Analysis

Let’s stop pretending. The ideals inked into the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence—life, liberty, resistance to tyranny—aren’t being defended in Washington, D.C. They’re being fought for in the cratered earth of Ukraine. It’s not Americans dying for freedom anymore. It’s Ukrainians. For many Americans, “freedom” is just a slogan, a catchy phrase, a reason to light fireworks once a year. In Ukraine, freedom means deciding whether to carry a rifle or carry your family’s coffin. It means a mother staying behind to care for the wounded, a teenager flying a drone over enemy armor with little more than courage and duct tape, and going to sleep every night to the sound of shelling, knowing you might not wake up—and doing it anyway. ...

In recent years, discussions about the state of democracy in the United States have grown increasingly dire. Once lauded as a paragon of democratic values, questions now arise regarding its shift towards despotism and fascist tendencies. This article explores this potential transformation by examining key areas: media consolidation, surveillance, corporate influence, and the criminalization of poverty. 1. Media Consolidation and Control The concentration of media ownership has significantly impacted U.S. politics. Large corporations now dominate the media landscape, leading to biased reporting and echo chambers that can sway public perception. This consolidation influences public opinion, limits diversity of thought—a hallmark of democratic discourse. The result is a media environment where certain narratives are privileged, potentially stifling dissent and critical thinking. ...