Guest Column - The unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russia has shocked the world. But, should we have really been surprised. The trend toward autocratic leadership that cares nothing about the basic principles of democracy or its citizens has been on the rise for years. In January the takeover of the government by the military in Burkina Faso added to the record of coup d’états set in 2021 - the most in the entire 21st century.