India's Alleged Assassination of a Dissident in Canada Highlights Repression Across Borders
No place is truly safe for dissidents when governments see no limits to their authority.
Authoritarianism
Despite the Doomsday Narrative, Global Inequality Has Significantly Declined
This progress has been widely shared, to the great benefit of the people at the bottom of the distribution.
China Is No Economic Model for America
The country's current struggles show the problems of the Beijing way—and make the case for freedom.
Don't Bring Back COVID Authoritarianism
People should be free to choose how cautious to be. Mask mandates, lockdowns, and closing schools won't stop the virus.
Owner of Kansas Newspaper Dies Amid 'Shock and Grief' After Police Raid
Plus: New Zealand libertarianism, Barbie economics, and more...
Getting Cozy With the Too Online 'New Right' Hasn't Worked Out for DeSantis
After firing the staffer blamed for a video that borrowed Nazi imagery, is Ron DeSantis finally backing away from the authoritarian edgelords?
The Two Faces of Ron DeSantis
Sometimes he calls for freedom, and sometimes he preaches something darker.
The Naked Feminist
Victoria Bateman thinks "my body, my choice" should include how much clothing you wear.
A Big Issue in Paraguay's Elections Was…Taiwan?
The voters opted to keep the country's ties with the island—a remarkable choice, given that China has become South America's top trading partner.
Brittney Griner's Russian Imprisonment Outraged the Country. So Should Vladimir Kara-Murza's.
The journalist and dissident, who was sentenced to 25 years in a penal colony for criticizing the Russian government, has not received the same attention.
Deirdre McCloskey: 'What We Want Is a Nonslave Society'
The economic historian and Magatte Wade, Alex Gladstein, Mohamad Machine-Chian, Tony Woodlief, and Tom Palmer are challenging authoritarians everywhere.
Maybe A.I. Will Be a Threat—To Governments
The designer of China's Great Firewall sees new A.I. tech as a concern for public authorities.
Want To Beat China? Let in More Chinese!
More immigration from China would both hobble a geopolitical rival and make America richer and better.
A Conflict Between Liberal Democracy and Authoritarian Nationalism: Implications of the Ideological Stakes in the Russia-Ukraine War
The war is often described as a conflict between authoritarianism and liberal democracy. That reality has some underappreciated implications.
COVID Made Us Sick, But Government Responses Crippled Our Liberty
Report author: “The COVID-19 pandemic was a catastrophe for human freedom.”
'The Hypocrisy Hurts': Enes Kanter Freedom on Standing Up to China in the NBA
"When it comes to problems happening in America, [the NBA is] the first organization saying, 'This is wrong,'" says the former professional basketball player. But then they're silent for victims of torture.
Chinese Protesters Use Their Bodies as Weapons Against the State
Standing with blank pages in hand, the protesters' goal is to make manifest the implied violence that authoritarian states use to keep order.
The World Is Still Getting Less Free. A Distressing Number of People Think That's Fine.
Report: “Half of democratic governments around the world are in decline.”
China Eases 'Zero-COVID' Policies After Nearly 3 Years of Harsh Lockdowns
The long-term economic and social impacts of zero-COVID can't be reversed as easily.
China's COVID Lockdowns Once Inspired Western Officials; They Should Listen to Protesters Instead
Given the harms caused, lessons should be learned from China’s people, not its government.
It's Bodies vs. the State
Plus: The editors ponder the lack of women’s pants pockets in the marketplace.
'We Want Freedom': Chinese Protests Reflect Frustration With Country's Continuing COVID Restrictions
Plus: Reason's holiday gift guide, a possible new antitrust suit against Microsoft, and more...
The Pandemic Is Over, Except When Politicians Need It To Justify Their Plans
Plus: A questionable consensus on autism treatment, Fauci to be deposed in social media case, and more...
The Qatar World Cup Is a Celebration of Authoritarianism
By consenting to Qatar's illiberal policies for residents and guests alike, FIFA has further besmirched its already tainted reputation.
A New Authoritarian Political Style Is on the Ballot in Ohio
The most jarring thing about Senate candidate J.D. Vance is how open he is about rejecting the rule of law.
Americans Oppose Big Government, Unless Their Party Is in Power
Supporting restraints on government only for your opponents is a recipe for continued conflict.
Iran's Hijab Protests Are Part of a Long, Slow Revolution
Plus: A bevy of bad economic indicators, Italy elects right-wing populist Giorgia Meloni, and more...
Both Left and Right Are Converging on Authoritarianism
The problem with American politics isn't polarization—it's rising illiberalism.
The Queen Is Dead. Anarchy in the U.K.?
Plus: The editors respond to a question about the Forward Party.
Maybe a Ceremonial Monarchy Can Show the Way to a Less Powerful State
The real danger to citizens is the use of coercive government power, no matter how it’s named.
Biden's Disturbing Speech Outside Independence Hall
Plus: The editors answer a question from a U.S. House candidate.
In Philadelphia, Joe Biden Peddled a Competing Brand of Authoritarianism
The current president becomes what he criticizes by delegitimizing opposition.
Glenn Greenwald on the Deep State, Capitalism, and Identity Politics
"One of the things that the left and right have in common is an awareness that our government has essentially been co-opted by corporate power," says the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist.
Glenn Greenwald on Tucker Carlson, Chelsea Manning, Russia, and Big Tech
"The kind of values I've always embraced are heard more on Fox than on CNN and MSNBC, where they're not welcome."
Glenn Greenwald: Tucker Carlson, Left-Wing Authoritarians, Identity Politics, and Free Speech
''The kind of values I've always embraced are heard more on Fox than on CNN and MSNBC," says the Pulitzer Prize–winning progressive journalist.
Elected Leaders Daydream About Being Dictators. They Shouldn't.
"If government is big enough to give you anything, it's big enough to take everything away from you."
Only the Constitution Stands Between Us and Shanghai-Style Lockdowns
It would be a mistake to see these lockdowns as a foreign oddity to be pitied and tweeted.
Shanghai Authorities Say Normal Life Might Resume in Mid-June. COVID Lockdown Started in March.
China's "COVID zero" policy looks a lot like house arrest for Shanghai's 25 million residents who are only just now beginning to experience glimmers of freedom.
Don't Oppose Russian Authoritarianism With More Authoritarianism
Supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russia doesn’t justify restrictions on speech and commerce.
The Decline and Fall of the Oath Keepers
How Stewart Rhodes went from denouncing authoritarianism to urging an authoritarian crackdown
The Pandemic Killed Dissent in Hong Kong
Every June since 1990, residents had held a vigil for the Tiananmen Square dead. But in 2020, Hong Kong announced an extension of social distancing restrictions until June 5, the day after the anniversary.
El Salvador Detains 17,000 'Suspected Gang Members' Without Due Process
President Nayib Bukele extends “state of emergency” for El Salvador—allowing the police to continue to mass arrest people for little, if any, reason.
France's Authoritarian Establishment Faces Off Against the Even Uglier Authoritarianism of the Far Right
French President Emmanuel Macron is authoritarian-light. Candidate Marine Le Pen is worse.
Shanghai's Lockdowns Result in Starvation and Quarantine Enforcers Being Attacked
More than 25 million people remain locked down in Shanghai, with Guangzhou—a city of 18 million—looking primed to follow.
Under COVID Lockdown, Shanghai's People Are Running Out of Food and Meds While Pets Get Killed in the Streets
As officials forcibly separate parents from their COVID-positive children, criticism of the CCP mounts.
No, We Don't Need To Become More Like Putin To Contain Him
Illiberalism in the defense of liberalism is a vice.
Your Favorite Crisis Doesn't Justify a Dictatorship
Authoritarianism grows increasingly popular, with environmentalists among the greatest enthusiasts.
