Autocracy, Inc.

The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

By: Anne Applebaum

Narrated by: Anne Applebaum

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the Pulitzer-prize winning author, an alarming account of how autocracies work together to undermine the democratic world, and how we should organize to defeat them

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Economist, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Times

"A masterful guide to the new age of authoritarianism... clear-sighted and fearless.”—John Simpson, The Guardian

"Especially timely."—The Washington Post

We think we know what an autocratic state looks like: There is an all-powerful leader at the top. He controls the police. The police threaten the people with violence. There are evil collaborators, and maybe some brave dissidents.

But in the 21st century, that bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are underpinned not by one dictator, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, surveillance technologies, and professional propagandists, all of which operate across multiple regimes, from China to Russia to Iran. Corrupt companies in one country do business with corrupt companies in another. The police in one country can arm and train the police in another, and propagandists share resources and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.

International condemnation and economic sanctions cannot move the autocrats. Even popular opposition movements, from Venezuela to Hong Kong to Moscow, don't stand a chance. The members of Autocracy, Inc, aren't linked by a unifying ideology, like communism, but rather a common desire for power, wealth, and impunity. In this urgent treatise, which evokes George Kennan's essay calling for "containment" of the Soviet Union, Anne Applebaum calls for the democracies to fundamentally reorient their policies to fight a new kind of threat.

Timely warnings

This book is a very worthwhile listen for anyone who is concerned with our democracy and the precarious state of international affairs. It’s actually a little frightening. I read a lot of history and have often wondered what it felt like living on the precipice of WWII. Now I wonder if it felt like I feel today, like we have been blindly walking into catastrophe for a awhile but too many people just don’t seem to see it.

Anne Applebaum did OK narrating but still I would prefer that writers leave the narration to professional narrators. It’s hard enough to stay focused on non-fiction that is professionally narrated and non professionals can sometimes be less interesting.

A cogent analysis of the global threats to the liberal world order

The west should heed the warnings discussed. Thoughtful, forceful countermeasures by liberal democracies need to be developed, agreed upon and implemented

Clear assessment of world situation

Things I didn’t know about autocracies working together, of which now I wish I had remained in blissful ignorance. Important, intelligent, exhaustive and scary

Knowledge of topic

Always enjoy Applebaum’s expertise in authoritarian regimes. Educational and well read. Will recommend to friends with similar interest.

Persuasive/passionate

I just saw an Instagram post by that snarky Israeli anthropologist whose books I like, but he said there’s too much information. He is wrong. This book is filled with the information we all need to keep our democracy. Take notes. I hope we won’t need them after November 6, but if the wannabe autocrat wins, we’re all in trouble!