A Stanford University political scientist argues that today's authoritarian swell in politics is providing an opening for Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and their admirers to turn the 21st century into a dark time of despotism—a trend that can only be stopped by the United States returning to its traditional place as the keystone of democracy.
In his impassioned book Ill Winds, [Diamond] proves a stalwart, persuasive champion for democracy ... Diamond proposes some sensible policy fixes ... he properly highlights how the United States contributed to democratization in numerous countries. Yet Ill Winds does not dwell on how the United States has blighted its democratic credibility, gliding past a darker history that could reappear during future contests against China or Russia: how the Cold War drove Washington’s support for vicious anti-Communist governments in Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, Argentina, Iran and elsewhere.
For anyone who wishes to understand the perils to democracy, in the U.S. and worldwide, this book provides a reliable and quite readable instruction manual ... Stanford professor Larry Diamond...depicts the big picture in Russia, China, and the United States and illustrates it with telling details; he enlarges that picture with snapshots of life in other countries, such as Hungary, Thailand, and the Philippines, where he has talked with those who suffer from government repression as well as some of the repressors.
As the author clearly shows, Trump is not just a threat to American democracy; he also plays an influential role in the retreat from freedom besetting numerous nations ... A potent mix of theory and practice that runs from didactic to inspiring. A good addition to the growing library on fighting authoritarianism.
