmental watchdog

It's dispiriting actually. It's a retreat from civilisation, welcomed by those who wish to live in a simplified world with no ambiguity; only comforting certainties.

Not surprising having watched so many excitedly surrender personal liberties over the past couple of years. A shock and a shame.

Benjamin Franklin said, 'People who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither'. It's been happening in the US for at least 25 years. Americans after the Cold War have become complacent, gullible, desensitized to hate/violence/war. It's been a long dehumanizing process.

Nationalists are destroying international trade and democracy, trying to imprison us within our borders (online and offline) and bring back the tribal mentality that leads to war.

As Moonraker says, it is dispiriting. The future is so much more grim than it was in past decades. The propaganda is working on the kids too, with calls for censorship and restrictions from woke youth.

One example: Your smartphone no longer connects and empowers you. It is what allows your government to identify you, track you and monitor you 24/7, Chinese style.

democracy is just an illusion for plebs.

If it wasn't for Snowden nobody would've known the extent to which the US has been spying on its citizens...and these were meaures put into place by Obama, by the way.

All these massive civil unrest and protests in the west, and the very low approval rates of these governments, arrests of protesters, both violent and non-violent.........I know, let's blame China again. Free Assange.

So much to this topic. Many people seem to be oblivious to how their governments and media and controlling what they see and hear about events in the world. Introduction of central bank digital currencies seem to be inevitable which will bring many risks to the personal freedoms in the West. Yet I have never seen any discussion of this topic in the mainstream media.

Awa,I can just about do anything,I want in the US,without any kind of government control,if it not illegal,name one thing the government stopping American from doing