How to beat the strongmen – and save democracy

How do we overcome opportunist strongmen leaders, who grab power while nations are in turmoil? As countries battle stagnant growth, high inflation and inept governments, we’ve seen a rise in autocracies. Charles Dunst, author of Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy Can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman joins Andrew Harrison to ask what the allure of these dictators is and why they are thriving in uncertain times. “The majority of autocracies don’t work, but in the richest ones there is no yearning for democracy.” “If you’re a developing country, the road to riches often leads to the Singapore model.” “Meritocracy has become a dirty word.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices