A Sense of Loss as Democracy Erodes

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A Sense of Loss as Democracy Erodes

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Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good

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October 21, 2021

A Sense of Loss as Democracy Erodes

The Global Briefing often notes that around the world, democracy is in retreat, as raters like Freedom House and The Economist Intelligence Unit regularly downgrade freedom's global report card. Less often do we discuss the sense of loss that entails.

That's the topic of a reflective essay by the author, journalist, and Atlantic contributor Kim Ghattas, who plumbs the sensation of tragedy in Lebanon, where corruption and political failures have accompanied a slide toward collapse; Hong Kong, where Beijing's laws have extinguished previous democratic ways; and Afghanistan, where Taliban rule has altered life as many Afghans know it. In each case, Ghattas writes, various kinds of glamor, creativity, and vibrance have been lost.

"Despite the exodus" of some citizens from each place, Ghattas writes, "many … are staying in the hope of preserving what they can, building on what was achieved in the past three decades. … On days when I despair at the state of Lebanon, or the future of Hong Kong, I think of the Berlin Wall. For 40 years, those living in its shadow, on either side, could not imagine a life beyond the division it enforced, even while many strove to bring it down. Until, one day, the wall fell. And there was an opportunity for a new world. Then, we were naive about the inevitability of the victory of liberal values. We must learn from those mistakes as we work to stop more walls from going up and the darkness from spreading."

Can Earth Secure Series B Funding?

As the annual UN climate conference approaches, there's growing recognition that more investment is needed to avert planetary catastrophe. For instance, wealthy countries have fallen short of spending pledges to help less-wealthy countries adapt, Jocelyn Timperley writes for Nature.

When it comes to funding new green-energy technologies, John Thornhill writes for the Financial Times that venture capitalists "remain scarred by the clean tech bust at the beginning of this century when they put $50bn into green companies with dismal results. ... [A] successful climate tech company must offer a demonstrably superior solution to a specific problem and be capable of going global at the right time"—no easy feat. Luckily, the latest iteration of green tech appears to be more "realistic and resilient," Thornhill writes, but time is running short.

Ressa's Warning

In a recent GPS interview, Fareed discussed with Nobel-winning journalist Maria Ressa and her lawyer Amal Clooney the toxicity of our online information ecosystem, where amplified falsehoods have wrought havoc on democracy. In a podcast conversation with The New York Times' Kara Swisher, Ressa raises more red flags about social media and how its abuse has sent global politics to "the brink of the rise of fascism."

In light of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Ressa warns the US: "You're not out of the woods. Yes, President Biden won, but that was because you had Facebook's break-glass. You had all the social media platforms on alert. But nothing has fundamentally changed."

When Merkel Leaves, What Will Change for Europe?

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel is attending what will likely be her final European Union summit, Guy Chazan and Sam Fleming write for the Financial Times. It has involved a fitting controversy: After a Polish court ruled that the country needn't follow EU laws and regulations if they contradict Poland's own—a mile marker on Poland's larger illiberal trajectory, as Fareed discussed with The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum on Sunday's GPS—EU leaders are weighing how to respond.

Merkel has "always fostered close ties" with the leaders of Poland and Hungary, even as populism and illiberalism have risen in Europe's east, Chazan and Fleming note; once Merkel leaves the scene, Europe will lose a key bridge-builder who in the past has helped defuse tensions like those unfolding now.

On a more technocratic note, Adam Tooze writes for The Guardian that it will matter greatly for Europe who takes control of Germany's Finance Ministry in a post-Merkel government, as that cabinet position will weigh heavily on financial policies and austerity politics on the continent.