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Russia’s last independent pollster tells me how Putin does it
Analysis

Russia’s last independent pollster tells me how Putin does it

How does Vladimir Putin manage to keep this up? For all the destruction he’s visited on Ukraine, his invasion has also inflicted so much damage on Russia ... And yet, there’s hardly been a peep from Russian society. GZERO's Alex Kliment takes a look in his weekly column.

2022: The trouble with autocrats
News

2022: The trouble with autocrats

The three big international politics stories of this year – Russia’s war on Ukraine, the uprisings in Iran, and China’s bid to lockdown COVID – have something basic in common: All are the result of authoritarian leaders who’ve painted themselves into dangerous corners, and they all sit atop political systems that make these kinds of crises inevitable.

Putin signs up for MBS' Masterclass
Puppet Regime

Putin signs up for MBS' Masterclass

How do you launch a destructive war, violate human rights, and still manage to be friends with the "West"? One man knows, and Russia's president wants answers.

Which authoritarian is “best of the worst”? Gideon Rachman's favorite strongman
GZERO World Clips

Which authoritarian is “best of the worst”? Gideon Rachman's favorite strongman

Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist at the Financial Times, has just published a new book about autocrats, so Ian Bremmer puts him on the spot on GZERO World.

How bananas demonstrate globalization
GZERO World Clips

How bananas demonstrate globalization

If globalization were a fruit, it might be a banana. But while bananas are still popular, globalization not as much lately. In recent years, part of the pushback against globalization has been led by autocrats who reject things like free trade and the liberal international order. For them, globalization means losing control, which they don't like one bit. But the world today remains more interconnected than ever, particularly in cyberspace.

Power from demonizing the “other”: the FT's Gideon Rachman on “strongmen”
GZERO World Clips

Power from demonizing the “other”: the FT's Gideon Rachman on “strongmen”

Autocrats know resentment against minorities is always a good pitch to fire up the base. Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, explains this common tactic taken by strongmen leaders around the world, in a discussion with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

The politics of resentment & how authoritarian strongmen gain power
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

The politics of resentment & how authoritarian strongmen gain power

In recent years, part of the pushback against globalization has been led by autocrats who reject things like free trade and the liberal international order. For them, globalization means losing control, which they don't like one bit. But the world today remains more interconnected than ever, particularly in cyberspace. So, do they want less globalization, or rather a version that fits their narrative? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, who knows a thing or two about the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or Donald Trump, and who has just written a book about strongmen.

India's PM Modi waves, with orange-vested BJP members behind him
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast

Podcast: How discontent with globalization has fueled authoritarian "strongmen"

Listen: After two years of unrelenting pandemic, continued rise in global temperatures, and a war in Ukraine that is not ending, has globalization benefited the world? On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer speaks to Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, who knows a thing or two about the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or Donald Trump, and has just written a book about strongmen.

Fighting for democracy in Hungary and Hong Kong
GZERO World Clips

Fighting for democracy in Hungary and Hong Kong

Former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes sees parallels between Hungary's politics and what happened in the US under Trump, and believes the EU has been too lenient towards Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's autocratic tendencies. Rhodes, who met with democracy activists in Hungary and Hong Kong when researching his book, "After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made," observes that Hungary's opposition groups have been strengthened by banding together to form a united front against corrupt politicians. There's less reason for hope in Hong Kong.

The Statue of Liberty: American Democracy is in Danger, Warns Ben Rhodes
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast

Podcast: American democracy is in danger, warns Ben Rhodes

Listen: Ben Rhodes, a former Deputy National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama, joins Ian Bremmer to talk about the state of American democracy in the 21st century. Trump, he says, cannot take all the blame for the US's fall from grace on the global stage. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2008 financial crisis and disinformation on social media have all played a big role too. What will it take to get America back on track and restore the country's place in the world as a beacon of democracy?