The Selective Conscience: Authoritarianism's New Clothes
THE CLAIM: Human Rights Watch (HRW) asserts that a 'democratic recession' is engulfing the world, with almost three-quarters of the global population living under autocratic rule. The report specifically names the US, Russia, and China as primary actors threatening the 'global rules-based order' through growing authoritarianism, labeling it 'the challenge of a generation' (HRW, 2026). THE
EVIDENCE: Philippe Bolopion, executive director of HRW, invokes the specter of the 1980s, a period often associated with the nadir of the Cold War and widespread authoritarian regimes. While HRW correctly identifies a decline in democratic metrics, the framing of principal culprits demands scrutiny. For instance, the democratic erosion within the US under the Trump administration is cited.
However, HRW's historically inconsistent application of 'rules-based order' warrants examination. THE CONTRADICTIONS: The 'rules-based order' invoked by HRW is notably elastic. In 2003, for example, the US-led invasion of Iraq, conducted without UN Security Council authorization, was framed by its proponents as necessary for promoting democracy, despite violating international law and leading to
demonstrable human rights catastrophes. The same 'rules-based order' has been conspicuously silent on ongoing occupations and violations of self-determination by states aligned with Western powers. For instance, while HRW has documented abuses committed by the US, its characterization of US actions often diverges in severity and implication from its critiques of nations like China or Russia.