Like so many of the theories that became conventional wisdom during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, this one was mistaken. We even got used to regarding them as “friends,” as strategic allies against the great radical challenges of the day: communism during the Cold War, Islamist extremism today. They might even evolve into democracies themselves, unlike the “totalitarian” communist states. Though hostile to democracy at home, they did not care what happened beyond their borders. Unlike communist governments, they had no universalist pretensions, no anti-liberal “ideology” to export. We believed that “traditional” autocratic governments were devoid of grand theories about society and, for the most part, left their people alone. Illustrations by Matt Chase for The Washington Post
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