al alive. that promise is at risk, targeted by the forces that value brute strength over the sanctity of democracy. fear over hope. personal gain over public good. make no mistake about it, we're living at an inflexion point in history. both home and abroad, we're engaged anew in a struggle between democracy and autocracy. between the aspirations of the many and the greed of the few. between the people's right of self-determination and self-seeking autocrat. from china to russia and beyond, they're betting that democracy's days are numbered. told me democracy is too slow, too bogged down by division, to succeed in today's rapidly changing complicated world.