Anne Applebaum

And there is now a set of systems that exist, some of which are facilitated by the Western financial world, by the offshore banking havens that we've created and the shell company system that we've created that helps people hide money. But it's the one thing that they have all in common and it's the one thing that they all pursue.

It's also true that when you have a declining democracy or a mixed system, as you had in Russia, for example, in the 90s, The moment when the regime begins to really earn money is also often the moment when they really feel the need to crack down on civil liberties.

It's also true that when you have a declining democracy or a mixed system, as you had in Russia, for example, in the 90s, The moment when the regime begins to really earn money is also often the moment when they really feel the need to crack down on civil liberties.

It's also true that when you have a declining democracy or a mixed system, as you had in Russia, for example, in the 90s, The moment when the regime begins to really earn money is also often the moment when they really feel the need to crack down on civil liberties.

Because the most effective protest movements, and Russia is the best example of this, are often the ones that organize around corruption. because people can see and feel corruption. Ordinary people, you don't need to know, you don't have to read John Stuart Mill or know the history of the American constitution, or even have much of an education.

Because the most effective protest movements, and Russia is the best example of this, are often the ones that organize around corruption. because people can see and feel corruption. Ordinary people, you don't need to know, you don't have to read John Stuart Mill or know the history of the American constitution, or even have much of an education.

Because the most effective protest movements, and Russia is the best example of this, are often the ones that organize around corruption. because people can see and feel corruption. Ordinary people, you don't need to know, you don't have to read John Stuart Mill or know the history of the American constitution, or even have much of an education.

You can be living in rural Ukraine or in Somalia, and you can intuitively understand that it's wrong for some people to be able to steal and keep their money, whereas other people are very poor. And so this is often the motivating and organizing idea of anti-authoritarian movements.

You can be living in rural Ukraine or in Somalia, and you can intuitively understand that it's wrong for some people to be able to steal and keep their money, whereas other people are very poor. And so this is often the motivating and organizing idea of anti-authoritarian movements.

You can be living in rural Ukraine or in Somalia, and you can intuitively understand that it's wrong for some people to be able to steal and keep their money, whereas other people are very poor. And so this is often the motivating and organizing idea of anti-authoritarian movements.

Actually, the Ukrainian revolution of 2014, which was the moment when a lot of young Ukrainians went out on the street, they were waving EU flags, they were calling for an end of their authoritarian regime, which was at that time closely linked to Russia. That was an anti-corruption movement that was classic in this sense.

Actually, the Ukrainian revolution of 2014, which was the moment when a lot of young Ukrainians went out on the street, they were waving EU flags, they were calling for an end of their authoritarian regime, which was at that time closely linked to Russia. That was an anti-corruption movement that was classic in this sense.

Actually, the Ukrainian revolution of 2014, which was the moment when a lot of young Ukrainians went out on the street, they were waving EU flags, they were calling for an end of their authoritarian regime, which was at that time closely linked to Russia. That was an anti-corruption movement that was classic in this sense.

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

So Ukrainians understood that they were poor because their leaders were rich. They understood that their leaders were tied to Russia. They imagined being part of Europe, being part of the transatlantic world as a way to have the rule of law and to avoid that. And when they won, this was the thing that panicked Putin, because it's that kind of rebellion and that kind of...

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

That kind of movement that he's most afraid of inside his own country. And indeed, the one really successful opposition leader in Russia over the last decade was Alexei Navalny. His movement was an anti-corruption movement. His organization was called the Anti-Corruption Foundation. And he was murdered, in essence, for successfully... galvanizing Russians around that theme.

So this is both the thing that unifies modern dictators, and it's also the thing that often unifies their opponents. And so the fact that the Trump administration is moving so quickly in a kleptocratic direction and beginning to eliminate one by one all kinds of norms, defying all kinds of laws, changing existing laws, to enable theft, essentially, and to enable corruption, should really alarm us.