The Return of the Ideological Competition
Robert Kagan, Carnegie Endowment | May 2, 2008
Russia and China are autocracies by conviction. ++ They believe in the virtues of strong central government and despise the weaknesses of the democratic system. ++ Autocracy was thought to be less successful in aggregating national wealth, which China and Russia are proving to be untrue. ++ Can autocracies enter the liberal international order without becoming liberal? Yes, Russia and China can. ++ An international debate on ideology will gain relevance. ++ Long after the Cold War an ideological competition returns.
