Ronan Farrow on surveillance spyware: ‘It threatens democracy and freedom’; The Guardian, November 23, 2024

Adrian Horton , The Guardian; Ronan Farrow on surveillance spyware: ‘It threatens democracy and freedom’

"Surveilled, now on HBO, is, on one level, a visual accompaniment to Farrow’s bombshell April 2022 report on how governments – western democracies, autocratic regimes and many in between – secretly use commercial spyware to snoop on their citizens. The hour-long documentary, directed by Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz, records the emotional toll, scope and threat potential of a technology most people are neither aware of nor understand. It also serves as an argument for urgent journalistic and civic oversight of commercial spyware – its deliberately obscure manufacturers, its abuse by state clients and its silent erosion of privacy.

The film, like Farrow’s 2022 article and much of his subsequent reporting, primarily concerns a proprietary spyware technology called Pegasus that is produced by the Israeli company NSO Group. Pegasus, as the film chillingly demonstrates, can infiltrate a private device through one of its many third-party apps, sometimes with one click – via a spam or phishing link – or, for certain models, without any help of the device’s owner at all. Once activated, Pegasus can control your phone, turn on your microphone, use the camera, record voice or video, and disgorge any of its data – your texts, photos, location. It is very possible, and now documented, to be hacked by Pegasus and not even know it.

Surveilled follows Farrow on his globe-trotting efforts to trace the invisible, international scope of Pegasus: to Tel Aviv, the center of the commercial spyware industry, where NSO executives toe the party line that the group only sells to governments for law enforcement purposes and has no knowledge of its abuses. To Silicon Valley, where the giant tech companies such as WhatsApp are in a game of cat and mouse with Pegasus and others infiltrating its services. To Canada, where the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab leads efforts for transparency on who has Pegasus, and what they are doing with it. And to Barcelona, where Citizen Lab representatives detect Pegasus hacks, suspected from and later confirmed by the Spanish government, on pro-Catalan independence politicians, journalists and their families...

“All of the privacy law experts that I’m talking to are very, very afraid right now,” he added. “This tech is just increasingly everywhere, and I think we have to contend with the inevitability that this is not just going to be this path of private companies selling to governments.”

Though in part a film of journalistic process, Surveilled also advocates for a regulatory framework on commercial spyware and surveillance, as well as awareness – even if you are not a journalist, a dissident, an activist, you could be surveilled, with privacy writ large at stake."

Hope in dark times, reinventing the fight for democracy, being there for each other; The Ink, November 10, 2024

The Ink; Hope in dark times, reinventing the fight for democracy, being there for each other

"The morning after the election, awakening to a dark day for democracy, we could think of no better thinker to turn to than Rebecca Solnit, who reminded us of the task ahead, a task none of us can afford to give up on.

They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love."

A peaceful but determined resistance to Trump must start now; The Guardian, November 6, 2024

Robert Reich , The Guardian; A peaceful but determined resistance to Trump must start now

"Countless people are now endangered on a scale and intensity almost unheard of in modern America.

Our first responsibility is to protect all those who are in harm’s way.

We will do that by resisting Trump’s attempts to suppress women’s freedoms. We will fight for the rights of women and girls to determine when and whether they have children. No one will force a woman to give birth.

We will block Trump’s cruel efforts at mass deportation. We will fight to give sanctuary to productive, law-abiding members of our communities, including young people who arrived here as babies or children.We will not allow mass arrests and mass detention of anyone in America. We will not permit families to be separated. We will not allow the military to be used to intimidate and subjugate anyone in this country.

We will protect trans people and everyone else who is scapegoated because of how they look or what they believe. No one should have to be ashamed of who they are.

We will stop Trump’s efforts to retaliate against his perceived enemies. A free nation protects political dissent. A democracy needs people willing to stand up to tyranny.

How will we conduct this resistance?

By organizing our communities. By fighting through the courts. By arguing our cause through the media.

We will ask other Americans to join us – left and right, progressive and conservative, white people and people of color. It will be the largest and most powerful resistance since the American revolution.

But it will be peaceful. We will not succumb to violence, which would only give Trump and his regime an excuse to use organized violence against us.

We will keep alive the flames of freedom and the common good, and we will preserve our democracy. We will fight for the same things Americans have fought for since the founding of our nation – rights enshrined in the constitution and Bill of Rights."

A ‘republic if we can keep it.’ Perhaps we cannot.; The Washington Post, November 6, 2024

Jennifer Rubin , The Washington Post; A ‘republic if we can keep it.’ Perhaps we cannot.

"In sum, when a country deliberately rejects decency, truth, democratic values and good governance, the problem is not a candidate, a party, the media or a feckless attorney general. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires a virtuous people devoted to democratic ideals. Whether we can recover the habits of mind — what we used to call civic virtue — will be the challenge of the next four years and beyond."

America Makes a Perilous Choice; The New York Times, November 6, 2024

THE EDITORIAL BOARD, The New York Times; America Makes a Perilous Choice

"Benjamin Franklin famously admonished the American people that the nation was “a republic, if you can keep it.” Mr. Trump’s election poses a grave threat to that republic, but he will not determine the long-term fate of American democracy. That outcome remains in the hands of the American people. It is the work of the next four years."

Banned Books and Libraries Under Attack Conference Mobilizes First Amendment Allies; Library Journal, October 24, 2024

Bob Sandrick, Library Journal;  Banned Books and Libraries Under Attack Conference Mobilizes First Amendment Allies

"Librarians and educators across the United States are facing mounting pressure from parent groups and state legislators to keep books they deem inappropriate for young people off the shelves. New state laws threaten librarians with jail time or fines if they don’t comply. The political intimidation has produced a chilling effect, causing library and education professionals to exclude from their collections books they would not have thought twice about in the past.

“We’re just simply very concerned,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.

“The idea that public libraries should become vehicles for elected officials smacks at the heart of our democracy,” Caldwell-Stone said. “The public library should not be confused with an arm of the state.”

Caldwell-Stone made her comments on October 10 at the Banned Books and Libraries Under Attack Conference at the Cleveland State University (CSU) College of Law. About 100 lawyers, library professionals, educators, students, and activists attended the conference, which featured more than a dozen speakers and panelists."

ABA election resources help defend and promote democracy; American Bar Association (ABA), October 28, 2024

ABA President William R. Bay, American Bar Association; ABA election resources help defend and promote democracy

"Election Day is around the corner. The most important thing to do is to vote and encourage your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to vote. The presidential election has received a great deal of attention. But there are many other federal, state and local offices being filled in this election. In addition, many important issues are on the ballot. Finally, there are many judges who are seeking election or retention.  As attorneys, people look to us for important information about the judges on the ballots. Please provide that meaningful input to them. That enables them to be better informed voters.

Voting is a civic right and responsibility. Everyone eligible to vote should exercise that right. This is our opportunity to have a say in how our government operates. The American Bar Association encourages all to take advantage of this opportunity. 

The ABA also remains committed to maintaining the integrity and public perception of fairness in the electoral process. Our system of elections is among the safest, most secure and most accurate in the world, and lawyers play a vital role in maintaining that. The ABA offers unparalleled resources to support this cornerstone of American democracy, providing nonpartisan programs and information to support civic engagement and advance the rule of law. Spread the word about our valuable resources and share them with your networks.  

Here are some of our most relevant offerings: 

• ABA Election Center helps people register to vote, update registration, find polls and more.
• Voting Checklist answers FAQs on voting and the election.
• Poll Worker, Esq connects lawyers with resources needed to serve as election workers.
• Knight Election Law Forum equips journalists with essential, nonpartisan, fact-based knowledge on election law, in partnership with the ABA.
• Defending Democracy Initiative provides your action plan to protect state and local election administrators.
•  ABA Election Administration Guidelines serve as the association’s framework for fair U.S. elections.
• ABA Election Law Policies guide our advocacy.
• Task Force for American Democracy addresses issues central to preserving our democracy, including ensuring trust in U.S. elections and improving civic dialog.
• Standing Committee on Election Law offers detail on these outstanding ABA resources and our many other initiatives."

Likenesses Of Michael Douglas, Amy Schumer And Chris Rock Warn Voters Of Election “Deepfakes” In New PSA; Deadline, October 22, 2024

Ted Johnson , Deadline; Likenesses Of Michael Douglas, Amy Schumer And Chris Rock Warn Voters Of Election “Deepfakes” In New PSA

"A new public service announcement featuring likenesses of celebrities including Michael Douglas, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer aims to warn voters about AI deepfakes, including those that could be unleashed on Election Day to try to suppress the vote.

The spot is from RepresentUS, a nonpartisan anti-corruption organization that includes figures like Ed Helms and Jennifer Lawrence on its board."

Rattled Elon Musk goes on late-night attack against Tim Walz after ‘dips***’ comments; Independent, October 23, 2024

Gustaf Kilander , Independent; Rattled Elon Musk goes on late-night attack against Tim Walz after ‘dips***’ comments

"Elon Musk went on a late-night attack against Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz after he called the billionaire a “dips***” during a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. 

“Elon’s on that stage, jumping around, skipping like a dips***,” Walz said on Tuesday, referring to Musk as former President Donald Trump’s“running mate.”...

“That guy is literally the richest man in the world, spending millions of dollars to help Donald Trump buy an election,” the Minnesota governor said.

Musk responded to Walz on X on Tuesday afternoon, writing: “You’re gonna lose, @Tim_Walz. Saving the American people from the torture of hearing you speak for four years was worth it.”...

Walz also criticized Musk’s $75 million donation to a new political action committee to which he’s so far the only donor. The billionaire has also been giving out checks for $1 million to people who sign his PAC’s petition. It’s a lottery that some experts have called illegal and an attempt to buy votes."

Real men reject fascism; The Ink, October 23, 2024

ANAND GIRIDHARADAS, The Ink; Real men reject fascism

"Two things have grown increasingly clear: Donald Trump is a fascist, and he is winning the support of most American men. But it doesn’t have to be like this. There is a way out.

Yesterday, a breathtaking report arrived in The New York Times. John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, warned in the starkest terms that Trump is a fascist with a real authoritarian vision and confirmed the murmurs about Trump being jealous not to have had the kind of generals Hitler did...

The distressing thing is that a majority of American men are looking at all of this and saying, “Yeah, let’s do that.” We are dude-bro-ing our way into democratic death...

So now here we are in a country that is changing a lot, has changed a lot — indeed, has, over the past few generations, done more to change the status and rights and dignity of women than hundreds of prior generations did. And we have done the right things while failing to manage social and psychological change — failing to manage the minds and hearts of those who experience these worthy changes as headwinds.

This seems to me central to the story of how a majority of men could do what populations bewildered by change and anxious about the future and their place in it have done: support fascism, support dictatorship, support tyranny to smash it all...

Yes, change is scary. Yes, it sometimes feels like you don’t know how to be these days. Don’t know what to say. Yes, it’s tempting to shake things up when you’re scared. When you feel attacked by the future itself.

But don’t. Because men worthy of the word don’t outsource the care and protection of their families to dictators. Men worthy of the word don’t depend for their self-esteem on the crushing and marginalizing of Others. Men worthy of the word don’t need women to be locked in the fourteenth century legally to feel whole. Men worthy of the word don’t hand over the keys to the future to billionaires who pull the strings.

However one might reject their premises, some fraction of the mass of American men who have succumbed to the lure of Trump’s fascism need to feel seen and heard and recognized in their stress and anxiety and sense of dislocation in the future that is coming. And they need to be invited into a contrary story of progress. Saving the country from tyranny needs to become aspirational for men. Not a lecture.

They need to remember, and become excited to say, that real men reject fascism."

Is X a threat to American democracy?; The Tufts Daily, October 16, 2024

 Olivia Bye, The Tufts Daily; Is X a threat to American democracy?

"Park’s experience on the site mirrors that of X’s roughly 550 million monthly users and can largely be attributed to X’s acquisition by multi-billionaire businessman and investor Elon Musk in October 2022. In the two years following Musk’s purchase of X, the site has seen unprecedented levels of misinformation and disinformation clouding its user base, a trend that has only been exacerbated in recent months by the 2024 presidential election. The combination of growing artificial intelligence capabilities and a social media platform that has, in nearly every sense, exonerated its regulations of what can or cannot be shared to the site has raised the question: Is X a threat to American democracy?...

However, Associate Professor of Political Science Michael Beckley is skeptical that the increase in political misinformation sets this year’s presidential election apart, citing comparable patterns that have occurred throughout history. “We’ve seen similar things when radio first came out. [People wondered], was this going to allow strong men to rally people behind their cause? We saw the same thing with TV,” he said. “So [the misinformation] is jarring, but I don’t see it as a unique factor. It is rather a pretty chronic factor in a democratic system.”

Kelly Greenhill, an associate professor of Political Science, identifies the normalization of false information spread by notable figures as a key reason behind increased disinformation in the media... 

Greenhill suggests that possibly the best solution to avoid X’s abundance of misinformation is, simply, to leave. “People don’t have to use X. They can leave. They can delete their accounts. They can also leave social media. They may not want to, and they may not choose to, but they can,” she wrote. Some users are choosing to do just that; social media sites that have advertised themselves as alternatives to X, such as Bluesky and Mastodon, have amassed popularity in recent years."

The true enemies of democracy; The Washington Post, October 16, 2024

Ann Telnaes , The Washington Post; The true enemies of democracy

Kamala Harris’s last mile; The Ink, October 15, 2024

ANAND GIRIDHARADAS, The Ink; Kamala Harris’s last mile

"For all of the vice president’s success thus far, it is important to name the greatest risk to her candidacy, in the hope of avoiding it: In the homestretch, Democrats cannot let themselves be defined as the Whole Foods party — a party that speaks convincingly to upscale and educated and socially conscious and politically engaged and often-voting Americans, but doesn’t similarly rouse working-class voters of various stripes and more disaffected, jaded, demoralized voters.

In the last mile of this election, so many of the remaining pool of undecided voters — or, more importantly, people undecided about voting — have simply lost faith that anyone will change anything for the better in their lifetime.

It is beyond ironic, beyond ridiculous even, that some people who feel this way, millions of them, are attracted to Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, two pillars of the establishment who are running for president on a platform that would only make the richest and most powerful Americans more rich and more powerful.

But it is happening, and it must be stopped...

This outreach must be backed by policy. At her best, Harris has embraced big ideas that would change the landscape of the country, from housing construction to the care economy. Go further. Be sweeping. Propose the kind of simple-to-understand, sweeping, universal policies that make people thirst for the future.

And, finally, be everywhere, all at once. It has been a relief to see Harris saturate the airwaves in recent days, after an earlier reticence.

There is so much reason not to believe in America in 2024. If you want people to believe again, especially the people who are right now still on the fence, you need to tell them a story that not only persuades them but all but rewires their brain. You need to help them make new meaning of what they have seen and heard and felt.

This will require being everywhere all at once, in their heads and hearts, morning, noon, and night. It doesn’t matter if every interview isn’t perfect. Show them your power, your life force, the life force that proposes to smash obstacles and change their lives. Do whatever media most helps you reach them. It doesn’t need to be the old guard. But people are looking for whether you are unafraid, because if you are, it might give you what it takes to help them."

Maricopa election officials work to restore belief in the ballot as some continue to sow doubt in elections; 60 Minutes, October 7, 2024

Scott Pelley , 60 Minutes; Maricopa election officials work to restore belief in the ballot as some continue to sow doubt in elections

"Shelby Busch started a political action committee which investigates what she calls widespread fraud in Maricopa County—fraud no credible investigation has found. She's taken in nearly a million dollars in donations for the work of her PAC. And the Arizona Republican Party awarded her the leadership of its delegation at last summer's national convention...

Busch still questions whether signature verification was proper and whether some ballots were collected illegally. She's an administrator in a medical practice.

Scott Pelley: You're self-educated--

Shelby Busch: That's correct--

Scott Pelley: --when it comes to elections.

Shelby Busch: That's correct.

Scott Pelley: In a recent case a judge disqualified you from testifying in the case because he said you were, quote, "Obviously unqualified... not even in the ballpark."

Shelby Busch: That's one judge's opinion. who is a radical leftist who is legislating from the bench and I don't believe that it had any merit in my credibility whatsoever.

Scott Pelley: Is there a danger in undermining people's faith in the election system by persisting with these conspiracy theories that no one has been able to validate?

Shelby Busch: Again, I'm going to disagree with you, sir, respectfully-- it has been validated. And because--

Scott Pelley: Where? By whom?

Shelby Busch: The election officials--

Scott Pelley: Give me-- give me a court case. Give me something.

Shelby Busch: I don't need a government official with a vested interest in disproving information to tell me whether what I have is valid. It's up to each individual citizen, as a member of this society, to review the evidence, to think for themselves and make those decisions.

Scott Pelley: It's valid 'cause you say it is.

Shelby Busch: I say it's valid because I say it is. And if somebody looks at it, they can determine whether it's valid. The evidence speaks for itself. Data does not lie. Data doesn't lie. Election officials do."

What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation; Toronto Star, October 5, 2024

Bessma Momani and Shelly Ghai Bajaj , Toronto Star; What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation

"Digital disinformation can be dangerous and too often, racialized ethnocultural communities bear the brunt of it.

Disinformation during election time certainly gets media attention, but it is the everyday disinformation that we need to pay attention to. We need to wake up to see how this near constant flow — the ‘slow drip of polarizing and illiberal narratives’ — erodes Canadian values and social cohesion...

In fact, foreign interference in Canada’s democratic and electoral processes, including the use of disinformation, is expected to play an even larger role in future election cycles.

Thankfully there is growing awareness to this problem; one poll estimates that 84 per cent of Canadians are concerned about disinformation and potential impact on democracy. Canadians are also aware of the potential weaponization of emergent technologies and capabilities with 80 per cent of Canadians indicating concern about the abuse of AI and the spread of AI-generated disinformation in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election.

But, while this growing awareness and attention is positive, we need to pay attention to disinformation in everyday contexts, to help build societal resilience and prevent social polarization."

Elon Musk makes his first appearance at a Trump rally and casts the election in dire terms; AP, October 6, 2024

MEG KINNARD, AP;  Elon Musk makes his first appearance at a Trump rally and casts the election in dire terms

"Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk cast the upcoming presidential election in dire terms during an appearance with Donald Trump, calling the Republican presidential nominee the only candidate “to preserve democracy in America.” 

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla who also purchased X, Musk joined Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at the site where the former president survived an assassination attempt in July. Musk said “this will be the last election” if Trump doesn’t win. Wearing a cap with the “Make America Great Again” slogan of Trump’s campaign, Musk appeared to acknowledge the foreboding nature of his remarks. 

“As you can see I am not just MAGA — I am Dark MAGA,” he said. 

It was the first time that Musk joined one of Trump’s rallies and was evidence of their growing alliance in the final stretch of the presidential election. Musk created a super political action committee supporting the Republican nominee and it has been spending heavily on get-out-the-vote efforts. Trump has said he would tap Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if he regains the White House."

Mike Johnson Won’t Condemn Eric Trump’s Bogus Allegations That Dems ‘Tried to Kill’ His Dad; Rolling Stone, October 6, 2024

Peter Wade, Rolling Stone; Mike Johnson Won’t Condemn Eric Trump’s Bogus Allegations That Dems ‘Tried to Kill’ His Dad

"

House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to condemn recent comments by Eric Trump trying to paint the Democratic Party as responsible for assassination attempts on his father. Instead, Johnson essentially repeated the claims by attacking Democrats’ “rhetoric.”

 

“I don’t think they’re saying that the Democratic Party tried an assassination attempt. I think what they’re alluding to is what they’ve all been saying. They have got to turn the rhetoric down,” the Republican speaker told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week. “For years now, the leading Democrats in this country, the highest elected officials and the current nominee for president have gone out and said that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, that the republic will end if he’s reelected.”

Here’s exactly what Eric Trump said: “They tried to smear us. They came after us. They impeached him twice, and then, guys, they tried to kill him. They tried to kill him, and it’s because of the Democratic Party. They can’t do anything right.” 

Johnson tried to weasel out of condemning Eric Trump’s remarks by claiming he hadn’t seen the full speech and then praising the “massive crowd” at the event: “I just saw the clip. I was at an event in Texas last night, so I didn’t watch all the remarks from Pennsylvania. I will tell you, I talked to President Trump right after it, and he was pleased. They had a massive crowd there and a lot of enthusiasm and energy. But I didn’t hear all the comments. I don’t know the context. The clip that I just heard that you just played there, George, I don’t think they’re saying that the Democratic Party tried an assassination attempt.” 

Stephanopoulos pushed back. “But Mr. Speaker, you just said Democrats are. You said their – you said their rhetoric is inciting. We all just saw what both former President Trump and his son Eric said. Eric actually did specifically reference Democrats. He said, ‘They tried to kill him. They tried to kill him and it’s because of the Democratic Party, they can’t do anything right.’ Do you support those comments or not?” 

Again, Johnson refused to say whether he supports the comments: “I don’t know what Eric was saying because I only heard just a snippet there. I don’t know the context. I do know that Eric is very level-headed and a very intelligent person.”

 

“You just saw it, sir,” Stephanopoulos retorted.

 

“I saw your clip of it, George,” Johnson said. “I didn’t see the full speech. We need to all look at these things in full context. What they’re referring to, though, is the absolute open attacks that have been engaged by Democrats against President Trump since the day he came down that golden escalator in 2016.”

 

“We need everybody on all sides to turn the rhetoric down and let’s have a debate about the records of these candidates, not the rhetoric,” Johnson added.

 

“So, you’re actually repeating the charge. And I don’t know what more context you need,” Stephanopoulos said before again repeating Eric Trump’s exact remarks. “What more context do you need? Do you support that statement or not?”

 

“George, I’m not going to parse the language what people say at rallies,” Johnson said. “I could give you pages and pages of crazy comments by the leading Democrats in this country.” 

The Republican speaker then stonewalled some more, prompting Stephanopoulos to say, “So, it’s very clear you’re not going to condemn the base’s suggestion the Democrats are behind the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.” 

The host moved on to another issue, the 2020 election, and asked Johnson, “Can you say unequivocally that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Donald Trump lost?” Stephanopoulos pointed out that Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance refused to answer this question at the recent vice presidential debate.

 

Yet again, Johnson ducked the question, claiming it’s part of a “gotcha game” from the “mainstream media with leading Republicans.” 

“We’re not going to talk about what happened in 2020. We’re going to talk about 2024 and how we’re going to solve the problems for the American people,” the speaker said, adding that we need to focus on the upcoming election in November.

 

But by dodging the question about 2020, Johnson provides absolutely no reassurance that the lies about non-existent widespread voter fraud will not be repeated by Trump and members of the party he leads. And by refusing to condemn Eric Trump’s remarks and instead blaming Democrats’ “rhetoric” when they have not called for violence against the former president, Johnson is engaging in the same dangerous language he claims to abhor.

Elon Musk Costarred in Trump’s Disinformation Fest in Butler; Mother Jones, October 6, 2024

Julianne McShane, Mother Jones; Elon Musk Costarred in Trump’s Disinformation Fest in Butler

"On Saturday, Elon Musk furthered an ongoing effort in support of Donald Trump: He went onstage to sow misinformation about the integrity of American elections...

Musk’s stated concerns about free speech and truth seem especially strange given that the CCDH report found that Musk’s own social media platform is an engine of disinformation. In August, five secretaries of state warned Musk about Grok, the AI-powered search assistant available to premium X subscribers, after it disseminated false information about Harris being ineligible to appear on the ballots in multiple states."

Use the f-word; The Ink, October 1, 2024

 The Ink; Use the f-word

"Philosopher Jason Stanley talks about why fascists have mounted an attack on education, why universities haven't fought back, and how to resist."

‘War Game,’ political violence, and the risk of extremism in the armed forces; 1A, WAMU, September 24, 2025

Michael Falero, 1A, WAMU; ‘War Game,’ political violence, and the risk of extremism in the armed forces

"One of the hallmarks of American democracy is upholding the principle of the peaceful transfer of power. Key to that principle is the word “peaceful.”

On Jan. 6, 2021 that principle was tested. Insurrectionists, some organized, tried and failed to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.

What if that violence happened in a future American election? What if extremist groups who felt democracy was at risk included a small number of active members of the military or National Guard? 

A new documentary, “War Game,” follows an effort to play out that scenario, to see how bipartisan participants, including former politicians and retired military officers, would react to election violence from a fake White House situation room. 

What are the risks in responding to violence around an election outcome? How would that situation become more complicated if a handful of members of the military were involved in trying to overturn an election? And how common is it for extremism to enter the ranks of branches of the military?

We discuss those questions and the film, spoiler free.

Janessa Goldbeck

CEO, Vet Voice Foundation

Jesse Moss

co-director and producer, “War Game"

Nikki Wentling

disinformation and extremism reporter, The Military Times...

• [Interviewer Jen White] So we hear there from your own experience, Janessa, that part of this exercise is about your experience with your father, and you connect it to the weakening of democratic institutions. If this is an exercise looking at the strength of our institutions, like our branches of government, what did you take away from the scenario about their resilience in the face of political violence and the resilience of the leaders within those institutions?

• 
  

  [Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation]

  You know, one thing that folks always come up to me after screenings, about is is this part of the film in particular. So many Americans around the country are facing a deep divide within their own homes. Someone in their family who is, very invested in a conspiracy theory or an ideology that feels completely alien. You know, and I obviously have experienced that with my own father. I think a lot of people have some a family member, someone they love that, is ascribed to a belief system that feels just impossible to wrap your your hands around. And I think that's something that isn't necessarily going to be solved by government alone. It's something that we need to invest in, programs and ways that we can actually just kinda build bridges in this country. I think, you know, that surgeon general of the United States for the first time has declared loneliness an epidemic in this country. And I think that some of that loneliness is is building is providing or or fueling this need for people to connect, and they find that connection, in spaces where conspiracy theories and extremist ideology flourish. So I don't know that it's necessarily a problem for government to solve on its own. It's certainly a challenge. I don't have all the answers, but I think more conversation is required, and war game is a provocation for that conversation."