Making The World Safe For Autocracy By Weakening Liberal Democracy

This article in The Atlantic provides an important perspective to the rise in right wing populism in many liberal democracies.  It has been aided and abetted by Russia.  There are good reasons why Russia has done so.  Many of the small countries that were once part of the Soviet Union were coming under the influence of Europe and NATO.  That was a threat to Russian interests, and to Putin's efforts to restore Russia to its former glory as super power.  Western economic sanctions imposed after some of Putin's military interventions into Ukraine and elsewhere have been harmful to its economy as well.  The rise of right wing populism in response to globalization, multiculturalism and mass immigration from Syria and other Muslim states fits into his agenda.  It is not surprising that Russia intervened in the US election to support Donald Trump who would weaken NATO and build economic ties with Russia that are in Trump's interest as well as in Putin's interest.  Trump, along with Putin would prefer autocracy to a liberal democracy which limits his powers.  Americans need to see the Russian intervention into the election in a new perspective.  Trump would be an useful tool to Putin who is much more sophisticated and smarter than The Donald.  He is only part of a broader agenda that Putin has in mind.  That is, subverting liberal democracies that oppose his interests.