The Dictator's Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy (48 page)

Long before I launched my study of authoritarianism’s strengths and frailties, I had the privilege of working alongside some of the best editors and journalists in the business. Most of them have no idea how much they shaped the way I approach my work, but I am much richer for having had the chance to learn from them over the years. First and foremost was Fareed Zakaria. Working for Fareed—first at
Foreign Affairs
, later at
Newsweek International
—was an opportunity to learn at warp speed, and I will always be grateful for his friendship and wise counsel. At
Newsweek International
, I was surrounded by sharp, gifted editors who worked minor miracles almost every week, among them Nisid Hajari, Jeffrey Bartholet, Michael Meyer, Fred Guterl, and Marcus Mabry. At
Foreign Policy
, I was privileged to work with a team whose creativity, intelligence, and passion inspired me every day: Travis Daub, Kate Palmer, Carolyn O’Hara, Jeffrey Marn, Blake Hounshell, Jai Singh, James Forsyth, David Bosco, Mike Boyer, Christine Chen, Josh Keating, Prerna Mankad, Preeti Aroon, Sarah Schumacher, and Beth Glassanos.

For this book, I spent a lot of time working in foreign countries. On all these trips, I was assisted by a remarkable group of interpreters and fixers; their work went far beyond translation and logistics. In Russia, I traveled with Ludmila Mekertycheva, a consummate professional who never took
nyet
for an answer. Over glasses of vodka, I had great fun hearing tales of the foxes she raised at her dacha. There was almost no one in Egypt whom Nagwa Hassan hadn’t already met. With a grin and a cigarette, she navigated the snarl of Cairo’s traffic better than any cabbie ever could. Ahmed Salah introduced me to everyone in Tahrir Square. In China, David Yang, an emerging Chinese journalist in his own right, kept up an indefatigable pace, always one step ahead of me. In Venezuela, I was deeply fortunate to have Francisco Márquez at my side. A veteran of Venezuela’s student movement, Francisco is completing his graduate studies at Harvard’s Kennedy School and plans to return to Caracas after graduation. It is people like him who make me so hopeful for Venezuela’s future.

As I traveled, trusted friends also served as invaluable guides. Vinod Sekhar long ago convinced me that Kuala Lumpur could be my second home, and the friendship and hospitality of Vinod and his wonderful wife, Winy, have made it just that. Edward Cunningham has many gifts. In China, two stand out: he knows the best dish on the menu, and he knows how to open doors. I am incredibly fortunate to have him in my corner. And no one could ask for a better guide to Egyptian politics than my longtime friend Tarek Masoud. He picked me up at Cairo International Airport for my first interview in 2006 and has been furthering my education in all things Egyptian ever since. My understanding and appreciation for this magnificent country owe more to him than to anyone, and I will always be grateful.

In Venezuela, it was the kindness of not merely individuals but entire families. First, I owe a tremendous debt to Maruja Tarre, Isabel Lara, and their family. My first trip to Caracas was as warm as a homecoming because of their generosity. I also owe special thanks to Karla Velazquez and Alvaro Partidas for advising me on every detail. Alejandro Tarre, a Venezuelan journalist and shrewd analyst of the country’s politics, offered excellent suggestions and has become a true friend. On each trip to Venezuela, Ricardo Márquez and María Lara Márquez made me feel like a member of the family. I hope that I will one day have the opportunity to return the favor.

This book would never have been possible if so many people had not been willing to sit for lengthy interviews, sometimes on several occasions. This collection of people included professors, lawyers, politicians, businessmen, writers, students, intellectuals, bloggers, military men, and activists. Although the list is too long to thank everyone individually, there are some who must be singled out: Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah, Peter Ackerman, Gene Sharp, Jamila Raqib, Robert Helvey, Srdja Popovic, the entire CANVAS team, Patrick Meier, Karim Sadjadpour, Omid Memarian, Hazem Hallak, Mohsen Sazegara, Saba Vasefi, Emily Jacobi, Mark Belinsky, and Tendor Dorjee. In Venezuela, Alfredo Croes, Douglas Barrios, Carlos Vecchio, Henrique Capriles, Leopoldo López, María Corina Machado, Magalli Meda, Ismael García, Andrés Cañizález, Luis Vicente León, Eugenio Martínez, Teodoro Petkoff, Virginia Rivero, Judge María Afiuni, Raúl Baduel, Antonio Ledezma, Milos Alcalay, Carlos Ocariz, Roberto Patiño, Nizar El Fakih, Yon Goicoechea, Geraldine Alvarez, David Smolansky, Phil Gunson, Robert Serra, Calixto Ortega, and Iris Varela.

In Egypt, I learned from Hossam Bahgat, Gasser Abdel-Razek, Mostafa el-Naggar, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Dina Guirguis, Gamal Eid, Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Adel, Essam el-Erian, Ahmed Kamal Aboul Magd, Ahmed Salah, Ahmed Amer, Ibrahim Mohamed, Ahmed Mamdoh, Kamel Arafa, Samira Ibrahim, Sherif el Robi, Sherif Mickawi, Hafez Abu Saeda, Sherif Osman, Omar Afifi, Esraa Rashid, Aida Seif al Dawla, Ghada Shahbender, Hossam el-Hamalawy, Hisham Kassem, Mohamed Waked, Shady Talaat, Ayman Nour, Wael Nawara, Dalia Ziada, Ali Eddin Hilal, Mohamed Kamal, Gehad Auda, Alia el Mahdi, the retired major general Mohamed Kadry Said, Michele Dunne, and Moheb Zaki.

In Russia, I am grateful to Arseny Roginsky, Alexander Verkhovsky, Boris Nemtsov, Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Milov, Sergei Mitrokhin, Olga Radayeva, Dmitri Makarov, Ivan Ninenko, Karinna Moskalenko, Ludmilla Alexeeva, Tanya Lokshina, Yevgenia Chirikova, Mikhail Khotyakov, Yaroslav Nikitenko, Ivan Smirnov, Evgeny Gontmakher, Grigory Shvedov, Gleb Pavlovsky, Igor Mintusov, Maria Lipman, Nikolay Petrov, Sergei Markov, Sergei Popov, Alexander Brod, and Elena Zelinskaya. Eve Conant, Jeffrey Tayler, and Sarah Mendelson also helped to make valuable introductions in Moscow. In China, there are many people whom I hope to thank one day. For now, I offer my appreciation to
Pu Zhiqiang, Zhang Jingjing, Fang Ning, Feng Yue, Zhou Shuguang, Yu Keping, Lai Hairong, Lu Mai, Du Zhixin, Pan Wei, Yang Jisheng, Wang Weizhi, Mao Xianglin, Wang Xuedong, and Yang Jianli. Demetri Sevastopulo, a true comrade, made vital introductions in Beijing. I also have great gratitude for Minxin Pei and David Shambaugh, both for their scholarship and for their willingness to discuss it with me.

I am immensely lucky to be able to call on a deep bench of friends and colleagues who have been sustaining me for years. Allison Stanger, my professor and friend, has been teaching me ever since I walked into PS 311 in the fall of 1992. Mark Jordan, Robert Trager, Rodney Rothman, John Oberdiek, and Alexander Okuliar are the lifelong friends who keep me grounded. I am particularly indebted to a small circle who volunteered their time to read early drafts of selected chapters and offered me their critiques and corrections. They include Kate Palmer, Carolyn O’Hara, Stacey Abrams, Tarek Masoud, Edward Cunningham, Maria Lipman, Alejandro Tarre, Francisco Márquez, and the incomparable Janine Zacharia.

For nearly two decades, Stacey Abrams has been my consigliere and the truest friend a person can have. Her contribution to this project cannot be measured in the hours she spent reading drafts and helping me see what mattered most.

Through conversations on the phone and at kitchen tables coast-to-coast, my family has been extraordinarily supportive. My uncle William Joyce and aunt Gay Bush were there from the beginning, indulging me with questions late into the night. Frances Cole, Tracy Cole, and Richard, Allison, and Megan Barker are a constant source of support and provided vital help on the home front when I was away. The West Coast Coles—all world travelers in their own right—followed my progress and chimed in with words of encouragement. Neither my father, W. Joel Dobson, nor my father-in-law, Barry G. Cole, lived to see this book completed. I like to think they both would have enjoyed it.

The best teacher I ever had was also my first. My mother, Barbara Joyce Dobson, raised me and made me the person I am today. It was just my good fortune that she happened to be an inspirational English teacher, too. At an early age, she sat with me at my desk and taught me how to write (and rewrite) essay after essay. She was endlessly patient, loving, and quick to praise. She wanted nothing more than
to provide me with the best opportunities available, and my life has taken remarkable turns because of her strength and perseverance. I am grateful for her every day.

When you begin a journey like this one, your family comes along, sometimes whether they like it or not. My deepest appreciation goes to my wife, Kelly Cole. She lived every page of this book, and at times suffered both my absences and a husband who was lost in thought. At key moments, as always, it was Kelly who clarified my thinking and showed me the way. For me, she is equal parts love and humor, strength and resolve. What’s more, she managed all of this during the very years our family began to grow, first with the arrival of our daughter, Kate, and then two years later with our son, Liam. The only thing better than our life together are the days still to come. Because, although our house is a noisy place, there is no place better to be.