Mikhail Gorbachev, a too-trusting statesman
Gorbachev will be rightly praised for helping to liberate Russians from generations of autocracy. As the world was shattering around him, though, he lost his bearings at a crucial moment.
The case for cozying up to dictators
Engaging with authoritarian leaders doesn’t have to mean endorsing them. And it’s better than isolating them. Our last two presidents have traveled to Saudi Arabia and genuflected before its leader. Both visits sparked outrage in the United States. After all, Prince Mohammed bin Salman is an absolute monarch who tolerates no dissent and casually orders […]
