Evening Standard Comment: Vladimir Putin’s invasion is an assault on liberal values
One of the core weaknesses of authoritarian regimes the world over is that lies are built into the system. Officials are afraid to tell their superiors the truth, for fear of retribution.
Reports abound that Vladimir Putin’s closest allies are too scared to tell him what is really going on in Ukraine and the extent of his terrible miscalculation. From the resistance of the Ukrainian army to the severe sanctions imposed by the West, the Kremlin has badly misjudged what it hoped would be a swift victory.
No country is perfect. But liberal democracies, with their openness, transparency and free press, have several important advantages over the despots.
Our system produces a level of self-criticism. The Government does not always get its way and must at the very least explain its actions. Openness, albeit sometimes only after a leak or FOI request, leads to better decision-making and outcomes. There are multiple stakeholders, not just the leader, his family and a few oligarchs. And they know they can be thrown out every few years.
Today’s authoritarian states meanwhile may have new technologies to suppress their citizens and threaten neighbours, but their weaknesses remain the same as before.
Ultimately, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was not only an attack on a sovereign nation, it was also an assault on the very notion of Western democracy and liberal values. It is vital that fails too.
