**Why Appeasing Autocrats Doesn’t Work**.
In the face of rising authoritarianism around the world, many Western leaders have adopted a policy of appeasement, hoping to avoid conflict and maintain stability. However, history has shown that appeasing autocrats is a dangerous and ultimately ineffective strategy..
**Autocrats are not interested in compromise.**.
Appeasement is based on the assumption that autocrats are rational actors who can be persuaded to moderate their behavior through negotiation and compromise. However, autocrats are often driven by ideology or personal ambition, and they are not interested in sharing power or accountability. As a result, appeasement only emboldens them and makes them more likely to pursue their own agendas..
**Appeasement creates a sense of weakness.**.
When Western leaders appease autocrats, they send a message that they are weak and unwilling to stand up for their principles. This creates a vacuum that allows autocrats to fill, and it can lead to a loss of faith in the West among both allies and adversaries..
**Appeasement can lead to war.**.
In the long run, appeasement can actually increase the risk of war. By emboldening autocrats and creating a sense of weakness, appeasement makes it more likely that they will miscalculate and start a conflict. This is what happened in the lead-up to World War II, when Western leaders appeased Adolf Hitler in the hope of avoiding war..
**Instead of appeasement, we need to stand up to autocrats.**.
The only way to deal with autocrats is to stand up to them. This means confronting them with their human rights abuses, supporting their democratic opponents, and imposing sanctions on their regimes. It also means being prepared to use military force if necessary to prevent them from committing genocide or other atrocities..
Standing up to autocrats is not always easy, but it is the only way to protect our values and our interests. Appeasement is a dangerous and ultimately ineffective strategy that only emboldens autocrats and makes the world more dangerous..
**Examples of appeasement that failed**.
There are numerous examples throughout history of appeasement failing to prevent war or protect human rights. Some of the most notable examples include:.
* **The appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930s:** Western leaders appeased Hitler in the hope of avoiding war, but this only emboldened him and led to the outbreak of World War II..
* **The appeasement of the Soviet Union during the Cold War:** Western leaders appeased the Soviet Union in the hope of avoiding nuclear war, but this only allowed the Soviet Union to expand its empire and spread communism throughout Eastern Europe..
* **The appeasement of Saddam Hussein in the 1990s:** Western leaders appeased Saddam Hussein in the hope of avoiding war, but this only emboldened him and led to the invasion of Kuwait..
* **The appeasement of Bashar al-Assad in the 2010s:** Western leaders appeased Bashar al-Assad in the hope of avoiding a humanitarian crisis, but this only allowed him to commit genocide against his own people..
These are just a few examples of the many times that appeasement has failed to achieve its objectives. It is a dangerous and ultimately ineffective strategy that should be avoided at all costs..
**Conclusion**.
Appeasing autocrats is a dangerous and ineffective strategy that only emboldens them and makes the world more dangerous. Instead of appeasement, we need to stand up to autocrats and defend our values and interests. This is the only way to create a more peaceful and just world..
