Why Autocrats Fall

A Reassuring Look at the Long Game of Power

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

The question has weighed heavily on my mind lately: Is Donald Trump inflicting irreparable damage on the very fabric of America? This contemplation is fueled, in part, by the distress of some of my friends, who are so traumatized by the president’s actions that they are seriously considering uprooting their lives and moving to Canada. When I attempt to offer reassurance, reminding them that this is not 1938 Germany, they simply shrug, their faces grim, and tell me that 1935 Germany wasn’t 1938 Germany, either — but that’s what it became. However, drawing upon decades spent meticulously covering autocratic regimes around the world, I believe my friends are fundamentally mistaken. Because, despite the immediate anxieties and very real concerns, the long arc of history demonstrates a consistent pattern: most autocracies, in the long run, invariably end in failure.