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Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
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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 masterful guide to the new age of authoritarianism… clear-sighted and fearless… a masterclass in the marriage of dodgy government to international criminality… (both) deeply disturbing.”—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.
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Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
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Original price was: $27.00.$20.99Current price is: $20.99.
Julie –
Having read other books and Atlantic articles by Anne Applebaum, I was looking forward to reading this book. It is excellent, not over-long, and well-conceived. There is quite simply no other author/thinker out there with the perspective and writing talent of Anne Applebaum.
Jonathan –
So when the words unity, love, life, respect, honesty, justice and kindness are not fully understood, they will always remain in our consciousness. What is the greatest mystery in the universe? How can one bind something and at the same time not fully try to capture it is some way? The infinite constant of love is also an infinite constant of choice. Truth is forever evolving and mankind seems to be on the verge of choosing the essence of who they are. Maybe love is a good choice?
Life –
A great read and informative.
Teresa de Sousa –
Anne Applebaum is an experienced political journalist and this brief book reads like a splash of cold water to the face. It’s a wake up call, or it ought to be. Applebaum’s thesis is that autocratic states who, in the previous century, would have contented themselves with grinding the boot into their captive populace’s face, have woken up to new strategies in the 21st century and it’s the democracies that have been caught napping on their laurels.
These autocracies are Russia, China, Venezuela, and Iran, although Zimbabwe, Cuba, and Myanmar get dishonourable mention as well as the ‘hybrid democracies’ like Turkey and India that court acceptance in the democratic club but flirt with autocratic policies and alliances.
These countries have little in common except a common predicament: they are inconvenienced by a rules based international order and embarrassed by institutions that condemn their corruption and disdain for human rights.
Nevertheless, Applebaum contends they increasingly support one another along exactly this axis. She uncovers the complex financial chicanery by which they help each other dodge sanctions, launder money for criminal projects, and enrich autocratic rulers at their populace’s expense. She dubs them ‘kleptocracies’ and condemns the way democratic states have condoned and colluded in this malfeasance.
More troubling still is Applebaum’s analysis of the way these states work in tandem to dismantle or discredit liberal and reforming institutions. She is particularly astute on the way terms like “sovereignty” and “multipolar” have been deployed by these states to weaken the language of rights and universality – and serve as a smokescreen for their own atrocities. Applebaum contends these states actively promote relativism, cynicism, and apathy to foster a moral (or amoral) culture in which they can act with impunity. Social media companies provide unwitting assistance in this project, but so do democracies when they take up this language as part of their own culture wars.
Depressingly, the weakest part of the book is the epilogue, which offers thoughts on how democracies and liberal institution can push back against what Autocrats are doing. There’s not much, except for tightening rules on financial transparency and allying with freedom-seekers worldwide – though the author herself concedes that powerful vested interests stand in the way of this happening.
It’s profound stuff, and profoundly upsetting. The accounts of would-be reformers wring the heart and the description of how they are smeared and discredited is almost more terrible than the police beatings and torture that the Autocrats mete out to anyone exposing their greed and lust for still more and more power. The idea that the atrocities in Syria and Ukraine are precisely calculated to flout moral conventions and numb the sensitivities of onlookers is perhaps the most tragic of Applebaum’s many insights. For all the author’s brisk fluency, this is not an easy read.
But surely we can DO something, the reader cries, before slumping, defeated, into the armchair, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of human evil, its restless industry, and daemonic fecundity. It looks like game, set, and match to the Autocrats, so I finished reading by returning to Applebaum’s rather austere but uplifting dedication:
“For the optimists”
Eric B. –
A very thoughtful and timely analysis of the characteristics of autocrats and how they successfully seize and retain power.
Sam S. –
“Autocracy, Inc.” is the ultimate wake-up call to those who value a liberal democratic society. In her clear, uncluttered prose, Applebaum documents a horror story unfolding in real time; this is a catalog of bad acts by the bad actors in the process of reshaping the world to keep themselves in power. As both vivid journalism and a call to action, this slim volume is required reading for every American above the voting age.
lori –
This book definitely educates an individual on the many deceptive, harmful, and evil tactics an authoritarian will utilize to retain control in their countries. It outlines how the authoritarian now works with other authoritarian leaders to control any opposition to their leadership. This is exactly what is happening in Venezuela right now. I highly recommend reading this book. We have a Republican Party in our country right now undermining our own democracy.
Ellina Nickell –
Magnífica lectura que explica entre otras cosas el poder de la propaganda. corto y conciso nos lleva a analizar la situación actual del mundo desde una perspectiva más holistica y no solo superficial del porque existen los dictadores o líderes autocráticos. Tanto los que construyen para una mejor calidad de vida como los que destruyen sus países. No se incluye en el Analisis la relevancia que tiene el que vivimos un cambio de era y que tanto las autocracias contribuyen a este cambio de era, desde el punto de vista de la sociedad digital pero de alguna forma se entiende.
Ellina Nickell –
It’s one of the most important books of our time! If you want a clear and urgent explanation of how modern autocracies work, Anne Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc. is the book for you.
This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of democracy. Applebaum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist, brilliantly breaks down how autocratic regimes operate today—not as isolated dictatorships, but as interconnected networks that use advanced technology, propaganda, and corrupt financial systems to maintain power.
Applebaum shows that today’s autocrats—from Russia to China to Iran—aren’t just powerful leaders; they are part of a global web that’s working to undermine democracy everywhere. Her analysis is sharp, clear, and easy to understand, making this book accessible to a wide audience.
As someone who was born and lived in the USSR and Russia, I can personally confirm the accuracy of Applebaum’s portrayal of Russia’s role in this network. Her insights match my own experiences and research, making this book an incredibly validating read. Applebaum doesn’t just explain what’s happening; she digs into why it’s happening, offering readers a glimpse into the motives of today’s autocrats.
But Autocracy, Inc. isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a guide for the future. Applebaum offers ways for democracies to defend against the growing tide of autocracy. She emphasizes that while these regimes are powerful, they aren’t invincible. We still have the tools to push back if we act wisely and decisively.
In conclusion, Autocracy, Inc. is essential reading for anyone who values democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. For those in democratic countries, it’s a call to action. For those living under dictatorships, the book itself is a symbol of the power of truth—a power that no dictator can fully suppress.
Anne Applebaum has given us a crucial manual for understanding and confronting one of the biggest challenges of our time. Her work is more than just informative—it’s inspiring.
I’m eager to explore more of Applebaum’s work, especially her writings on the Russian GULAGs—a topic that, despite my background, I realize I still have much to learn about.
Applebaum’s contributions to the fight for freedom are invaluable, and I hope to one day attend one of her lectures in person.
In short, don’t miss out on this eye-opening read.
R. Mathis –
This is an eye opening book on our current world situation. This should be required reading for anyone interested in preserving Democracy in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Kindle Customer –
The author is well researched and provides an interesting slant on the interrelationships among global autocrats. She advances thinking about how it permeates and yet slips in with out a spotlight to prey upon the unwitting as their freedoms and be!here are under siege. Words to the wise.
A. Vazquez Del Mercado –
sou jornalista, para efeito de trabalho
William de Rham –
In her latest offering, “Autocracy, Inc.,” historian and author Anne Applebaum explains which nations have become autocracies, how they now work together, who their leaders are, and the various strategies and tactics they currently employ to undermine and destroy democracy around the world. Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, and many others have no interest in protecting human rights, only in fostering their own sovereignty, i.e., their ability to control world events. Those who lead these autocracies care little for the welfare of the people they govern. As autocrats, they aim to amass absolute power. As kleptocrats, they build vast personal fortunes from monies stolen from their country’s treasuries and citizens. And while Western politicians decry their abuses, Western bankers and businesspeople help them to hide what they’ve stolen.
Well-researched and clearly written, Ms. Applebaum’s 180-page treatise paints some frightening pictures. Readers interested in foreign relations, world affairs, the future of democracy, and possibly, the next great battle, will want to give it a try.