Autocracy, Inc

The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

De: Anne Applebaum

Narrado por: Anne Applebaum

Brought to you by Penguin.

One of the world's most celebrated historians and journalists 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 undermined.

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.

©2024 Anne Applebaum (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Informative of the current state of affairs

It was interesting and informative of how the autocrats are operating, if not utterly depressing with regards to the complicity of people who have something to gain from such complicity, such as business people and politicians. It is also depressing that so many people fall for the tactics. I can't say it was uplifting, but it is better to be aware than ignorant.

Argumentation of a 10yo

I have seen so many recommendations online , I felt I have to check it .
Well, It is a verbal sleight of hands with a bottom line in the lines of ‘we are the good guys, and they are the bad guys. And that’s a result of clear universal ethics that we don’t even need to explain, so let’s justify the argument by showing how the bad guys are using tools and methods like A B C D . Now let’s NOT pay attention to the fact that we use all of these methods, some were even invented by us!’

Now I don’t want it to read like moral relativism, I’m not saying that We are not the good guys OR that they are not as bad as described.
What I’m saying is that claiming a universal morality and putting ourselves on a higher moral level is ridiculous , especially if you are an American lie the author (which I’m not, also not Chinese or Russian - so it makes it easier for me to say - neither of you is in a position to lecture morality to anyone , you simply confuse your power position with higher ethics , and for the rest of us it’s really exhausting ! Stop it! Please and thank you )

The book felt so ridiculous I had to stop half way and check the author’s background.
Then I realized, I failed the pre reading phase … Holy Mortimer! It’s a political propaganda I’m reading here. 😂

I mean it’s like reading a book called ‘Failing Democracies’ written by the former RT chief editor , which may be valuable but only in a very narrow context.

strong thesis; less strong followthrough

Lays premise of book of book well. Lacking in objectivity on some of the foundational elements of autocracy and enablement from west.