As the West totters, the power of the global autocracy grows

Anne Applebaum and the stifling scent of corruption

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I am writing this at the darkest time for “the West” since the end of the Cold War. Indeed, the crisis is so deep we don’t even know what “the West” is anymore.

The best one can say now is that “the West” is not a geographical entity but a state of mind. There are people who believe in free elections, the rule of law, and an independent media and judici…