How not to fuel extremism
Analysts at the Central Intelligence Agency have warned that labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization “may fuel extremism” and damage relations with America’s allies, according to a summary… Read more »
Author Archives: DemDigest
Tzvetan Todorov – highlighted democracy’s ‘inner enemies’
Tzvetan Todorov, a Bulgarian-French literary theorist and historian of ideas whose concerns in dozens of books ranged from fantasy in fiction to the moral consequences of colonialism, fanaticism and the… Read more »
Russian activist poisoning ‘no doubt’ authorized by officials close to Putin
An exiled Russian Opposition MP has told the ABC he has “no doubt” the suspected poisoning of Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the country’s most prominent pro-democracy activists, was authorised by… Read more »
Upheaval could lead to ‘more vibrant’ democracies – eventually
The current confrontation in Romania exemplifies the “new politics” in the era of global populism, where pushback against democratic norms by incumbent politicians is met with popular resistance, according to… Read more »
Can France stem populist tide?
The spread of populism is rooted partly in economic inequality and in a rejection of progressive ideals, caused by generation and education gaps, according to Pippa Norris, a comparative political… Read more »
Democracy ‘no longer the only game in town’
“Democracy is no longer the only game in town,” says Harvard political scientist Yascha Mounk. Mounk’s work first came to my attention this past summer, when he and Roberto Stefan… Read more »
Democracy activists shortlisted for Freedom of Expression Awards
A Zimbabwean pastor arrested last week for his #ThisFlag campaign, an Iranian Kurdish journalist covering life as an interned Australian asylum seeker, one of China’s most notorious political cartoonists, and… Read more »
Russia’s bad equilibrium: Kremlin’s new ideology
After more than two years of economic contraction, Russia seems to have achieved some semblance of stability, notes Anders Åslund, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington. Though… Read more »
Will Somalia election benefit Shabab?
Wednesday’s presidential vote is part of the rebuilding effort in Somalia, which was shattered by more than two decades of conflict and where clan loyalties still tend to trump policy… Read more »
The coming ‘dissolution’ of Islamic State
Under assault from all sides, the Islamic State (IS) extremist group is losing territory, revenues, and the ability to attract recruits, a new United Nations report said, RFE/RL reports: The… Read more »