What Actually Mattered This Week: US Democracy, Supreme Court Fight, Belarus's Secret Inauguration

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

My thoughts on some of this week’s biggest news stories:

Trump won’t commit to peaceful transfer of power if he loses

“Will you commit to a peaceful transfer of power after the election?”

President Trump: "We're gonna have to see what happens."

Never before has there been an exchange with a US President like this. God willing, never again.

But the US is not on the brink of authoritarianism. The judiciary is independent. The military serves the country. Congress is divided, not in Trump’s pocket.

President Trump wants Americans to lose confidence in the democratic process. I’m not buying in.

Ginsburg Supreme Court: Republicans secure vote for replacement

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” – Direct quote from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2016. Doesn’t matter.

Politics in the US is not about principles. It’s about winning. This disgusts most Americans, and it’s antithetical to being the world’s greatest democracy, but it doesn’t make it less true.

Hypocrisy is the prerogative of the politicians. Voting them out is the prerogative of the citizens.

Lukashenko sworn in as Belarus president in secret ceremony

Not something you do if you actually won 80% of the vote. #StandWithBelarus 

Prefer long-form analysis? Here are my thoughts on why the UN has never been more needed nor under greater threat and why President Trump deserves credit for Israel's new status in the Middle East. 

TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

Who do you trust more about coronavirus information?

Democrats:

Trump 1%

CDC scientists 97%

Republicans:

Trump 51%

CDC scientists 36%

-Quinnipiac

Quite a poll.

THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

More from GZERO Media (subscribe here)

GRAPHIC TRUTH 

YOUR GZERO WORLD

The world's largest multilateral organization was born out of the global crisis of World War II. Now, as another crisis rocks the world, the United Nations is facing a challenge of its own—to remain relevant in an increasingly nationalistic geopolitical environment. On the eve of the first virtual UN General Assembly, I spoke to UN Secretary-General António Guterres about pandemic response, climate action, the US/China schism, and more.

For a longer, more in-depth version of my interview with Secretary-General Guterres, check out the GZERO World podcast.

WORLD IN 60 SECONDS

Could this pandemic actually present an opportunity to bolster global support for multilateralism and what should that look like moving forward? 

What gives us cause so far for most optimism that we actually are going to respond more effectively?

What's the piece of life after coronavirus when truly people feel safe, again, that we're not socially distancing and the rest, that is going to be most different from life before coronavirus?

Find out in this week’s special edition of World in 60 Seconds, featuring myself and Microsoft President Brad Smith! 

Do you like what you’ve seen? Subscribe and stay informed.

BECAUSE THE INTERNET

WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

The India Way by S. Jaishankar:

It’s hard to find a foreign policy figure more accomplished than S. Jaishankar, a man who has held various ambassadorships in Europe, China and the US and is now India’s Minister of External Affairs. It’s also hard to find one more introspective and so willing to acknowledge how much the world around us—and the one he built his career in—has changed so dramatically in the last few years. For those looking for a book that seriously tries to grapple with a world order constantly in flux, and India’s potential role within it, “The India Way” makes for a fascinating read.

DEEP THOUGHTS

“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.