DEMOCRACY INDEX

 Into a two-part democracy series, but first today, a few Trump developments.

• President Donald Trump delayed for a month the 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, but has not at this point said anything about China.  He will be talking to Jinping Xi this week.  So don't believe what you see these days in the media.
• The odds for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard for confirmation still remain good, but there are serious doubts.
• In the Gaza Strip, Phase 2 talks are beginning.

• 
  Elon Musk continues his efficiency blitzkrieg, incurring the wrath of powerless Democrats.  Is his vendetta against the U.S. Agency for International Development payback for what they did to South Africa?
• The State Department has effectively kidnapped USAID, with an intent to dismantle much of the funding.

The Economist has a Democracy Index:

• Has been re-evaluating annually since 2011.  The latest, with dark blue the most democratic and black the least.

• A perfect Democracy is a 10, and a pure dictatorship is a 0.  
• #1      Norway  9.81
• #2      New Zealand  961
• #3      Iceland  9.45
• #10    Taiwan  8.92
• #13    Canada  8.69
• #16    Japan  8.40
• #22    South Korea  8.09
• #26    Czech Republic  7.97
• #29    USA  7.85
• #30    Israel  7.80
• #51    Brazil  6.68
• #69    Singapore  6.18
• #100  Guatemala  4.47
• #111  Qatar  3.65
• #135  Cuba  2.65
• #136  Vietnam  2.62
• #144  Russia  2.22
• #148  China  2.12
• #150  Saudi Arabia  2.08
• #153  Iran  1.96
• #167  Afghanistan  0.26
• There are many other indices, and one is by the University of Wurzburg on the Quality of Democracy:
• #1      Denmark  0.958
• #2      Norway  0.956
• #25    Japan  0.857
• #36    USA  0.811
• #47    South Africa  0.72
• #75    Brazil  0.599
• #85    India 0.564
• #86    Singapore  0.562
• #123  Pakistan  0.375
• #137  Turkey  0.290
• #144  Russia  0.262
• #160  Qatar  0.054
• #172  China  0.048
• #171  Saudi Arabia  0.048
• #175  North Korea  0.029

Freedom House has a Global Freedom rating.

• #1      Finland  100
• #2      New Zealand  99
• #3      Sweden  99
• #4      Norway  98
• #5      Canada  97
• #11    Japan  96
• #22    Taiwan  94
• #35    UK  91
• #55    USA  83
• #86    India  66
• #119  Singapore  48
• #176  Russia   13
• #184  China  9
• #199  North Korea  3

A most interesting Democracy Index is one for the U.S. states.

• 1.0 is high Democracy and -1.0 is toward a dictatorship.
• In 2000, Republican states had a score of 0.6, with 0.2 for Democratic states.  Republican states were a lot more into Democracy.
• In 2015, everything shifted.
• Republican states had a score of -0.9.
• Democratic states rose to 0.5.
• In 2023.
• Republican states improved to -0.85.
• Democratic states rose to 0.75.

Note that the USA is not much of a Democracy today, and now sliding fast.  Tomorrow, how far will we fall in this Trump term.

About "American" music night, watch 11 minutes of  Grammy surprises, winners and must-see moments, plus what they wore.  Kanye West's wife did not have much under her coat (for what she looked like under that outerwear, click on this), and Beyoncé was generous with what she showed (that's her to the left with her husband Jay-Z).  She has had 99 nomination since 2000, and finally won a Grammy for Best Album,  Cowboy Carter.   Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were  outré in a heartfelt way, singing California Dreaming, in tribute to the Los Angeles Country fires.  They also won an Grammy for their Die with a Smile.   The tribute to Quincy Jones (who passed away in November) was memorable.  The 3.5 hours programs raised $7 million for wildfire victims.  I was going to say this fire is finally over, but as I write this, a new one just popped up.

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