Over the past couple of decades, a dozen or so ruthless, socially conservative nationalists have risen to power across the globe. The strongman, he says, “filled the vacuum”, often rallying support by presenting their countries as the victims of a “hypocritical West”. Yet this same backdrop makes the chapter on Boris Johnson, whom Rachman claims has “elements of the strongman”, mainly because of his role in Brexit, seem rather odd. The Ukraine conflict also casts doubt on Rachman’s assumption that we are very much still in the “age of the strongman”, said Roger Boyes in The Times. With each passing day of his botched “blitzkrieg”, Putin appears less the strongman, and more the “feeble commander” – and that could have knock-on effects.

Source: The Times April 15, 2022 16:08 UTC