Perspectives: Biden’s ‘Summit for Democracy’
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden kicked off his virtual “Summit for Democracy” on Thursday, telling more than 100 invited countries that the struggle for democracy was “the defining challenge of our time.”
“In the face of sustained and alarming challenges to democracy, universal human rights, and all around the world, democracy needs champions,” Biden said. Russia and China sharply criticized the event; the weekend before Biden’s summit, China held its own “International Forum on Democracy” in which a prominent CCP figure described China’s system as “true democracy that works.”
Overall, commentators across the spectrum tended to find something to criticize about the summit. Many voices focused on the list of invitees; Taiwan, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo were invited, while Turkey, Egypt and Hungary were not. Some voices in Center and Lean Left rated outlets discussed what was “missing” from the summit. Voices on the right tended to be more critical.
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