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The largest threat to any autocrat is the success of a breakaway now-democratic state. Autocrats need their people to think that they are hopeless without them.
by etempleton 5y ago
The largest threat to any autocrat is the success of a breakaway now-democratic state. Autocrats need their people to think that they are hopeless without them. Otherwise why allow them to have all of the power?
The quality of life of many breakaway former soviet states has been rising rapidly and that makes Putin look bad. The same applies to China and Xi: Taiwan makes Xi look bad. The more successful Taiwan is the more Xi will feel he must gain control. However, Russia's failing here will give him pause. It is a good example of how to lose complete control.
- candybar 5y agoUkraine isn't one of the former soviet states that are doing well and making Putin look bad though. That would be the Baltic states (Estonia/Lithuania/Latvia). Ukraine has a substantially lower GDP per capita than Russia, whether you look at nominal or PPP.
- etempleton 5y agoEstonia, Lithuania, and Lativia are all members of NATO making them untouchable. And each are too small geographically and from a GDP perspective to really be a threat. Ukraine has strategic positioning and natural resources to one day be a relatively large economy.