Democracies around the world are under attack and authoritarianism is on the march in nations like Turkey, Venezuela, Hungary, and Poland, resulting in an unprecedented loss of public faith in our institutions and troubling hyper partisanship here at home. Many Americans understand that democratic values must be protected and passed from one generation to the next, and few take this obligation more seriously than the men and women who have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and placed their bodies in harm’s way in the defense of the nation. This spirit of service to the country does not end when one leaves the military, and most veterans believe it is their duty to continue to protect American democracy as engaged citizens.
On August 24, Brookings hosted a two-part panel discussion on the state of American democracy and the role veterans can play to protect American democracy.
Viewers can submit questions via email to [email protected] or on Twitter using #VeteransDemocracy.
Agenda
-
August 24
-
The current state of play in protecting American democracy
Panelist
The Hon. Sean O’Keefe 69th Secretary of the Navy - Department of DefenseGen. Tony Zinni, USMC (ret.) Former Commander-in-Chief - United States Central CommandAdm. Jim Loy 21st Commandant - United States Coast GuardMichael E. O’Hanlon Director of Research - Foreign Policy, Director - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy @MichaelEOHanlon -
The role of veteran service organizations in promoting and protecting democracy
Panelist
Jeremy Butler Chief Growth Officer - We the Veterans and Military Families, Former CEO - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, U.S. Navy Reservist @JeremyButler01Elaine Kamarck Founding Director - Center for Effective Public Management, Senior Fellow - Governance Studies @EKamarck
-