How cynical leaders are whipping up nationalism to win and abuse power
Hatemongers often erode checks on misrule and corruption
EARLIER THIS year Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, warned that “hordes of irregular immigrants” from sub-Saharan Africa were plotting to change Tunisia’s demography, replacing the Arab majority. Black Africans, he added, brought “violence, crimes and unacceptable practices”.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Looters with flags”
More from Briefing
The right in Congress and the courts will reshape Donald Trump’s agenda
As dominant as the new president is, there is still life in Washington’s institutions
How far will Donald Trump go to get rid of illegal immigrants?
It is his signature policy, but the obstacles are daunting
Young customers in developing countries propel a boom in plastic surgery
Falling costs and converging beauty standards spur new habits
The Assad regime’s fall voids many of the Middle East’s old certainties
What if Syria abandoned its hostility to the West and stopped menacing Israel?
Syria has exchanged a vile dictator for an uncertain future
It is not clear how stable or how benign the new regime will be
Gambling is growing like gangbusters in America
Technology and legal changes are spurring a betting bonanza