if we can have a system in which we don't have tyranny and we have freedom as individuals, the government is no longer responsive to what people want, we've given up half of what the system promises us in the way that is problematic. that speaks to the larger up with going on. i think, thankfully chine is a very effective country in

practice but in absolute mess in theory, which is to say unless you're china's particular history and particular institution of pretty state capitalist as opposed to calm his party in charge it's difficult to emulate. so i think the threat now is twofold. the threat is the deep divisions in our own countries that make it so easy for countries like russia to a influence on our elections. and secondly it is the rise of an alternative regime force which is not totalitarian but builds itself as a liberal democracy. and that to me is much more frightening than the ideological alternative that china supposedly offers. the comparison obviously, as soon as you start mentioning hitler you've lost the debate, as is well known but i think

there's good reasons to avoid that comparison. not just because i think on the merits it's wrong and were not anywhere close to to descend in the third reich today and the united states and i think it's a little silly, but also because what is often meant to be a sort of sobering alarmist as the opposite effect. because if you imagine the downfall of democracies is only happening in circumstances where people walk around forming the hitler salute and big shiny black boots running around in the middle of the street, you can look out the window and say this ain't happening. so what are people worried about? anybody who has actually studied how democracies overtime knows, the example of the failure of a republic is a very unusual example. in a lot of democracies though systems have failed because somebody has said i'm going to be more democratic. i am the true representative of

people. just trust me, i'm going to make everything better. and that i think is a far more scary thought for what might happen. but we conclude on some things, slightly optimistic. events like these i think andy shall we say a little depressing? i do think the danger is very real. my book is called why our freedom is in danger and how to save it, and i think our freedom is in danger. that's not hyperbole. there's something happening here, which is unlike the citizens of china and russia and venezuela, , we still have the power to fight our own battles. and don't think i can promise you a happy end, but i also know that that is going to be a tragic end. it depends on what we do. i went to a talk a number of months ago and it was said there's a big fire burning and each of us don't have a little glass of water in front of us. if each of us goes and puts the water on the fire, i alone can't

do very much but there's a bunch of us sitting in this room and a bunch of people watching this and if all the stake the glass of water and try to put out the park, then together we might be able to put it out. i think it's our duty as people who do believe in democracy, who believe rules, , to go and try o that. >> thank you for concluding on an uplifting note. and thanks to you both really, superb presentation. please join me in thanking them. [applause] >> and now books would be available for sale in the back of the room. thank you all for coming. >> and we are happy to sign them. >> do you have time to sign them? >> why not. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> best-selling author brad thorp will be a a guest on "in depth" section addition live july 1 at noon eastern. >> i mean, so much of it is about how women persevere

differently than men. we sort of thing on to each other and get it out together. how do we turn that into a strategic advantage? how do we make that more of our that asked us instead of our burden? >> well, that is, i feel like, i hadn't thought about it, i have not thought about that at the metalevel. i certainly experienced in this last year and a half women having these others backs in a way that is remarkable. people used to say women -- grabber. >> but also what are you going to do? >> it is, nicole has been a good friend me. when president obama had to go

back to iraq because of the ices, nicole reached out, let me explain to you, so-and-so doesn't say something praise in the hallway, when they get come when the camera, when casey checks in with them at the standup, nicole could've said really? wow, barack obama didn't take care of iraq, that's weird. you should talk a lot about it. you are in the same situation i was in and bloody reach out and help you. that's what i love about women. what i find out in my experience of this book, can you help me? yes, what can we do? we're so excited. but you see wendy davis who ran for senate, ran for governor in texas. she's like i'm doing this, can help me? yes, i can help you. you should be connected with this person or that person.

amanda started one for something. recruiting millennials to run for office and having big successes and is a like amanda is doing is. what can we do to help amanda? women are like all in it in a way and there's no like my project or this is mine and don't touch it, or it's just people, , like what we do to support each other? what can we do to fight back? it's like remarkable. you have the sense of the workplace can be competitive maybe because it's always been dominated by men and women are more collaborative in a world like we are in today that is so globally connected and collaboration, cooperation will be more and more important. i feel like it's different. i feel like it's happening with women. >> it does seem like men are on board, too. you don't exclude them from part of your story of success. i work in a place that is

elevated more women that i think any news organization in the country. >> probably true. >> i think they are more afraid of us because we are, well, we are women. i mean, do you feel i want to end on what we can hang onto. >> i did feel that i have had like in my own life i had like amazing mailboxes and male mentors and male friends and particularly in the clinton white house with i was young and the guys in charge were older than me and like really helped me a lot. i just feel, i thought we had the quality. i thought we were good. i'm disappointed to see we have more work to do but it's so inspiring to see, it can be not just what we had hoped women could achieve. it's like actually something more interesting because we're doing it in a different way and

we doing it our way. that means politics is going to be different and i think and how engage within humanity it's different. it's something i've not seen or expected so might take a little longer but it's going to be i think ultimately for men and women both it's going to be more fulfilling. >> you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org. >> you are watching booktv on c-span2, television for serious readers. here's our primetime lineup.

>> that all happens tonight on booktv on c-span2, television for serious readers. >> usually at the beginning of our events we like to introduce and thank a number of vips.