title: Autocracy, Inc. by: Applebaum, Anne published: 2024-07-23 read: 2024-10-30 preview

Having lived in Europe, or at least in democracies, all my life, and being in despair of how democracies are progressing, this book is for me. Even if, normally, I prefer novels over non-fiction books, since the latter are normally too repetitive, too long-winded, and too anti-climax for me.

But Anne Applebaum already got her Pulitzer prize, so all good. Right?

Indeed. This book, recommended to me by a dear friend, is not repetitive, does not want to teach you, does not want to sell itself beyond its value.

In recent years I’ve been trying to keep up to date, at a very superficial level, of happenings in Russia, Hungary, some African countries. Autocracies. And yes, indeed; the cold-war separation of communist vs. capitalist is gone. It’s now democratic vs. autocratic. And even that is not true.

By discussing China, Russia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and other autocracies in detail, Applebaum highlights how collaborations between these states, or their autocrats, influence public opinion, manipulate (social) media, amass wealth, solidify their positions, and undermine democracy. It is impressive (depressive; repressive; suppressive) work, and counteracting, so Applebaum argues, now only works on creating international networks of democratic states who change their rules in, e.g., financial markets.

It feels a bit as if democracies are going to lose this struggle. Luckily, analyses like these allow us to come to terms and act.

Don’t let this book go unheeded.