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Renew Democracy Initiative

@renewdemocracy.bsky.social
1K followers 12 following 686 posts

Defending democracy at home. Combating authoritarianism abroad. Highlighting how they’re connected. Check out Garry Kasparov's new Substack: thenextmove.substack.com/p/garry-ka…

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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
"Answering the lawlessness of Donald Trump and ICE with a different flavor of lawlessness is no answer at all." @evangottesman.bsky.social on why abolishing ICE is important—but not a plan by itself.
thenextmove.org
Abolish ICE. Then What?
Darializa Avila Chevalier and Democrats’ incomplete slogan.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
"Shouldn’t Americans be embarrassed when their president claims to have won his 43rd golf championship? By shooting two under par? Maybe that is not as outlandish and outrageous as Kim Jong-il’s 34, but—come on." @jaynordlinger.bsky.social on strongmen and sports:
thenextmove.org
Trump, Golf, and Honor
Did Trump really have a round of 70? Did Kim Jong-il have a 34?
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
“Democracy is an active verb, so I came to the square to see if the country is moving in the right direction. And I am inspired once again.” Issac Olvera, a former US Marine now living Kyiv, on the protests taking place amid an existential war:
thenextmove.org
Ukraine’s Protesters Remind Us Why Their Country Isn’t Russia
In a free society, demonstrating is not a death sentence.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Some Democrats think the cure for MAGA authoritarianism is DSA-style leftism. @garrykasparov.bsky.social says that's backwards, and the party needs real standards, not a shortcut through Havana.
thenextmove.org
The Answer to Fascism Can’t Be Marxism
For Democrats, pushing back against the DSA is a moral and strategic imperative.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
“The scenes of a human cascade into Ceuta might have been lifted from a piece of nativist propaganda bearing the caption: ‘This is what happens when the left takes over.’” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Max Mottola on the crisis that handed the global far right the exact imagery they’d waited for:
thenextmove.org
The Ceuta Border Crisis: A Strategic Blind Spot
The American right is obsessed with a migrant crisis in a Spanish city—and many liberals aren’t paying attention.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Tune in to the latest Oder/Wiser episode where Nathan Law, Hong Kong’s now-exiled youngest-ever elected lawmaker, joins Linda Chavez to discuss what China’s crackdown looks like from the inside. Available to all subscribers here:
thenextmove.org
Exiled From Hong Kong
Inside China's crackdown with Nathan Law, Hong Kong's youngest-ever elected lawmaker.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
“Whatever Poland’s historical differences with Ukraine, they share a common enemy in Russia now, and the alliance between Warsaw and Kyiv is essential for both.” RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social on his diplomatic mission to Poland and what it takes to repair a coalition:
thenextmove.org
My Diplomatic Mission in Poland
Repairing a coalition for Ukraine.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
“‘If you’re lookin’ for consistency, I’m not your guy.’” Lindsey Graham once called Trump a kook, then spent a decade calling him “Reagan plus plus plus.” Read RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social on what Graham’s story reveals about the Trump era:
thenextmove.org
Lindsey Graham, Man of Our Times
Some thoughts and stories about the late senator.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“So far, our constitutional ‘guardrails’ have held, more or less. But whack on them long enough, and who knows?” RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social on dictators staging campaigns and the absurdity of Trump declaring America’s elections rigged:
thenextmove.org
‘Elections’ and Their Riggers
On Russia, Egypt, and elsewhere.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“Unlike the DSA, which regarded Kamala Harris and Trump as two sides of the same evil coin, I don’t play the false equivalence game. I do, however, care about strategy.” RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social on five critical truths about the DSA for voters to understand before the midterms: 
thenextmove.org
Five Things to Know About the DSA
Agree or disagree, let’s start with the same set of facts.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that footage from Ceuta will feature in campaign ads this fall or in 2028.” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Max Mottola on the migrant crisis that handed the global far right its most potent imagery yet:
thenextmove.org
The Ceuta Border Crisis: A Strategic Blind Spot
The American right is obsessed with a migrant crisis in a Spanish city—and many liberals aren’t paying attention.
001
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“We can dispute manipulated narratives, but in order to push back against authoritarian populism, we need to be aware of what the narrative is to begin with.” Read RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Max Mottola on why resistance media should be monitoring and responding to right-wing narratives:
thenextmove.org
The Ceuta Border Crisis: A Strategic Blind Spot
The American right is obsessed with a migrant crisis in a Spanish city—and many liberals aren’t paying attention.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“Why was there a need for any opposing vote at all? One vote does not make a fig leaf. Maybe a thousand votes would have been more imaginative?” RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social writes on dictators rigging elections with a comical lack of subtlety:
thenextmove.org
‘Elections’ and Their Riggers
On Russia, Egypt, and elsewhere.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“As someone who comes from a country lacking free and fair elections, I’m also angry with self-indulgent factions like the DSA that fell back on the luxury of being uncommitted.” Read RDI’s @garrykasparov.bsky.social on the DSA’s ascent after another batch of Democratic primaries:
thenextmove.org
Five Things to Know About the DSA
Agree or disagree, let’s start with the same set of facts.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Check out the latest episode of Older/Wiser feat. Linda Chavez and special guest @shikhadalmia.bsky.social covering the future of liberalism and how to safeguard our institutions. Now available to all Next Move subscribers:
thenextmove.org
Renewing Liberalism
How can we make our institutions airtight in a post-Trump future?
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“We are witnessing an aggressive attempt at a hostile takeover of an American institution. There is still time to stop it.” With the DSA’s influence inside the Democratic Party growing, RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social on five things everyone needs to understand before the midterms:
thenextmove.org
Five Things to Know About the DSA
Agree or disagree, let’s start with the same set of facts.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“David Cameron’s decision to call a referendum on Brexit was ultimately the consequence of playing on his populist opponents’ turf.” With images of Ceuta flooding the news and Reform UK rising, RDI’s Max Mottola on the lesson Britain’s decade of post-Brexit chaos holds for the Democratic Party: 
thenextmove.org
Will Britain’s New Prime Minister Miss the Moment?
Brexit and Trump are both products of politicians stuck playing defense.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“Ukraine is no dictatorship. Its president is responsive to public demands under the most trying circumstances.” Former US Marine and Ukrainian volunteer, Issac Olvera, joined the protests in Ukraine and came away inspired: 
thenextmove.org
Ukraine’s Protesters Remind Us Why Their Country Isn’t Russia
In a free society, demonstrating is not a death sentence.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“We can dispute manipulated narratives, but in order to push back against authoritarian populism, we need to be aware of what the narrative is to begin with.” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Max Mottola on how Ceuta captivated the right—and why liberals need to pay attention:
thenextmove.org
The Ceuta Border Crisis: A Strategic Blind Spot
The American right is obsessed with a migrant crisis in a Spanish city—and many liberals aren’t paying attention.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“On the eve of the most consequential presidential election since the Civil War, the DSA released a shameful statement casting a false equivalence between Harris and Donald Trump.” RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social lays out some basic facts about the DSA:
thenextmove.org
Five Things to Know About the DSA
Agree or disagree, let’s start with the same set of facts.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“So far, our constitutional ‘guardrails’ have held, more or less. But whack on them long enough, and who knows?” RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social investigates how dictators rig elections and the rise of election denial in the world’s oldest democracy:
thenextmove.org
‘Elections’ and Their Riggers
On Russia, Egypt, and elsewhere.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“When the immigration issue devolves into a competition over who is ‘tougher’ on border security, right-wing populists, who aren’t constrained by moral or factual guardrails, tend to win out.” RDI’s Max Mottola on why center-left to center-right leaders must shape their own narratives:
thenextmove.org
Will Britain’s New Prime Minister Miss the Moment?
Brexit and Trump are both products of politicians stuck playing defense.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“The scenes of a human cascade into Ceuta might have been lifted from a piece of nativist propaganda bearing the caption: ‘This is what happens when the left takes over.’” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Max Mottola examine the mass border crossing that had the global far right enraptured:
thenextmove.org
The Ceuta Border Crisis: A Strategic Blind Spot
The American right is obsessed with a migrant crisis in a Spanish city—and many liberals aren’t paying attention.
000
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
“There’s a reason for this dictator apologia, and it’s the same reason that Piker's icon is Mao and not, say, Olof Palme, Sweden’s Cold War Social Democratic prime minister.” RDI's @garrykasparov.bsky.social points out a worrying trend of extremists giving their favorite authoritarians a free pass:
thenextmove.org
Democratic Socialists vs. Social Democrats
Why Hasan Piker cosplays as Chairman Mao, not Olof Palme.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
“Ukraine is no dictatorship. Its president is responsive to public demands under the most trying circumstances.” Issac Olvera showcases democracy in action as Ukrainians take to the streets:
thenextmove.org
Ukraine’s Protesters Remind Us Why Their Country Isn’t Russia
In a free society, demonstrating is not a death sentence.
021
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
“Of all the institutions in America, it would be nice if our military were free of partisan and tribal politics.” RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social writes on the politicization of the US military:
thenextmove.org
The Trump-Hegseth Military
A politically charged military is bad, very bad, for democratic health.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
“What we are witnessing is an aggressive attempt at a hostile takeover of an American institution. There is still time to stop it.” RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social lists five facts about the DSA:
thenextmove.org
Five Things to Know About the DSA
Agree or disagree, let’s start with the same set of facts.
111
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
“Now, in America, the president is endangering public health in order to enforce a pseudoscientific secular religion that he knows is dangerous.” Revisit RDI’s @garrykasparov.bsky.social on MAHA last August as congressional Republicans relitigate Dr. Fauci’s record:
thenextmove.org
MAHA, Vaccines, and a Tradition of Authoritarian Hypocrisy
Comrade Brezhnev owned a Rolls-Royce and anti-vax-enabler Trump will get the jab. The leader never sacrifices like the people do.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
"Ukrainians endured extraordinary restrictions to protect their democracy. That’s why I volunteered to serve in Ukraine's military. Now Ukrainians are hitting the streets for the same reason." Issac Olvera reports from the protests in Ukraine:
thenextmove.org
Ukraine’s Protesters Remind Us Why Their Country Isn’t Russia
In a free society, demonstrating is not a death sentence.
031
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
“The closing image of the whole affair was Trump himself, handing Spain’s captain the trophy.” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Ariane de Gennaro explain what the World Cup revealed about a country that keeps having to perform its own decency around the edges of its government:
thenextmove.org
The World Cup And a Tale of Two Americas
Ordinary Americans won back the world’s goodwill. Will Donald Trump unravel the progress they made?
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
“After 2020, there’s certainly a reluctance to glorify the Founding Fathers, especially those, like Washington, who held human beings in bondage.” RDI’s Evan Gottesman reviews a conservative retelling of George Washington’s life in Young Washington:
thenextmove.org
Angel’s George Washington Movie Is Boring
First in war, first in peace, third at the box office.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"It’s not that the semi-verbal jaundiced Tic Tacs Bob and Kevin are more compelling figures than the father of our nation. It’s that the only recent movie about Washington has nothing compelling to offer." RDI's @evangottesman.bsky.social reviews Young Washington:
thenextmove.org
Angel’s George Washington Movie Is Boring
First in war, first in peace, third at the box office.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“Here we see surrender in the form of the termination of ‘all types of sanctions’ on Iran.” Revisit RDI’s @garrykasparov.bsky.social on the short-lived US-Iran MOU as hostilities continue to escalate: www.thenextmove.org/p/trump...
thenextmove.org
Trump’s 14-Point Iran Deal, Annotated
Notes on a surrender.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“Many in the Democratic Party are still pretending that the DSA is something moderate, normal—something it does not claim to be.” RDI’s @garrykasparov.bsky.social explains why America’s democratic socialists are not like Scandinavian social democrats. Read more:
thenextmove.org
Democratic Socialists vs. Social Democrats
Why Hasan Piker cosplays as Chairman Mao, not Olof Palme.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“None of these efforts were choreographed by a tourism board or a State Department strategy memo, and that’s precisely why it landed.” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Ariane de Gennaro on how Americans spent a summer winning back the world’s goodwill their government has spent 17 months burning through:
thenextmove.org
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“If they close the Strait of Hormuz, you’ll dredge a new strait across Saudi Arabia, and Iran will pay for it!” As Trump threatens escalation, read RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social ’s satirical guide to launching a war with no plan: 
thenextmove.org
How To Win the Iran War
A guide for strategic geniuses.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“Over 200 years, no one has come up with a better formula than one person, one vote, backed up by the rule of law and an expanding menu of civil liberties.” RDI’s Evan Gottesman defends liberal democracy as Trump continues to baselessly claim widespread election fraud:
thenextmove.org
Some Big Truths To Displace Trump’s Big Lie
The president’s dishonesty demands more than just a five-Pinocchio rating.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“This is The Art of the Deal meets The Art of War. They’ll call you a twenty-first century Clausewitz, which you might take as a compliment if you knew who that was.” Read RDI’s @garrykasparov.bsky.social with advice for a very-stable strategic genius threatening further military action in Iran:
thenextmove.org
How To Win the Iran War
A guide for strategic geniuses.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“The better side of America that ultimately showed up for visiting fans from abroad persists in spite of the Trump administration.” RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Ariane de Gennaro on the contrast between the American people and the American government:
thenextmove.org
The World Cup And a Tale of Two Americas
Ordinary Americans won back the world’s goodwill. Will Donald Trump unravel the progress they made?
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“The truth is that our system of free and fair elections is worth celebrating. The very ability to choose our leaders is worth celebrating.” RDI’s Evan Gottesman reminds us of what it means to live in a democracy — at a time when Trump continues to challenge the security and accuracy of elections:
thenextmove.org
Some Big Truths To Displace Trump’s Big Lie
The president’s dishonesty demands more than just a five-Pinocchio rating.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“I suspect we will see the Navarros freed one day. And even Cuba itself.” RDI’s @jaynordlinger.bsky.social writes on a brave pair of Cuban political prisoners—father and daughter—fighting for democracy:
thenextmove.org
Father and Daughter, Political Prisoners in Cuba
The cases of Félix and Saylí Navarro.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“To host a World Cup, a nation need only be as democratic as the Argentine junta (1978), as transparent as Qatar (2022), and as peaceful as Russia (2018).” The World Cup is over. RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social on what the list of previous hosts reveals about where America stands today:
thenextmove.org
The Trump World Cup
How bad actors turn sport into authoritarian spectacle.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“Trump’s dishonesty demands more than just a five-Pinocchio rating and some sharp digs.” The Big Lie is contagious. RDI’s Evan Gottesman on the president’s grievance speech and what it takes to counter a politics of resentment:
thenextmove.org
Some Big Truths To Displace Trump’s Big Lie
The president’s dishonesty demands more than just a five-Pinocchio rating.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“The US is starting to look a little more like the very nations Vice President JD Vance rightly criticized for putting ‘free speech’ into ‘retreat.’” FIRE’s @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social on how our First Amendment differs from other nations' speech protections, and why the distinction is narrowing:
thenextmove.org
America Is Failing Its Own Free Speech Standards
Criticizing ICE now means risking the censor’s wrath.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“Strongmen have used sporting events to launder their regimes’ legitimacy for decades” The World Cup has come to a close. RDI’s Sabina Cherner and Ariane de Gennaro on the America that showed up for five weeks of soccer, and the administration that kept getting in the way:
thenextmove.org
The World Cup And a Tale of Two Americas
Ordinary Americans won back the world’s goodwill. Will Donald Trump unravel the progress they made?
000
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Check out the latest episode of Older/Wiser with Linda Chavez and guest Robert George looking back at the Declaration of Independence to commemorate America’s 250th:
thenextmove.org
The Declaration of Independence: America's Ancient Faith
Examining the set of values that bind our nation together.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“Our elections are supposedly rigged, so the United States is already not a democracy. Perhaps, one might begin to wonder, being a democracy is not so important after all.”  RDI’s Evan Gottesman on why American democracy hould not be taken for granted:
substack.com
The Next Move (@thenextmove)
“The Big Lie is contagious. More than a quarter of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, do not think the US is a democracy.” RDI’s @Evan Gottesman on why Trump’s prime-time election speech still demands a serious response and the Big Truths t
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“America showcased its more human side over the past five weeks, recouping some much-needed goodwill”. RDI’s Ariane de Gennaro and Sabina Cherner examine the two Americas on display atthe World Cup:
thenextmove.org
The World Cup And a Tale of Two Americas
Ordinary Americans won back the world’s goodwill. Will Donald Trump unravel the progress they made?
010
Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The authoritarian framing of free speech: “‘There is freedom of speech but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech.’” Read @thefireorg.bsky.social 's @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social on what happened to a Rochester man who dared to criticize ICE in an email and why his story is far from an outlier:
thenextmove.org
America Is Failing Its Own Free Speech Standards
Criticizing ICE now means risking the censor’s wrath.
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Renew Democracy Initiative @renewdemocracy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“The Big Lie is contagious. More than a quarter of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, do not think the US is a democracy.” RDI’s Evan Gottesman on why Trump’s prime-time election speech demands a serious response and the Big Truths that should be understood as we approach the midterms: 
thenextmove.org
Some Big Truths To Displace Trump’s Big Lie
The president’s dishonesty demands more than just a five-Pinocchio rating.
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