Anne Applebaum

It's about like, you know, the IRI would have relationships with conservative parties in Europe and NDI would have relationships with center left parties. And, you know, there are a lot of other things that those organizations do that have been really, really important in maintaining the role of the U.S. as the leader of a broad democratic alliance.

It's about like, you know, the IRI would have relationships with conservative parties in Europe and NDI would have relationships with center left parties. And, you know, there are a lot of other things that those organizations do that have been really, really important in maintaining the role of the U.S. as the leader of a broad democratic alliance.

None of it is very expensive by the standards of the U.S. budget. These are very small amounts of money. You know, USAID is less than 1% and the democracy promotion activities must be, I don't know off the top of my head, I can't give you a statistic, but some very, very, very small fraction of that. So it's some very tiny, tiny thing.

None of it is very expensive by the standards of the U.S. budget. These are very small amounts of money. You know, USAID is less than 1% and the democracy promotion activities must be, I don't know off the top of my head, I can't give you a statistic, but some very, very, very small fraction of that. So it's some very tiny, tiny thing.

None of it is very expensive by the standards of the U.S. budget. These are very small amounts of money. You know, USAID is less than 1% and the democracy promotion activities must be, I don't know off the top of my head, I can't give you a statistic, but some very, very, very small fraction of that. So it's some very tiny, tiny thing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And IRI, I should say the big, you know, McCain was one of the leaders of IRI. You know, lots of prominent Republican senators have been involved in it for for a long time. And so if we're cutting off that, you know, we're not doing that anymore.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And IRI, I should say the big, you know, McCain was one of the leaders of IRI. You know, lots of prominent Republican senators have been involved in it for for a long time. And so if we're cutting off that, you know, we're not doing that anymore.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And IRI, I should say the big, you know, McCain was one of the leaders of IRI. You know, lots of prominent Republican senators have been involved in it for for a long time. And so if we're cutting off that, you know, we're not doing that anymore.

and we don't stand for democracy, democracy is not part of our foreign policy, it's not part of who we are or how we're identified, then a lot of what the U.S. has stood for positively internationally will disappear or go away. And it's hard for me to quantify the harm to Americans from that. I realize it's kind of three levels removed from what ordinary people think.

and we don't stand for democracy, democracy is not part of our foreign policy, it's not part of who we are or how we're identified, then a lot of what the U.S. has stood for positively internationally will disappear or go away. And it's hard for me to quantify the harm to Americans from that. I realize it's kind of three levels removed from what ordinary people think.

and we don't stand for democracy, democracy is not part of our foreign policy, it's not part of who we are or how we're identified, then a lot of what the U.S. has stood for positively internationally will disappear or go away. And it's hard for me to quantify the harm to Americans from that. I realize it's kind of three levels removed from what ordinary people think.

But again, people talk a lot about this competition with Russia and China for influence, for This is essentially ceding to the authoritarian world and saying, we're not going to fight that battle anymore. You guys take over. I mean, there is, whether we want there to be one or not, okay, there is a battle of ideas in the world.

But again, people talk a lot about this competition with Russia and China for influence, for This is essentially ceding to the authoritarian world and saying, we're not going to fight that battle anymore. You guys take over. I mean, there is, whether we want there to be one or not, okay, there is a battle of ideas in the world.

But again, people talk a lot about this competition with Russia and China for influence, for This is essentially ceding to the authoritarian world and saying, we're not going to fight that battle anymore. You guys take over. I mean, there is, whether we want there to be one or not, okay, there is a battle of ideas in the world.

And between broadly the ideas of democracy, and let's not even use the word democracy, use the word the rule of law, use the word checks and balances, use the expression transparency and accountability.

And between broadly the ideas of democracy, and let's not even use the word democracy, use the word the rule of law, use the word checks and balances, use the expression transparency and accountability.

And between broadly the ideas of democracy, and let's not even use the word democracy, use the word the rule of law, use the word checks and balances, use the expression transparency and accountability.

Freedom, freedom, another good word, yep. So freedom, you know, all those things are on one ledger. And then there's another group of countries who are pushing a different set of ideas, you know, that autocracies are stable and safe and democracies are degenerate. And they stand for a different set of ideas. And those ideas are clashing everywhere.

Freedom, freedom, another good word, yep. So freedom, you know, all those things are on one ledger. And then there's another group of countries who are pushing a different set of ideas, you know, that autocracies are stable and safe and democracies are degenerate. And they stand for a different set of ideas. And those ideas are clashing everywhere.

Freedom, freedom, another good word, yep. So freedom, you know, all those things are on one ledger. And then there's another group of countries who are pushing a different set of ideas, you know, that autocracies are stable and safe and democracies are degenerate. And they stand for a different set of ideas. And those ideas are clashing everywhere.