October 1996, Volume 7, Issue 4
Soft Authoritarianism in Malaysia and Singapore
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October 1996, Volume 7, Issue 4
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July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
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July 1995, Volume 6, Issue 3
A review of To Catch a Traitor in Lee Kuan Yew’s Prison, by Francis T. Seow.
January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
Democratic consolidation in the East will face the most difficulties in the cultural sphere. Democracy’s fate will depend on how the West handles its own sociocultural problems.
January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
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January 1995, Volume 6, Issue 1
A review of The Soviet Tragedy: A History of Socialism in Russia, 1917-1991, by Martin Malia and Modern Tyrants: The Power and Prevalence of Evil in Our Age, by Daniel Chirot.
July 1994, Volume 5, Issue 3
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July 1993, Volume 4, Issue 3
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October 1992, Volume 3, Issue 4
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July 1992, Volume 3, Issue 3
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Spring 1991, Volume 2, Issue 2
A review of Hidden Nations: The People Challenge the Soviet Union, by Nadia Diuk and Adrian Karatnycky.
Fall 1990, Volume 1, Issue 4
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Summer 1990, Volume 1, Issue 3
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Summer 1990, Volume 1, Issue 3
A review of Power, Press, and the Technology of Freedom: The Coming Age of ISDN, by Leonard R. Sussman.
Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
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Winter 1990, Volume 1, Issue 1
A review of Anthills of the Savannah, by Chinua Achebe.
Kais Saied is claiming a landslide election win. The truth is he was never willing to face a real competition. Just how insecure he feels will likely determine how much more repressive he will become.
The Russian dissident journalist and activist knew if he returned to Russia he would be imprisoned or worse. But he was plagued by one question that compelled him to go.
The economy is spiraling, public frustration is mounting, and the regime is becoming more repressive. The next time Egyptians come to the streets, they will be looking for more than promises and free elections.
He has created a new office with massive investigatory powers that are vaguely defined and leave everyone on edge. In other words, it’s classic Orbán.
Our struggle against the Soviet Union offers vital lessons for how to confront the aggressive totalitarian threat that Beijing now represents.
Explores how authoritarian regimes are deploying “sharp power” to undermine democracies from within by weaponizing universities, institutions, media, technology, and entertainment industries.
The Russian autocrat wanted to go down in history on par with Russia’s greatest leaders. He is increasingly looking like one of its weakest.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion has exposed the fundamental instability of Putinism.
The Russian autocrat forgot an age-old truth about working with common criminals and soldiers for hire.
In the days ahead, the West must remain calm—and redouble its support for Ukraine.
The Russian autocrat’s system of control has rested on pillars that are beginning to crumble.
The Venezuelan dictator defied sanctions, international isolation, and massive protests. He appears to have a firmer footing than he’s had in years. Now what?
For twenty years, the Russian autocrat enjoyed a string of good fortune in coming to power and cementing his rule. He had raised Russia’s standing in the world. Then he invaded Ukraine.
In 2022, we began publishing shorter, exclusively online pieces. No topic mattered more to you than Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine. We also published essays from the sharpest minds on protests in China and Iran, instability in Pakistan, and more.
Nationwide protests against Xi Jinping’s zero-covid policy caught the Chinese Communist Party off-guard. Expect the Party’s security apparatus to strike back with quiet precision.
Chinese citizens from Urumqi to Shanghai took to the streets, blank sheets of white paper in hand, to denounce the CCP and call for change. Xi Jinping’s repression and zero-covid lockdowns has united the public in empathy and anger.
Beijing’s focus has been on strong and steady economic growth for decades. But China’s leader has just put an end to that era. For Xi, it’s only about power—at home and abroad.
The Kremlin’s order to call up Russians to fight in Ukraine risks massive protests. It’s the riskiest decision of Putin’s rule, and it could lead to his undoing.
While widespread violence or civil war was averted, the consequences for Russia—and Putin—could be grave.
In a matter of weeks, the Russian autocrat has erased his country’s prosperity in a feckless attempt to rebuild a doomed empire.
Why we must tackle the threat posed by Putin and his authoritarianism head on.
Russia’s autocrat may be weakened, but his grip on power is greater than many people realize.
The system that Russia’s autocrat built wasn’t designed to survive the pressures it is now facing.