Saving Democracy

11 a.m., July 28, 2024

Among the things we hope democracy provides are: a government that is open and not corrupt, a legislative body that represents the views of the voters, and verifiable elections. Today we will watch and discuss four videos that address these issues.

In Can Democracy Exist Without Trust? (13:47 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_krastev_can_democracy_exist_without_trust), Ivan Krastev describes why distrust is so common among voters and openness is such a problem.

In Why US Politics Is Broken – and How to Fix It (10:39 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_yang_why_us_politics_is_broken_and_how_to_fix_it), Andrew Yang describes a voting instituted in Alaska that promises better representation.

In We the People and the Republic We Must Reclaim (18 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim), Lawrence Lessig talks about the corrupting influence of money.

Finally, in E-voting without Fraud (6:45 minutes, https://www.ted.com/talks/david_bismark_e_voting_without_fraud), David Bismark presents an approach that allows one to check that a vote is correctly counted while preserving voter anonymity.

We have not been able to arrange a room to meet this week. We hope to see you in person next Sunday, because on the first and third Sunday of each month, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: