Not only has the West lost faith in its program of spreading democracy and good governance, but China—a paranoid nationalist that is inclined to spot slights and threats around every corner—is promoting the idea that universal values of tolerance and good governance are a racist form of imperialism, The Economist reports:
Tunisia reflects a global trend: more leaders are using nationalism as a tool to amass power—and to abuse it… Using a statistical model [based on data from V-Dem and Transparency International], we found that where governments rely on nationalist rhetoric to stay in power, experts think the public sector is much more corrupt (see chart 2). Moreover, comparing countries with themselves over time, going back to 2012, we find that more nationalist rhetoric has been associated with more corruption, and less nationalism with less corruption. RTWT
September 6 EVENT | Register for a virtual event launching the International Forum’s new report, “Kleptocratic Cooperation in Africa: How Russia and China Undermine Democracy.” Featuring remarks from report authors J.R. Mailey and Andrea Ngombet, as well as comments from Jodi Vittori, the conversation will center on what is needed to combat the negative implications of transnational kleptocracy. NED President, Damon Wilson, will offer opening remarks. RSVP
