Bytes and bravery over bullets
This year鈥檚 military aggressors 鈥� Russia, China, Iran - have faced resistance in their target nations because of democratic values.
People from Israeli startup High Hopes Labs demonstrate a balloon designed to capture carbon at a high altitude.
Reuters
So far in 2022 the world has witnessed three major displays of military might. Russia, of course, invaded Ukraine in February with nearly 200,000 troops and indiscriminate rocket attacks. In August, China responded to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚聽visit to Taiwan by encircling the island nation for four days of massive 鈥渕ilitary exercises鈥� that included, for the first time, firing missiles over the island. Less noticed, Iran has announced it has 鈥渉undreds of thousands of聽rockets鈥澛燼rrayed against Israel from Syria to Lebanon to Gaza.
As scary as all this aggression is, the three recipients of that violence 鈥� Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel 鈥� have found the mental and moral qualities to respond.
By the pluck of his leadership to defend Ukraine鈥檚 freedom, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been voted the world鈥檚 most influential person by Time magazine鈥檚 readers. That began with his decision to stay in a besieged Kyiv, walking about with brave certainty of Ukraine鈥檚 sovereign future.聽Most likely he will be named Time鈥檚 Person of the Year. Mr. Zelenskyy has rallied both his country and much of the democratic world by asking this sort of inspirational challenge: 鈥淲hen hatred knocks on your door, will you be ready?鈥�
As part of its defense against China, Taiwan is championing essential qualities of a democracy, such as freedom of thought and rule of law that nurture individual innovation. The island is home to the world鈥檚 largest contract chipmaker, making it an essential source for the high-tech industry 鈥� including in China. Taiwan鈥檚 president, Tsai Ing-wen, said Monday that democracies like hers can ensure a reliable supply of semiconductors to each other, or what she called 鈥渄emocracy chips.鈥�
China is making 鈥渢he mistake of thinking that simple military might makes a nation a great power,鈥� former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Radio Free Asia this week.
In Israel, a similar democratic spirit of innovation has helped erode Iran鈥檚 menace. The country is a world power in high-tech entrepreneurship despite its small population. It is home to 10% of the world鈥檚 鈥渦nicorns,鈥� or companies worth $1 billion and not yet publicly traded. Last year, $25 billion was invested in Israeli high-tech startups.
Many of Israel鈥檚 Arab neighbors want to join that freedom-fueled innovation. They signed the 2020 Abraham Accords to recognize the Jewish state and now eagerly welcome Israeli investments. 鈥淚 liken it to the 鈥楽and Curtain鈥� just dropped, much like the Iron Curtain,鈥� OurCrowd founder and venture capitalist Jonathan Medved told The Media Line news site.
Israel鈥檚 tech dynamism, built on the creativity that open societies nurture, has begun to corner Iran鈥檚 regional ambitions by the new political alliances. Like China and Russia, Iran may be discovering that the bytes and bravery of democracies are a strong match for bullets and ballistic missiles.