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Michael McFaul Profile picture
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16 Nov, 4 tweets, 1 min read
I wrote a book on democracy promotion in 2009. My argument there was that paradoxically the US almost never invades a country to promote democracy (Panama is an exception), but then almost never leaves a country without trying to install democracy (1st Iraq war is an exception)
Here's the book: Advancing Democracy Abroad. Why We Can adn How We Should. amazon.com/Advancing-Demo….
In the prescriptive section of this book, I have a subsection titled "Renouncing Military Intervention as a Tool of Democracy Promotion" (p. 155)
Since that 2009 book, and 5 years in the USG, I have become less optimistic about our capabilities for advancing democracy abroad. New book on that subject forthcoming next year.

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More from @McFaul

Michael McFaul Profile picture
12 Nov
Why did Russia's relations with the West shift from cooperation a few decades ago to a new era of confrontation today? THREAD 1/
Some explanations focus narrowly on changes in the balance of power in the international system, or trace historic parallels and cultural continuities in Russian international behavior. 2/
For a complete understanding of Russian foreign policy today, individuals, ideas, and institutions—President Vladimir Putin, Putinism, and autocracy—must be added to the analysis. 3/
Read 4 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
5 Nov
All Right Now ! Feelin' Alright! Feelin' Good ! THREAD. 1/ .
2/
Joe Cocker - Feelin' Alright 3/
Read 4 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
30 Oct
I've tried to keep an open mind about how Trump's unorthodox foreign policy strategies might produce tangible security and economic results for the benefit of the American people. Just days before voting ends, its time assess results. THREAD 1/
At times, I gave Trump the benefit of the doubt. I praised his bombing of Syria. I kept an open mind about engagement with North Korea. I applauded parts of the Trump administration diagnosis of the China threat. Some Trump critics chided me for doing so. 2/
But aspiration is not achievement. We must judge leaders by their results. On almost every major foreign policy issue, Trump did not deliver on what he promised. 3/
Read 8 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
22 Oct
ICYMI: "Malicious Russian actors still have two possible plays left. First, they could seek to disrupt voting on Election Day, by freezing up computers with voter registration lists or disrupting infrastructure used for ballot processing and counting."

link.medium.com/vwen1JjjKab
"To succeed, such attacks do not need to have a substantial influence beyond creating the perception of voting irregularities. At a moment when Americans are primed to distrust the electoral results, a small cyber incident could have an inordinate impact." 2/
"A second ... play is amplification of voter fraud claims. This disinformation operation would occur on Election Day and afterwards, especially if the vote is close." 3/
Read 5 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
20 Oct
Rudy said we shouldn't care about the sources. So lets for a moment not care. The "smoking gun" is this alleged claim that Hunter arranged a meeting for a Ukrainian businessperson with his dad. Biden's staff denies the meeting. No one has proven such a meeting took place. THREAD.
But even if it happened, one meeting is NOT the reason Shokhin was fired. The OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, not Biden personally, was seeking to push Shokhin out. So was the EU, IMF & Ukrainian anti-corruption civil society activists. Shokhin was fired for NOT investigating corruption.
Trump & Rudy have tried for years to manufacture dirt on Biden from Ukraine. He was impeached for trying so hard. But there have never been any facts to support this crazy conspiracy. Emails allegedly on a Hunter laptop add nothing new to this kooky story. Nothing.
Read 4 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
18 Oct
Doing some research today about American development aid and stumbled on this article in @ForeignAffairs from 1995 about U.S. assistance to Russia, which I had not seen in decades. THREAD 1/
“The United States, in sum, has no national interest in promoting economic reforms in Russia that are not accompanied by a transformation of the political system. " 2/
"America’s greatest national security nightmare would be the emergence of an authoritarian, imperialist Russian regime supported by a thriving market economy.” 25 years later, that's what happened (though not "thriving"). The parallels to the current China debate are striking. 3/
Read 4 tweets

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