The outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent pandemic has led to an alarming uptick in authoritarian behavior by governments across the globe, who are using the crisis to silence critics, an open letter signed by… Read more »
The Covid-19 pandemic has been talked of as a historical rupture, igniting system change. Yet, the nature of the new world being born is still far from certain, and this… Read more »
The new despotism defies the standard distinction between democracy and authoritarianism, argues John Keane (above), Professor of Politics at the University of Sydney and WZB (Berlin). The “whip-smart resilience” of… Read more »
Journalists and independent media are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to identifying the early signs of democratic regression, observers suggest. This is how democracy dies in… Read more »
Some are calling it America’s Second Civil War, others say it’s a repeat of 1968’s summer of protests. Still more believe we’re in a decades-long existential crisis that started with… Read more »
Governments around the world are turning to surveillance technologies to track the spread of COVID-19 and the impact on privacy and human rights could be long-lasting, notes Rachelle Faust, an… Read more »
Hong Kong police rejected an application Monday by organizers for an annual candlelight vigil marking the anniversary this week of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, as residents rushed to apply… Read more »
Since Beijing’s economic reforms began in 1978, Hong Kong has played a unique role — a place where western businesses could dip their toes in the new Chinese economy and… Read more »
Digital communication speeds the spread of all information, true or otherwise. Increasingly, digital campaigns can have physical impacts by manipulating public opinion, eroding the distinction between truth and lie, and poisoning… Read more »
It is quite possible that the coronavirus pandemic will represent the high-water mark for the appeal of the authoritarian model and of its two standard-bearers, China and Russia, according to… Read more »