Autocracy, Inc. |
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3 June 2025
Anne Applebaum is a journalist and the pace of her writing is easy to read. Her latest, Autocracy, Inc., presents the thesis that autocrats the world over are supporting eachother in creating a competing world order. China, Russia, Zimbabwe, Venezuala, etc. are run by people who want the sovereignty of countries to replace individual human rights in international law. Even though they use entirely different ideologies to repress their people, the autocrats of the world have aligned on this principle. Applebaum goes on to describe how the leaders assist eachother in hiding the wealth looted from the people they rule, support eachother in international institutions and increasingly in war. Russia kept Syria's Assad in power by military means. North Korean troops are getting battle experience fighting against Ukraine. Chinese and Russia propaganda networks are subsidized to spread their ideology in the third world. Social media and search engines have also been well gamed by them to sow misinformation to cause confusion and apathy and swing elections so they don't have to steal them. The Chinese export surveillance technology they've perfected against their own people to countries around the world. Will these ideas and techniques win the future? Applebaum definitely argues that's a danger.
What's missing from this book is a little bit more of the reality of the democratic world. Snowden revealed over a decade ago just how much our governments are spying on us. The Panama Papers revealed that our leaders have large secret bank accounts in less accountable countries. It's somewhat incredulous of Applebaum to present such things as if only the autocrats are doing it. Still, the book is worth a read.
