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Law in Contemporary Society
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The Emboldening of Autocracies: A Threat to the Democratic World Order-- By AngusGaffney - 29 May 2024IntroductionAs a young boy growing up in rural England, I recall listening to my grandfather expound on the importance of the special friendship between England and the United States. It was, he said, a friendship that was grounded in the shared values of freedom and democracy during an era that sought to honor the sacrifices made by those who fought to defend such freedoms. As a dual citizen, I have grown up observing the levers of democratic soft power being used on both sides of the pond to uphold the norms of international governance. Moreover, to have been able to study law in Scotland before attending Columbia has given me further insights into the respective legal frameworks and constitutional principles that underpin the strategic alliance between the US and the UK. Indeed, my grandfather’s words continue to resonate with me as global geopolitical tensions seemingly threaten to break down the global order of international law and test the resolve of the world's so-called ‘policeman’. Consequently, the importance of such global friendships between the United States and its allies has become increasingly crucial to provide a bulwark against the ambitions of authoritarian nations, such as Russia, who would seek to erode democratic norms. The insidious erosion of human rights and the legal systems that hold such autocratic leaders accountable becomes evident in the dismantling of democratic freedoms, which was observable following the transfer of Hong Kong to China’s authoritarian rule.BackgroundGlobal conflicts orchestrated by authoritarian dictators, or their proxies, continue to undermine the stability of sovereign democracies, whose democratic governments and electorates are put under strain. In doing so, authoritarian regimes seek to subvert the international rules-based order, advanced by the US and its Western partners, which seeks to hold ambitious autocrats in check as they endeavor to erode peace and security. Such authoritarian states view democratic values as a threat to their stranglehold over their populations. It may be argued that Russia determined that alliances such as NATO, a coalition of democratic nations, could not be allowed to expand and perpetuate its ideals and influence-especially in Ukraine. The existence of a Russian-speaking nation, with many Ukrainian citizens having Russian relatives, enjoying the democratic freedoms and protections of a Western-backed NATO, would be perceived to undermine Putin’s control. Increasingly, other ambitious autocracies, such as China, have aligned themselves with Russia for both financial and territorial ambitions of their own. Conceivably, if global alliances of democratic nations fail to halt a successful invasion of Ukraine, then China may be emboldened to make strategic conquests of their own.Autocracy’s UtilityIt may be further posited that it is an autocracy’s inherent authoritarianism that enables it to be politically agile, as its governance is not predicated upon the attainment of genuine consensus or accountability. Autocrats can rule without checks and balances, characterized by a belief that the ‘ends justify the means’, thereby validating the deceptions inherent in their mass propaganda. It is an autocrat’s disregard for human life juxtaposed by an almost fanatical appeasement by those around them, that characterize authoritarian leadership. Exemplified by the contrasting gullibility and cynicism of their populace, an autocracy manifests its electorate’s ready acceptance of their leader’s lies and their later cynical justification of them. More than just their compliant electorates, however, it is the multitudes of enablers who support their tyranny for either personal gain or opportunism, that bolster the autocrat’s grip on power.The Emboldening of AutocraciesA key driver of the decline of global democracies remains the civil disintegration that occurs through the insecurity and instability that results from the failure of its institutions to cope with the internal and external pressures upon them. Accordingly, social destabilization within democratic sovereign states represents a successful strategy for autocracies, whose strategic alliances seek to diminish Western democratic norms and values. Such adversarial statecraft remains nuanced and in the shadows: an insidious war waged through cyber misinformation and propaganda that seeks to undermine the pillars of global democratic governance. More pertinently, our freedoms and democracy in themselves become vulnerabilities that rogue nations may exploit through infiltration of our social media and the freedom of our press. Their methods of assault against Western democracies are subtle, necessitating that democratic institutions remain vigilant to safeguard against complacency. In view of this, the reinforcement of global democracies requires the concerted development of enhanced coalitions of democratic nations to safeguard the democratic norms of governance that respect sovereign integrity and the international rules-based order. Accordingly, global initiatives to drive a resurgence of democracies have intensified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territory and will require a consideration of the global democracy-autocracy power dynamic in the aftermath of the war. The global ramifications of one autocracy’s incursion upon another sovereign power have led to immense geo-political and economic consequences: causing unimaginable suffering and loss of human rights through conflict, famine and migration. It therefore remains a vital strategic imperative to maintain our special friendships and democratic alliances to create an effective deterrent against further autocratic aberrations: to maintain a peaceful global order.Influence on my Law CareerThe global threat to democratic principles of governance causes the erosion of human rights, particularly where conflict arises and the effects of poverty and migration become exacerbated. As I seek to embark on my law career, global events have reinforced my aspirations to pursue areas of the law where human rights have been most afflicted. This summer, as I work as an intern with a team of human rights lawyers seeking to uphold women’s rights in the Baltic regions, I hope to hone my skills doing the work that is needed to bolster international protections against human trafficking. Within an international system of governance, it seems unconscionable that modern-day slavery continues to thrive: namely through trafficker’s exploitation of global conflict and instability.ReferencesAIRE Centre. Anti-trafficking organisations condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The AIRE Centre Angela Köckritz. How tomorrow never comes: Russia’s war against Ukraine and its impact on Taiwan, European Council on Foreign Relations, August 8, 2023 Amitai Etzioni. Freedom of Navigation Assertions: The United States as the World’s Policeman, Sage Publications, July 9, 2021, see page 508 Bill Keller. Why Intellectuals Support Dictators, New York Times, July 19, 2020 Mesha Gessen. Surviving Autocracy (Prologue), Riverhead Books, June 2, 2020, see Prologue Mesha Gessen. Surviving Autocracy (Preface), Riverhead Books, June 2, 2020, see Preface Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds. Operation Z: The Death Throes of an Imperial Delusion, Royal United Services Institute, April 22, 2022, see page 9 Richard Youngs. Autocracy Versus Democracy After the Ukraine Invasion: Mapping a Middle Way, Carnegie Europe, July 20, 2022 USIP. A Global Democratic Resurgence is the Best Path Toward Peace, United States Institute of Peace, December 9, 2021 William H. Overholt. Hong Kong: The Rise and Fall of “One Country, Two Systems”, Harvard Kennedy School, December, 2019, see page 27, 28, 29You are entitled to restrict access to your paper if you want to. But we all derive immense benefit from reading one another's work, and I hope you won't feel the need unless the subject matter is personal and its disclosure would be harmful or undesirable. 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