SS: In response to an ultimatum by the The Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) that a military intervention would occur if the recent military coup was not overturned, other nations Mali and Burkina Faso vowed to step in to defend Niger in the event of a military intervention. These Sahel nations also faced military coups against nominally democratic incumbents. Ecowas nations have tried to show themselves as democratic bastions and have intervened in coups int he region before. By challenging the group, these autocratic nations are challenging the aspirations and legitimacy of their ability to affect change int the region. As more nations fall to coups and are plagued by extremism, regional powers and foreign interests may determine the long term stability of the region.

SS: In this article, the author argues for US and western policy to move more aggressively towards decoupling from China. The author argues that simply derisking and onshoring/friend shoring sensitive industries is not enough. Continuing to entangle with Chinese markets while they remain illiberal will only reduce the economic potential of the US and help prop up an authoritarian rival. Unless the US makes a much more thorough break it risks exposing its investors and citizens to economic backlash from an authoritarian regime seeking to upend its place in the world. It also discourages the emergence of a truly liberal and democratic economy in China.

RIF for kbin