Author Archives: DemDigest

Kleptocratic networks: corruption’s operating system

     

In some five dozen countries worldwide, corruption can no longer be understood as merely the iniquitous doings of individuals. Rather, it is the operating system of sophisticated networks that cross… Read more »

Russia-stoked transatlantic tensions signal ‘the end of the West’?

     

The West and Russia are locked in a fundamental paradigmatic disagreement, says analyst Kadri Liik. But that standoff is not centered around a competition between domestic political or economic models…. Read more »

Zbigniew Brzezinski’s legacy: defend liberal world order

     

Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski was one of the strongest exponents of the “liberal international order,” notes The Washington Post’s David Ignatius: Brzezinski, who died Friday, devoted most of his… Read more »

Cyber-enabled information struggle: Russia’s approach, Western vulnerabilities

     

The Kremlin’s cyber operations against recent elections in western democracies are symptomatic of Russia’s perception of its ongoing ‘information struggle’ with the West, according to a new report, The cyber-enabled… Read more »

Egypt’s NGO law cracking down on dissent, suffocating civil society

     

Egypt issued a new law on Monday that regulates the work of non-governmental organizations, a measure seen by rights groups as the latest sign of a growing crackdown on dissent… Read more »

Vietnam’s hackers targeting foreign firms with anti-dissident tactics

     

A Vietnamese group known as OceanLotus is targeting foreign companies, using tactics similar to those in attacks against dissidents, journalists and governments at odds with the country, The New York… Read more »

Populism and the West: How to save world’s most successful political idea

     

For as long as many of us can remember, to be modern has meant to be Western, and to be Western has meant being at the forefront of pretty much… Read more »

Russia’s disinformation campaign exposed in new report

     

Researchers have discovered an extensive international hacking campaign that steals documents from its targets and repackages them as disinformation aimed at undermining civil society and democratic institutions, according to a study released… Read more »

South African opposition sees opportunity in divided ANC’s corruption

     

With the ruling African National Congress riddled with allegations of corruption and infighting, and its black supporters fed up with high unemployment, a stuttering economy and a lack of basic… Read more »

Cubazuela: Why Nicolas Maduro doesn’t really control Venezuela

     

Removing Nicolas Maduro from office won’t ease the country’s misery, not least because the most important component of this oligarchy is the Cuban regime, analyst Moisés Naím writes for The… Read more »