Autocracy, Inc

The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

Anne Applebaum

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English

Allen Lane
10 September 2024

History; European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Political science & theory; Political structures: totalitarianism & dictatorship; Economic history

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Applebaum’s latest book is a look at the state of the world in this current climate, where democracies are being constantly challenged from autocratic states. These states are no longer just the province of one ultimate leader but operate with a combination of corrupt bureaucrats, sophisticated surveillance techniques and a host of highly organised propagandists, mainly focusing on the power of social media to manipulate and influence. By focusing on certain examples of these states, Applebaum’s book does not merely aim to expose these countries but is a warning for us to act before it’s too late. Greg

The celebrated historian and journalist uncovers the networks trying to destroy the democratic world

All of us have in our minds a cartoon image of what an autocratic state looks like, with a bad man at the top. But in the 21st century, that cartoon bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are run not by one bad guy, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, security services and professional propagandists. The members of these networks are connected not only within a given country, but among many countries. The corrupt, state-controlled companies in one dictatorship do business with corrupt, state-controlled companies in another. The police in one country can arm, equip, and train the police in another. The propagandists share resources-the troll farms that promote one dictator's propaganda can also be used to promote the propaganda of another-and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.

Unlike military or political alliances from other times and places, this group doesn't operate like a bloc, but rather like an agglomeration of companies- Autocracy, Inc. Their relations are not based on values, but are rather transactional, which is why they operate so easily across ideological, geographical, and cultural lines. In truth, they are in full agreement about only one thing- Their dislike of us, the inhabitants of the democratic world, and their desire to see both our political systems and our values undermine.

That shared understanding of the world-where it comes from, why it lasts, how it works, how the democratic world has unwittingly helped to consolidate it, and how we can help bring it down-is the subject of this book.

By: Anne Applebaum
Imprint: Allen Lane
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 223mm, Width: 145mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 346g
ISBN: 9780241627891
ISBN 10: 0241627893
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 10 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Anne Applebaum is the author of Gulag- A History, which won the Pulitzer Prize, of Iron Curtain- The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956, which won the Cundill Prize, of Red Famine- Stalin's War on Ukraine which won the Lionel Gelber and Duff Cooper prizes, and of the best-selling Twilight of Democracy. She is a columnist for The Atlantic and a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University. She divides her time between Britain, Poland and the USA

Reviews for Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

Anne Applebaum’s far-sighted book reveals an international network of autocrats who seek to subvert democracy in what has become a decentralized global struggle, with shifting alliances and no monolithic forces of good and evil. But it is also a practical manual packed with specific proposals to combat autocracy, in all its nefarious guises. Now it’s up to us—the proponents of democracy – to step up and put these ideas into action. -- Gary Kasparov