The analysis in The Guardian / Putin and Trump convinced me how wrong we were in the 21st century

By Robert Reich *

There are many things about the 21st century that I really believed in, but the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 made me realize I was wrong. I believed that:

Nationalism is disappearing

I believed that globalization would blur borders, create economic interdependence between nations and regions, and spread a modern consumer and artistic culture around the world. Isha gabim. Both Putin and Trump used xenophobic nationalism to build their power. Putin’s aggression also sparked inspiring patriotism among Ukrainians.

Nations can no longer control what their citizens know

I believed that digital technology, including the Internet, would make it impossible to control the global flow of information and knowledge. The tyrants could no longer keep their people in the dark or deceive them with propaganda. Wrong again. Trump filled the media with lies, as did Putin. Putin has also detached Russian citizens from the truth about what is happening in Ukraine.

Advanced nations will no longer fight for geographical territories

I thought that in the “new economy”, land was becoming less valuable than knowledge and technological innovation. So I believed that competition between nations would be about developing the latest inventions. I was only partially right. While skills and innovation are important, lands still provide access to raw materials and protect against potential foreign aggressors.

The great nuclear powers will never risk a war against each other because of “mutual destruction”

I was convinced that conventional or nuclear warfare was unimaginable. I’m afraid I’m wrong. Putin is now turning to dangerous nuclear craft.

Civilization will never again be held hostage by insane people isolated with the power to wreak havoc

I assumed that this was a 20th century phenomenon and that 21st century governments, even totalitarian ones, would limit tyrants. Trump and Putin have convinced me I was wrong.

The evolution of cyber warfare or precision weapons will minimize civilian casualties

I was convinced by defense strategy specialists that it no longer made sense for armies to strike civilians. Totally wrong. Civilian casualties in Ukraine are on the rise.

Democracy is inevitable

I had this belief since the early 1990s, when the Soviet Union had disintegrated and China was still poor. It seemed to me that totalitarian regimes had no chance in the globalized, technology-led “new world.” Of course, small dictatorships would remain in some regions of the world, but modernity brought democracy and democracy – modernity.

Both Trump and Putin have told me how wrong I was about this.

Ukrainians are showing that the efforts of Trump and Putin in the 21st century to turn back the scorpions of the time, require a democracy strong enough to oppose autocrats like them.

They are also showing with inspiring clarity that democracy cannot be taken for granted. Democracy is not a spectator sport. That’s not what governments do. Democracy is what people do.

Ukrainians are reminding us that democracy survives only if people are willing to sacrifice for it. Even some sacrifices seem quite small. You may have to stand in line for hours to vote, as tens of thousands of people of color did in America’s 2020 election.

You may have to march and protest and even risk your life so that others can vote, as did iconic civil rights leaders John Lewis and Martin Luther King.

You may need to knock on hundreds of doors to convince some voters. Either gather thousands of people to hear your voice or rise up against the powerful who do not want your voice to be heard.

You may have to fight to protect democracy from those who would destroy it. The people of Ukraine are also reminding us that democracy is the single most important legacy we have from previous generations who strengthened it and risked their lives to preserve it.

It will be the most important legacy we will leave to future generations if we do not allow it to be suppressed.

Putin and Trump have convinced me that I was wrong about how far we had come in the 21st century.

Technology, globalization, and modern systems of government have not changed the ways of tyranny.
I, like millions of others around the world, am inspired by the Ukrainian people, who are once again teaching us the lessons we once knew.

* Robert Reich, a former U.S. Secretary of Labor, professor of public policy at the University of California, and author of books. He is a columnist for the Guardian US

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