Anne Applebaum

So this is because the language of democracy, which is language that quite a lot of Americans also now disparage, the language of the rule of law, the language of, you know, independent courts, transparency, accountability, this language is the thing that threatens them the most. What is Putin most afraid of? What's the movement he worries about the most?

So this is because the language of democracy, which is language that quite a lot of Americans also now disparage, the language of the rule of law, the language of, you know, independent courts, transparency, accountability, this language is the thing that threatens them the most. What is Putin most afraid of? What's the movement he worries about the most?

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

What he worries about the most is what he saw happen in Ukraine in 2014, which was a mass uprising that was focused on anti-corruption. So young people saying, we don't want corrupt leaders anymore. We want the rule of law. That was actually what that moment was about. This is the 2014 Maidan, so-called Maidan revolution.

That language and those movements is the one thing that threatens them ideologically. And the same is true in China. What was the biggest threat to Chinese stability in the last several years? It was the Hong Kong democracy movement, which also used that language. The Chinese actually... came to this conclusion a long time ago.

That language and those movements is the one thing that threatens them ideologically. And the same is true in China. What was the biggest threat to Chinese stability in the last several years? It was the Hong Kong democracy movement, which also used that language. The Chinese actually... came to this conclusion a long time ago.

That language and those movements is the one thing that threatens them ideologically. And the same is true in China. What was the biggest threat to Chinese stability in the last several years? It was the Hong Kong democracy movement, which also used that language. The Chinese actually... came to this conclusion a long time ago.

Very evocative. And the document famously describes a set of perils to the Chinese Communist Party. What are the things that are most dangerous to the Chinese Communist Party? And number one was Western constitutional democracy.

Very evocative. And the document famously describes a set of perils to the Chinese Communist Party. What are the things that are most dangerous to the Chinese Communist Party? And number one was Western constitutional democracy.

Very evocative. And the document famously describes a set of perils to the Chinese Communist Party. What are the things that are most dangerous to the Chinese Communist Party? And number one was Western constitutional democracy.

So the idea of Western constitutions, the idea that people should have choice, the idea that people should have rights, the idea that there should be a legal system that's separate from the will of the Chinese Communist Party. this is the thing that the Chinese Communist Party decided was most threatening to their form of government. There is actually a war of ideas going on. We may not know it.

So the idea of Western constitutions, the idea that people should have choice, the idea that people should have rights, the idea that there should be a legal system that's separate from the will of the Chinese Communist Party. this is the thing that the Chinese Communist Party decided was most threatening to their form of government. There is actually a war of ideas going on. We may not know it.

So the idea of Western constitutions, the idea that people should have choice, the idea that people should have rights, the idea that there should be a legal system that's separate from the will of the Chinese Communist Party. this is the thing that the Chinese Communist Party decided was most threatening to their form of government. There is actually a war of ideas going on. We may not know it.

We might not care about it. We don't probably wake up in the morning, most of us thinking about the Chinese Communist Party. But at least some people in the Chinese Communist Party, they wake up every morning thinking about us because they perceive us as a threat to them. And that's why they've gone to extraordinary lengths. They've

We might not care about it. We don't probably wake up in the morning, most of us thinking about the Chinese Communist Party. But at least some people in the Chinese Communist Party, they wake up every morning thinking about us because they perceive us as a threat to them. And that's why they've gone to extraordinary lengths. They've

We might not care about it. We don't probably wake up in the morning, most of us thinking about the Chinese Communist Party. But at least some people in the Chinese Communist Party, they wake up every morning thinking about us because they perceive us as a threat to them. And that's why they've gone to extraordinary lengths. They've

produce huge propaganda campaigns, as you've noted, designed to smear the West, smear democracy, smear Americans. They've looked for allies in the Western world, political parties, political leaders, propagandists, newspaper columnists who will join them in this smearing of and attacking of the West and of American and European democracy.

produce huge propaganda campaigns, as you've noted, designed to smear the West, smear democracy, smear Americans. They've looked for allies in the Western world, political parties, political leaders, propagandists, newspaper columnists who will join them in this smearing of and attacking of the West and of American and European democracy.

produce huge propaganda campaigns, as you've noted, designed to smear the West, smear democracy, smear Americans. They've looked for allies in the Western world, political parties, political leaders, propagandists, newspaper columnists who will join them in this smearing of and attacking of the West and of American and European democracy.