Category: Authoritarianism

Contrasting – and combatting – Russian and Chinese influence operations

     

China’s influence operations are “strategic and multifaceted”, The Guardian notes: The National Endowment for Democracy recently described other aspects as “sharp power”: the effort by authoritarian states not just to attract support… Read more »

With democracy on the defensive, time for U.S. to ‘re-enter the fight’

     

With democracy on the defensive, America is missing in action, argues Brookings analyst William Galston. The latest Freedom House survey of global freedom (see below) notes “the accelerating withdrawal of… Read more »

The 4Ps of the disinformation age

     

  The Russian government is paying off Canada’s largest media companies to expose unsuspecting television subscribers to regime-sponsored disinformation in what amounts to a surreal 24 hour propaganda infomercial, notes… Read more »

Anti-democratic forces have ‘no alternative to a liberal international order’

     

Despite the threat posed to democracy by various forms of populism and authoritarianism, “there is simply no grand ideological alternative to a liberal international order,” argues Princeton University’s G. John… Read more »

Growing backlash as China turns soft power into sharp tool

     

Australia has launched a scathing attack on China’s efforts to build influence in the Pacific, accusing Beijing of currying favor with the region’s smaller nations by funneling cash into little-used… Read more »

Tunisia protests highlight trade-off between democracy and strong economy?

     

One person has died, 50 policemen have been injured and more than 200 people arrested in two nights of widespread and violent protests across Tunisia, driven by anger over steep price… Read more »

Six steps to counter Putin’s ‘asymmetric assault on democracy’

     

A new report warns of deepening Russian interference throughout Europe and concludes that even as some Western democracies have responded with aggressive countermeasures, the U.S has no strategic plan to… Read more »

Egyptian colonel jailed after announcing presidential bid

     

An Egyptian army officer was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday after announcing his intention last month to run in the country’s 2018 presidential election, his lawyer and… Read more »