Why medium-sized autocracies are projecting more hard power abroad
And why this is alarming
TALK ABOUT geopolitics and people think of great-power rivalry: America v the Soviet Union or, more recently, China. Fair enough. Great powers are, as the name suggests, important. But as America retreats from its role as globocop, it has opened space for medium-sized powers to become more assertive.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “March of the midsized menaces”
From the November 27th 2021 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Leaders
Health warnings about alcohol give only half the story
Enjoyment matters as well as risk
Pete Hegseth’s culture war will weaken America’s armed forces
Donald Trump’s nominee for defence risks driving away talent
The capitalist revolution Africa needs
The world’s poorest continent should embrace its least fashionable idea
Just because Indonesia has nickel doesn’t mean it should make EVs
Economic nationalists are making a reckless bet
Donald the Deporter
Could a man who makes ugly promises of mass expulsion actually fix America’s immigration system?
Mark Zuckerberg’s U-turn on fact-checking is craven—but correct
Social-media platforms should not be in the business of defining truth