The pandemic one year later, Cuomo's fall from grace, and more

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Joe Biden's speech last night was reassuring, no matter where you fall on the ideological scale. COVID-19 was and remains a national security threat, requiring serious, science-focused governance and a robust federal response. Though some initiatives were undertaken previously—most notably, the fast-tracked vaccine development program—they were often left to fester in bureaucratic mismanagement or abandoned altogether to politicization. Conquering the virus is possible, not through wishful thinking, but through competent, cooperative leadership. We're almost there. —Evan McMullin

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** Guerrero: After COVID-19
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"In whatever the new normal brings, we should have more and better mechanisms in place to give political voice and power to those who are the worst off in our political community. ... Democracy has a tendency to push toward helping the largest number or the loudest, even at the sharp cost to those who are suffering the most. We must reconnect. We must rebuild trust and concern across political and other lines. In getting back to normal, we must learn again how to be together." —Alex Guerrero on ([link removed]) NJ.com ([link removed])

Alex Guerrero is an associate professor of philosophy at Rutgers University's School of Arts and Sciences.

MORE: 'We all lost something': Biden honors Covid victims, accelerates vaccine timeline —Politico ([link removed])


** Derviş: Leading by example begins at home
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"Implementing an overall strategy to bolster liberal democracy and rebuild multilateralism will inevitably involve many shades of gray, as reality imposes unanticipated constraints. But the Biden Administration's early actions and the sincerity of its declarations suggest that it could become the most internationally transformative U.S. administration in decades. But whether that happens does depend, crucially, on Biden's domestic success in fostering economic progress for all Americans." —Kemal Derviş on ([link removed]) Project Syndicate ([link removed])

Kemal Derviş is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

MORE: Joe Biden's stimulus is a high-stakes gamble for America and the world —The Economist ([link removed])


** Glanton: White supremacy is incompatible with democracy
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"The insurgence on Capitol Hill is the most obvious signal yet that white supremacy is an attack on democracy. It is as vibrant today as it was a century ago. Republicans are helping white supremacists reach their goal by diverting attention elsewhere." —Dahleen Glanton in ([link removed]) The Virginian-Pilot ([link removed])

Dahleen Glanton
is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

MORE: 'It's wrong, it's un-American, and it must stop': President Biden denounces attacks against Asian Americans —USA Today ([link removed])


** Patrick: Why was the past year so tough on democracy?
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"Although domestic factors typically have the largest impact on democracy in any given country, external ones can also influence its fortunes. Over the past year, three major international forces exacerbated the global decline in freedom: the COVID-19 pandemic, faltering leadership from major democracies, and anti-democratic campaigns by authoritarian states." —Stewart Patrick in ([link removed]) World Politics Review ([link removed])

Stewart Patrick is the James H. Binger senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of "The Sovereignty Wars: Reconciling America with the World."

MORE: China all but ends Hong Kong democracy with 'Patriots Only' rule —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
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** Boot: The GOP's double standard
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"The stark differences in accountability between Democrats and Republicans underscore the reality that the GOP these days is interested only in keeping power—not in exercising it responsibly. The only thing, it seems, that Republican elected officials can do to arouse the ire of their base is to criticize Trump. Republicans have no right to crow about Democratic misconduct until they show more interest in getting their own house in order." —Max Boot in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

MORE: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo will face impeachment investigation by state lawmakers —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])


** Murphy: Georgia voting restrictions could hurt Republicans too
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"The Republicans may have found Donald Trump's 11,000 Republican votes by subtracting 11,000 Democrats. But could those same lawmakers be subtracting Republican votes in the process, too? It's entirely possible, worried GOP strategists tell me, because the most restrictive changes legislators are contemplating in Georgia are not based on data or evidence, but on the former president's accusations and GOP voters' suspicions." —Patricia Murphy in ([link removed]) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ([link removed])

Patricia Murphy is a political columnist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

MORE: Civil rights group sues to block new Iowa voting restrictions —Forbes ([link removed])


** Kendall-Taylor, Frantz & Wright: The peril of personality over policy
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"Personalization is a major threat to today's democracies, namely because personalist leaders breed polarization in the societies they govern. That's because in these systems, policy choices more strongly reflect the leader's preferences rather than a bargaining process among multiple actors and institutions. Those groups not aligned with the leader and sidelined in the decision-making process are likely to grow disillusioned, deepening the divide between political camps." —Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Erica Frantz & Joseph Wright in ([link removed]) Foreign Policy ([link removed])

Andrea Kendall-Taylor is a senior fellow and the director for the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Erica Frantz is an assistant professor in political science at Michigan State University. Joseph Wright is a political scientist at Pennsylvania State University.

MORE: With Trump gone, QAnon groups focus fury on attacking coronavirus vaccines —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** This pharmacist delivers
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For many Pennsylvania residents, getting a Covid vaccine has been a struggle. Distribution continues to lag from supply issues, shifting guidelines, and bureaucratic errors. To fill the gap, local pharmacists are stepping up, and some are going above and beyond to deliver potentially life-saving vaccines to people in need. Ed Christofano, owner of Hayden's Pharmacy, a chain with three locations in western Pennsylvania, is one such pharmacist. ([link removed])
* — A few weeks ago, Christofano had a few doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine—leftovers from a vaccine clinic—that were about to expire. He drove his SUV 20 miles through a winter storm to deliver them to the Blevins family, a couple over the age of 65 and their daughter, who is medically compromised and at extreme risk of dying from COVID-19. ([link removed])
*
* — The Blevinses had been on Christofano's radar for about two weeks, but he didn't have a dose to spare until that night. Knowing he wouldn't have a place to change, he was already decked in a mask and face shield, latex gloves, and a bright yellow medical gown when he arrived. ([link removed])
*
* — The family was so relieved...and grateful. "When he showed up at the door, it's hard to even describe the feeling," Paula Blevins said. "It's really going to happen!" For Christofano, it's all in a day's work. "Your independent pharmacies are vital to the communities we serve," he said. "We know our population, and we're able to act quickly and efficiently." —TribLive ([link removed])

Thank you to TOPLINE reader Jim V. of New York for suggesting this story.

The American Rescue Plan has many components that are good and may even be necessary. There are many who will be benefited by the receipt of government checks. It seems, however, that when our nation has willingly amassed $30 trillion in debt without addressing a single issue associated with Social Security, the euphoria experienced by some at the passage of this bill should be tempered by an equal measure of fear and uncertainty regarding the financial foundations of our republic. You cannot spend what you do not have. Dollars are being printed as fast as the presses can run, and as the supply increases drastically, the value decreases. This is true. —Harry S., Utah
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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