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Thank you for writing about this, Peter. I hope you are correct that last week's insanity represents the beginning of a significant decline for Trump and Trump-ism. I'm personally pretty freaked out by Trump's 2020 election performance, despite massive turnout, pretty solid liberal unity, massive voter outreach, etc... What do you think of Lee Drutman's analysis in this 2018 piece? https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2018/3/26/17163960/america-two-party-system-constitutional-democracy

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People in New Zealand are also enjoying COVID-19 related freedoms people in the US lack, but unlike China, New Zealand consistently rates as one of the top three countries in the world for freedom (and number one for lack of corruption).

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Right. I'm certainly not suggesting authoritarianism is necessary for a good COVID response. Look at Taiwan, which has done an excellent job. But when the world's biggest autocracy does far better than the world's most powerful democracy, it hurts democracy's prestige around the world

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Thanks for clarifying - I missed what you were driving at!

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It is a new pattern to my week: reading your reflections on Monday morning, following your suggested links to read further throughout the week; and then marking Friday with seeing you lead us through a fascinating discussion. Thank you, Peter, for welcoming all of us in this way.

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Thanks!

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