Modern International Conflicts and the Risk of Democratic Backsliding; Assistant Professor and Fellow Dani Belo, PhD; 2-Oct-2022

Published: Oct. 2, 2022, 7 p.m.

b"The presentation focuses on the ethical dimensions of modern international conflicts in which all aspects of society have become the battlefield. The modern format of international conflicts, called 'gray zone' conflicts, rarely involve direct military-to-military confrontation. Rather, contemporary conflicts can generally be characterized as low-intensity, perpetual hostilities that involve governments, civil society, and individuals. The media, cyberspace, educational institutions, and local organizations have become an inseparable part of the global great power competition. Illiberal regimes such as China and Russia have used these as platforms to proliferate their political interests into liberal democracies like the United States. This raises the question of how can the United States, and other democracies, counter these authoritarian influences without resorting to 'democratic backsliding,' for example through censorship."