Freedom is on the decline around the world. Autocrats in Europe, Asia, and the Mideast are undermining our open societies, human rights, and the rule of law. The Russian invasion in Ukraine was a wake-up call for the West, but the biggest threat remains China. For two generations, Americans and Europeans have believed that change will come through trade, but instead of dictatorships becoming more like Western democracies, unfettered free trade has strengthened our enemies and weakened our countries. In Dealing with Dictators, Mathias Döpfner suggests a radical new approach to doing business; the establishment of a trading alliance of democracies. Sharing his encounters with major global figures from Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Barack Obama and Jack Ma, Döpfner offers personal insight into the dangerous consequences of doing business with autocrats-along with a bold proposal for a values-based trade policy.
