I was published in the August 2006 issue of Liberty Magazine with an article titled “Blue Jeans and Belarus.”

After traveling to Belarus in the aftermath of Alexander Lukashenka’s re-election, I compare what I encounter with the dramatic picture presented by the Western media. I examine the country’s Soviet legacy, nationalism, social distrust, public institutions, and the cultural attitudes that allow authoritarian government to endure.

I argue that replacing a dictator or introducing elections cannot by itself produce liberty. A political system reflects the beliefs and behavior of the society beneath it, and lasting change must therefore begin with an ideological transformation in individual minds—not with democracy imposed or accelerated from outside.

The article appears on pages 27–31 of the print issue.

Read “Blue Jeans and Belarus” in the August 2006 issue of Liberty Magazine (PDF) →