Sense of the Ziu: Big Neighbor Democratic Backsliding

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Whereas, the Kingdom of Talossa is founded upon an open and pluralistic society, the rule of law, free and fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power, and has for decades held these principles to be non-negotiable foundations of legitimate government, and

Whereas, the United States of America has historically claimed a leading role among democratic nations, frequently positioning itself as a standard-bearer, external judge of democratic practice abroad and "leader of the free world," and

Whereas, in recent years the United States has exhibited patterns of democratic backsliding increasingly associated with illiberal and hybrid regimes such as Hungary or Turkiye, including sustained attacks on the legitimacy of electoral outcomes, efforts to weaken or intimidate independent courts and civil servants, the politicization of law enforcement, the normalization of disinformation as a political tool, attempts to delegitimize and/or control independent media, the demonization of groups on society's periphery, and hostility toward traditional allied nations and international institutions, and

Whereas, these developments stand in marked contrast to norms observed in many peer nations, including those with fewer resources, less global influence and historical struggles with democratic consolidation, yet which continue to safeguard electoral integrity, institutional independence, and public trust, and

Whereas, the erosion of democratic standards within a state that exercises outsized cultural, economic, and political influence carries consequences far beyond its borders, emboldening anti-democratic actors and undermining an international order based on rules and right rather than might.

Therefore, be it resolved, that the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa formally registers its grave concern regarding democratic backsliding in the United States and rejects claims that government without the consent of the governed is an acceptable or inevitable feature of a healthy community of nations, and

Be it further resolved, that the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa affirms that a government's legitimacy derives not from a monopoly of violence, power within a given territory, or historical prestige, but from consistent adherence to constitutional limits, respect for electoral outcomes, and the independence of democratic institutions, and

Be it finally resolved, that the Kingdom of Talossa calls upon the United States, as it has called upon others, to meet the standards it has long demanded of the international community, and to undertake the necessary civic, legal, and institutional renewal required to restore democratic credibility at home and abroad.

Uréu q'estadra så
Breneir Tzaracomprada (MC-Green)