Call for sanctions to end Libya slave trade
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif. – right) has introduced a resolution that condemns the migrant slave auctions in Libya exposed in a recent CNN International report (above). The bill calls… Read more »
Category: National Endowment for Democracy
China’s Solitary Development Model – ‘fundamentally deficient, not easily reproducible’
Chinese President Xi Jinping may be consolidating his power following the 19th Party Congress, because he believes China is facing its most challenging period, a U.S. analyst said Monday, UPI reports: Andrew… Read more »
Russia ‘brazenly assaulting foundations of Western democracy’: how to counter Kremlin’s information warfare
The Kremlin-backed Russian Internet Research Agency operated dozens of Twitter accounts masquerading as local American news sources that collectively garnered more than half-a-million followers, Bloomberg’s Selina Wang reports: More than 100… Read more »
China’s ‘sharp power’ quietly reshaping opinion and policy abroad
Australia’s Prime Minister today attacked Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for visiting a Chinese billionaire’s home to ask for donations, according to reports. Foreign interference in Australian politics has become a… Read more »
‘Normalization’ or alarmism? How to best defend democracy
Where do you draw the line between living in a democracy in which the party you despise has won free elections and living in a dictatorship where the opposition may… Read more »
Montenegro poll shows anti-Western tilt, highlighting autocrats’ illiberal ‘spoiler’ role in Western Balkans?
A new survey of public opinion in Montenegro reveals widespread opposition to NATO and U.S. involvement in Europe’s security as well as dissatisfaction with the direction of the country. According… Read more »
No room for complacency on populist challenge to liberal democracy
In a compelling lecture on “the populist challenge to liberal democracy,” Brookings Institution scholar William A. Galston talked about the need to “forget about economic aggregates and focus on inclusive… Read more »
Egypt’s ‘classic authoritarian bargain’ proves to be the worst ever counterterrorism strategy
When it comes to the Middle East these days, the buzzword in the international community is “stabilization,” as opposed to “transition,” notes Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow at the European… Read more »
Information Disorder: disinformation, democracy and post-truth politics
The European Union will spend €1.1 million on training diplomats to monitor fake news, amid growing alarm on Russian propaganda, EUobserver reports: The funds, as well as related measures… Read more »
Combatting kleptocracy? Why nondemocratic states can’t deliver on corruption
Targeted, personal sanctions aimed at oligarchs create a genuine problem for Vladimir Putin’s hold on power, notes analyst Natalie Nougayrède. Russia is an authoritarian kleptocracy. The elite’s loyalty to the… Read more »