August 25, 2023
John McCain’s Warning of the Authoritarian Threat Should Be Heeded
Five years ago today, the United States — and the world — lost an indispensable advocate for freedom. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was one of those rare figures who fought for the values he held dear in every aspect of life — from his military career and five years as a prisoner of war, to his more than 30 years representing Arizona in the Senate, to his role as one of America’s foremost statesmen.
McCain’s foresight was grounded in his fundamental worldview. He recognized the innate connection between the behavior of governments at home and abroad.
It is in this latter role that he will be best remembered around the world. Beloved by small “d” democrats and loathed by dictators, a word from John McCain could hearten and inspire activists, protestors and political prisoners. The senator understood the essential connection between dictators’ oppression at home and the threats they pose abroad. Many years before most of Washington, he anticipated the global danger of resurgent authoritarianism.
Read the full article and more from The Hill.