Could take a number of different forms. It could happen as soon as tomorrow, or it could take some weeks yet. Im not going to make a prediction about what is going to unfold in the coming days. All im going to say is that we, the United States under the direction of president biden, are ready either way. We are ready if president putin chooses to continue to engage in diplomacy and we are serious about that. Support as of tennessee, as government have been demonstrating against the Supreme Judicial Council after it was dissolved by president chi site. He says the body is not being has been biased and not resolved. Important cases like the assassination of a left wing politician. A confidential u. N. Reporter claims north korea has stolen tens of millions of dollars worth of crypto currency dealt fund. Its nuclear and Ballistic Missile Program Reports as bianca install, more than 50000000. 00 of Digital Assets through Cyber Attacks between 2020 and mid 2021. Separate study says as much as 400000000. 00 may have been netted. North korea conducted 9 Ballistic Missile test last month. Dots protest isnt police of held separate protests against the Government Cove at 19 measures. Both groups march through the streets of rotterdam, but for different reasons. Or than 10000 people gathered to protest against the dutch governments Vaccine Mandates and corrode of ours measures. At base 10, b believe reportedly died in some 45000, displaced by a tropical storm. Thats head madagascar psy clone. But said i made an fall on the islands eastern coastline late on saturday. It brought strong winds and heavy rains, which have gone roofs of homes, knocked down trees and blocked roads. Its the 2nd cycle to strike madagascar in 2 weeks. Those are headlines. Stay with us here on al jazeera. Ill have another update for you in about 30 minutes up to up front season. Well death athletes prepare for the Winter Olympics stating is bracing itself with the arrival of an estimated 11000 people can 0 tolerance curve. This strategy, what, and despite diplomatic blakely will chinas vince again, brian will be the latest from 182022 Winter Olympics on al jazeera. Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us for a new season of upfront us democracy is in crisis. And at the risk of failing, thats what a majority of americans believe, according to a recent tips, those n p r poll from the january 5th insurrection at the capitol for the dismantling of Voting Rights and deep economic inequality exacerbated by the corporate. 19 pandemic democracy imperiled in the United States. And if so, what can be done to save it . Will after world renowned author, dollar and political activists. The professor chomsky thank you so much for joining us on upfront. Pleased to be with you here in the United States professor, you have talked about how 90 percent of the population is basically not represented by political leaders due to concentrated wealth and private power determining the outcomes of elections. 34 laws, restricting access to voting, were passed in 2021 alone. Do we have a real democracy here in the United States . We have a mixed form of democracy. In some respects the United States is quite advanced. I dont think theres any country that to protect freedom of speech to the extent that the United States, those. Ready if youre moderately privileged, youre secure, say, from state authority and so on. On the other hand, the political system does not a, represent the population there or extensive studies in academic, political science, mainstream. Which should ask a very simple question of what the relation between peoples attitudes and opinions and the vote of their own representatives. Straight forward turns out the for a large majority. Ready of the population by some studies up to 90 percent of theres essentially no correlation. They are. Representatives are listening to different voices and thats understandable. Pure elected to the house of representatives of the 1st thing you have to do is get on the telephone and make sure that the donors will be read ready to finance your next election. Other, other studies have shown the theme you can predict election electability was very hello precision. A simply looking at things like concentrated Strategic Campaign funding. The. Ready well, the legislators calling the donors lou Legislators Office is being flooded with lobbyists, corporate lawyers, representatives of interest and firms. Overwhelmingly steph huge amounts of materials and ends up with them. Pretty much earned writings, ear legislation, which the legislator then saw. And theres a bit of a caricature, but not too much. Something look good is essentially the way much of the system operates. So its, its a democracy in many respects as lot of freedom. But the representative system is constrained, constrained. Another thing that comes up in addition to the kind of constraints on the electrical system influence power money. All the things that youre speaking about is the actual preservation of Voting Rights. There been efforts to pass some reforms of Voting Rights lately. The United States, most recently, the freedom to vote act and the john lewis Voting Rights advancement act. These whatever stored vital voter protections. And they were prevented dist districts from changing voting laws in a way that systematically. Disenfranchise is minority populations. Both bills killed in the senate. Can you explain how voters depression disenfranchisement are predominantly impacting minorities in the United States and why Voting Rights . Which are a pillar of democracy could be under attack and its 21st century. Well, 1st of all, the United States used to have 2 political parties, democrats and republicans. From another point of view. They were 2 factions of the same party, the business party, the business for the Business World is overwhelmingly dominant and both of them. Nevertheless, they were, they have been somewhat different with some overlap. In the last 3040 years, one of the is the Republican Party has simply drifted off the spectrum. Its not a Political Party in the traditional sense about 10 years ago to leading political analysts for the conservative American Enterprise institute to thomas man. Norman ornstein wrote an article in which they describe the Republican Party of 10 years ago. As in their words, a radical insurgency that has abandoned any interest in participation in harlem entry politics. What do you think causes this radical departure from the values and the position that the Republican Party was in even 10 years ago . Much less 30 or 40 . Theres always been an ideological difference in divergence. But as you said, they seem to fall off the map almost by over the last 10 years. Why . I mean, this goes back to richard nixon, actually 50 years ago. The nixon who was told and statesmen understood that the republicans who are more oriented than the democrats towards Corporate Power and private wills cannot win elections on their own programs. You can approach the electorate and saying, i want to stab you in the back. Enrich the rich, an empower, the corporate sector doesnt work. So they had to turn to other issues. What are called cultural issues. Nixon begun it with what was called the southern strategy. Democrats had been supporting johnsons civil rights that caused great resentment among the deeply racist. So the democrats nixon recognized the ending good enough to say it in words and doing that the republicans would become the weights of premises party. He can win over the democrats, there was a southern strategy, were pretty will then they moved other issues by the midden news. Republican strategists recognized that if they pretended stress pretended to be opposed to abortion or they could win. The huge is angelica over 25 percent of the population, northern catholics. So they all switched on a dime, reagan, george, h. W, bush, sure. Always been what we call pro choice. But all of a sudden they began passionately anti abortion. Next to guns and next other things, trump was extremely current. This is after the comment, or is it mentioned on the road at gal insurgency. But trump could brilliantly was able to tap the poisons that were on right below the surface in american society, their migration, the professor to think of this idea of an insurrection and trump. I mean, we had an actual attack on the capital in january 6 of 2021, which you describe as an attempted coup. Some have said the United States is still witnessing a slow motion insurrection by republicans, and that theyre using a election after their lead the plotting election. According to the States United Democracy Center last year, at least 262. 00 bills were introduced in 41. 00 states that interfere with elections. Is our democracy being subverted through the electoral process . And what relationship does it have to to trump and this right wing insurgency that youre talking about . Well, trumpet, managed to mobilize a popular cult. Oh, the worshipful followers, anything he does, they support those basically taken over the Republican Party or what used to be the Republican Party. Republican leaders are grovelling notice, feet afraid to offend him in any way that trump is made it very clear, more clear in the last few days that he does not believe that the United States should have a functioning democracy is said explicitly that the Vice President , mike pence could have overturned the election and failed to do it. It was, pence is failure. His fault that the election was not overturned and handed over to trump. He said it quite explicitly over in congress to the constitution happens to be rather vague that this nobody in the last 250 years, really thought about the possibility that one of the, the Political Party could arise which wants over through the democratic system. So the laws are a little bit obscure, and there is, there are debates going on right now in congress as to whether to sharpen the rules to make it clearer. The voters, oh should be in charge, not elect, not officials who want to overturn the vote trumps against it. And its not clear, early Republican Party will done this, but youre correct for hundreds of bills in state legislatures, republican ones working on various ways to ensure that they can become a permanent dominant Minority Party by excluding the road. So the wrong kind of people present keep hearing is word party, i hear republican i hear democrat a lot. And i have to ask you, i mean, is it too much focused on parties too much focus on Party Affiliation and partisanship . It seems that people might be caught up in this idea of winning at any cost rather than creating functional democracy, functional government, and safeguarding and protection that were supposed to have in our society. Is that an accurate assessment . Well, if you go back to the days before the Republican Party drifted off the spectrum, there was cooperation between the fortys. I voted for republicans moderate republicans, but by no, lets just inconceivable republicans have just become a denial list party. I see this procedure, trump, when prison obama was elected. And mitch mcconnell, Senate Leader for the republicans, and may be the most influential person in the party. When obama was elected mcconnell said street that i, that the republicans have one goal, make sure that he cannot achieve anything, make sure that the country is ungovernable. And then the blame couldnt be put on the, on the democrat to happened f power. And republicans can come back into office doing exactly the same thing. Know when joe button was elected and mcconnell, Senate Minority leader said very explicitly, our goal is to ensure that he can achieve nothing will harm the country as much as possible. And we will then blame it on the democrats, and well come back to power. Thats not a political, cordy, thats a radical insurgency. No interest and see, but is there any room for critique of the Democratic Party as well . I mean, the rise of the right in this way, in some ways has to do some would argue with the democratic parties, failure to address the needs of working people in that capitalism itself is part of the problem. And because democrats are fully on board with the system, that they are as complicit in culpable in our failure to have a ineffective functional democracy is anybody else which says quite accurate and this goes back 45 years, president quarter. By the time, the late 19 seventys, the democrats, there were not gonna be the party of working people any more. That were going to become a party of affluent professionals and wall street and the kinds of people into italy who showed up at obamas extravagant parties. Chuck schumer, that is now the Senate Majority leader said street out that a week ago, maybe with a loser. Were close road in western pennsylvania, but well pick up to a affluent suburban vote. So thats what well do in the last effort of the report of the democrats to serve. Working people was in 1978 or the Humphrey Hawkins full employment. It did pers, Congress Prison quarter didnt veto it, but he watered it down so that it had almost no boy. When the democrats basically handed the working clothes over to their class enemy, the republicans are the bitter enemy of the working class or democrats handed over to them. Reagan came along. His 1st act was to smash labor unions opening the door to the corporate sector to do the same initiated programs which has severely harmed the working class. In the middle class, we are of measures of this. The Rand Corporation super respectable, recently did a study on how much wolf had been transferred from the lower 90 percent of the population. Were in class middle, close the poor. How much will had been transferred to the super rich during the last 40 years, and reagan, their estimate is about 50000000. 00. Wow, thats a, thats a, that is a staggering. Now that is a Staggering Number because even on the issue that youre raising, where there is a considerable shift in a direction that might be in some estimation, anti democratic. Theres still a lot of americans who are lined up in support of policies that often may be, undermine their own best interest. You wrote a seminal book manufacturing consent and you talk about how leaders sometimes cant necessarily control people by force, like in a dictatorship. But be control people thinking they control how they act and this often results in people operating against their own interests. Talk to me a little bit about the media. What role does the media play in manufacturing consent . What role does the media play in undermining democracy in the United States . Well, for example, one thing they do is not discuss with you and i have just been discussing they act as if there are 2 political parties, both dedicated to the benefit of the population. What you and i have just been discussing, and you can fund hence of it here and there, but the public doesnt see it. And insert this. The effects are very striking to take congress or 8 mill, one of the main legislative programs that button put forth as a build back Better Program the to program, which would greatly benefit working people, poor parents, children very beneficial to the population. Republicans, of course, are a 100 percent opposed to a few democrats are opposed, right winged recruits. And since congress has split, cant get through. Take a look at public opinion. First striking when you, when the public is asked about the individual provisions of this program that are medical care, child credits and so on. Theyre in favor of it. When the rest, what they think about the program, theyre opposed to it. When you ask, do you know whats in the program . No, they dont. Its an interesting collection. They are in favor of the individual measures. They do not know that those are in the program. Theyre opposed to the program because its been presented on fox news other right wing media as a government attack on you, which is just gonna raise the deficit and it wont be able to pay for it, but its just going to the undeserving poor. Theres an undertone there that says, well, there are these people who dont want to work. The ones who reagan calls the the will for cheats. Black mothers going and limousines to the Social Security office to rob your will through. Thats the undertone. And somehow those people who are, who are worthless and a worker taking it all away from us. Its an old technique to troyer, divert the attention of people away from their true oppressors, to people that are even more disadvantage than they are. Thats one of the ways in which the way were in class was kept down for a century and much of the country. Get them to hate black people who are even worse off than they are taken. Make them think will im better than those guys. Then you can exploit them and repress them spin of familiar technique of crushing or close organization. Were going people move this incidentally, you take a look at a great Labor Movement of the 19th century, night of labor. Normas Labor Movement bitterly opposed to industrial capitalism. Their 1st organizing effort. First one was in louisiana black workers working in the cotton fields. Theyve been driven back to something that are truly like slavery. So the knights of labor began to organize among them was very successful. Black and white organizing together. Local officials, local people. In this town, in louisiana table to louisiana, they heard about the organized, organized militias, cold in the state. Oh, state troopers carried out a huge massacre. We dont even know how many people were killed because nobody, even the chick thing was devastated to try to block this blackwood, organizing effort, brutal, vicious massacre. Well, there was the 1st went on and many others goes on. Many other ways. I go back to my childhood, the early 19 thirtys, the Labor Movement was revising. Celia was organizing those through workers. Black and white workers were working together. When they were joined in the labor action, they asked grace conflict dissolved just as in the early efforts of their mates of labor or the employer wants to stop that always, professor, i have just a few minutes left and i have to ask you, youve been writing about capitalism, power and democracy for decades. Given where we are right now, the state of our democracy. Do you see a way forward . Are you still hopeful . Theres always a reason to be hopeful. We have a political the just mention briefly impact of 40 years of new liberal attacks on the population. Its caused extreme social breakdown and disorder fertile terrain for a demagogue like trauma for de santis of florida or tucker carlson, myrtle live or come next, but there is a revival of san decent, honest commitment to a better world. You saw it pretty dramatically after the George Floyd Murder huge. Ready uprising black and white, biggest in american history. Cohen for an n 2 violent repression against americans. Norma support. Well, came under attack, beaten back, still there are other young people organized active working very hard to overcome the most serious crisis that humans are ever faced in their history destruction of the environment. There are other groups working for Racial Justice for recognition of human rights. Theyre all over very who theyre not. They dont have wealth, concentrated power, media support, but theyre there and they can become the weight of the future. So to us to support them, participate with them. Kathy, thank you so much for joining us on up right now to play it. All right, thats our show up front. Well be back with you know, you can watch out to see were english streaming lights on like you see channels plus thousands of all programs. Award winning documentaries, in depth musical subscribe to you choose dot com, forward slash Al Jazeera English with i mean all of latin america for most of my career, but no country is alike. And its my job to shed light on how and why new zealand is a boon watches paradigm. But this South Pacific nation has one of the worst extinction records on earth, writes an other interview present, have decimated the nike bird population. The decline is still ongoing. If we let it roll for another 50 years, they will be much left to restore. Now, you zealand is leading the world with an extraordinary goal to wipe out the countries with peers. By 2050. There is nowhere else on the planet like this. And we now have the technology, the well in the know how to do it and take those spaces. Finally, after 2 days of 36. 00 that we made our 1st k wait. Both birds will join 14 other key we released here in the last few mom. Its a vital step in saving while t we, which were almost walked out across the region 2 decades ago. A showcase of the best documentary films from across the network on al jazeera. Ah no signs of de escalation is more us troops arrive in poland to reinforce natos eastern flank. But russia says it has no plans to invade you crate. Ah, either im can vanelle. This is al jazeera, alive from dull ha, also coming up demonstrations into nicea against the judiciary. As the countrys top judge accuses the president of undermining the bodies, independence