Foreign Correspondence, Vol 57
Jair Bolsonaro brings Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ tactics to the Brazilian election
Hello, and happy Friday! This correspondence is coming to you a week ahead of schedule as I have a few timely stories to share with you all before this long month ends.
What I’ve written
I interviewed Elly Schlein, a rising star on the Italian left who has been dubbed “Italy’s AOC,” about what a Giorgia Meloni-led government means for Italy and the lessons the left ought to take from the far-right’s victory:
The right-wing is very good at naming the problems, but they never propose a solution that actually redistributes power, wealth, and knowledge. They stop there. Voters can sometimes relate to them because they talk about the concrete problems that people are facing. Read the full interview here
In anticipation of today’s annexation of Ukrainian territory into Russia, I wrote about how, in the absence of military victories, Vladimir Putin is resorting to territorial gains via sham electoral contests instead:
Rapid mobilizations and rushed annexations are not the actions of a country, or a leader, that is in a position of strength. By annexing parts of Ukraine, and expanding the territories that Russia sees itself as obliged to defend, Putin is gambling that the world will see him as a leader with nothing to lose—and therefore not to be messed with. The risk is that he’ll instead be seen as someone who has already lost. Keep reading here
And finally, ahead of this weekend’s high-stakes election in Brazil, I wrote about why President Jair Bolsonaro is taking a page out of Trump’s “Stop the Steal” playbook:
If Bolsonaro has learned anything from Trump, it’s that the politics of grievance can have its advantages. It can be weaponized to galvanize your base, lend support to your allies, and, perhaps most crucially for Boslonaro, shield yourself from prosecution by declaring any such efforts to be a politically-motivated witch hunt. Keep reading here
What I’ve read
This feature on London's Little Pyongyang, one of the world’s only safe havens for North Koreans that is slowly disappearing (TIME)
A tightening of British immigration policy combined with new “shoot to kill” orders at North Korea’s previously porous borders means that an influx of North Koreans has slowed to a trickle. Meanwhile, social and economic pressures combined with concerns over how the British government handled the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many of New Malden’s North Koreans to leave for South Korea, where many already have citizenship and which had a death per capita rate less than a fifth of the U.K.’s.
This excerpt from Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America (The Atlantic)
Reflecting on the meaning of having been president of the United States, his first impulse was not to mention public service, or what he felt he’d accomplished, only that it appeared to be a vehicle for fame, and that many experiences were only worth having if someone else envied them. (When I asked him in a later interview about what he’d liked about the job, he replied, “Getting things done,” and listed a few accomplishments.)
This essay by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on what a post-Putin Russia should look like (The Washington Post)
The future model for Russia is not “strong power” and a “firm hand,” but harmony, agreement and consideration of the interests of the whole society. Russia needs a parliamentary republic. That is the only way to stop the endless cycle of imperial authoritarianism.
What I’m thinking about
My first England game at Wembley on Monday! Roll on, World Cup 2022.
Until next time,
Yasmeen