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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
At first, I thought, “Wow, I’m so naive to not realize that dictators support each other,” but then the author pointed out that it’s actually common for Americans to view global events as isolated rather than interconnected. That insight really stuck with me.
Another moment that made me pause was the discussion around misinformation and conspiracy theories. The idea that people are drawn to them, and that this attraction is actively undermining democracies, was both eye-opening and unsettling.
One of the book’s clear messages is that dictators will continue working to undermine democracies, often through subtle, manipulative tactics rather than obvious acts of aggression.
This was a very intelligent and insightful take on the powers of the world. Really made me think.
informative
Clear and concise.
Thankful this was not someone's PhD dissertation bound in the book form.
Thankful this was not someone's PhD dissertation bound in the book form.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
It provides a thorough look into how autocracies, or more precisely non-democracies run their governments, themselves (as political elites) and their citizens. It also exposes the rhetoric, talking points and responses these government leaders employ as a club of autocratic leaders.
However, I found myself disagreeing with a lot of Applebaum's claims and positions. In the language Applebaum uses, a lot of her claims come off as very much for the West: to "incite" (for lack of a better word) fear of the products of autocracy that stem from the 'Other' filtering into their "good" democracies. It is at the same time quite uncritical of some of the features of liberal democracies and how they respond to actions of autocracies. That is - it does not question or address whether sanctions are effective; the ills and shortfalls of liberal economies and capitalism, especially for newly decolonised countries that here make up most of autocratic Inc.; the trappings of capitalist structures where the rich become richer and how that thinking contributed to kleptocratic states; or why most of those autocracies elsewhere 'just hate America'. It is uncritical of US antagonism toward these states (say the DPRK), and US interference in the rest of world having propped up most of these illiberal governments and sabotaging attempts by sovereign states to set up and decide their own political structures and leadership.
It also has an anti-Palestine language that misses or obscures the liberation struggle nature of Hamas. This work did not resonate with me and was rather lackluster and missed and omitted critical examinations of the validity of democratic frameworks. You need to be a die-hard of liberal democratic ideals and see not a single flaw in them to enjoy this book. It does not provide ways to remedy democratic backsliding, or reform illiberal democracies and ensure the ideal of a democratic structure, perhaps because it would implicate the flaws, shortcomings and oppressive nature of capitalism and liberal economies. One steps away from the book thinking: yes, I see how autocracies work and how they form a network of brothers and how it is against its citizens, but what is the way forward and what are the solutions? Applebaum speaks to liberal democracies in the ideals, in what democracies ought to be. She pits Autocracy Inc. with good democracies but does not breakdown what one is in institutional structure, what does a democracy that has all these ideals look like.
However, I found myself disagreeing with a lot of Applebaum's claims and positions. In the language Applebaum uses, a lot of her claims come off as very much for the West: to "incite" (for lack of a better word) fear of the products of autocracy that stem from the 'Other' filtering into their "good" democracies. It is at the same time quite uncritical of some of the features of liberal democracies and how they respond to actions of autocracies. That is - it does not question or address whether sanctions are effective; the ills and shortfalls of liberal economies and capitalism, especially for newly decolonised countries that here make up most of autocratic Inc.; the trappings of capitalist structures where the rich become richer and how that thinking contributed to kleptocratic states; or why most of those autocracies elsewhere 'just hate America'. It is uncritical of US antagonism toward these states (say the DPRK), and US interference in the rest of world having propped up most of these illiberal governments and sabotaging attempts by sovereign states to set up and decide their own political structures and leadership.
It also has an anti-Palestine language that misses or obscures the liberation struggle nature of Hamas. This work did not resonate with me and was rather lackluster and missed and omitted critical examinations of the validity of democratic frameworks. You need to be a die-hard of liberal democratic ideals and see not a single flaw in them to enjoy this book. It does not provide ways to remedy democratic backsliding, or reform illiberal democracies and ensure the ideal of a democratic structure, perhaps because it would implicate the flaws, shortcomings and oppressive nature of capitalism and liberal economies. One steps away from the book thinking: yes, I see how autocracies work and how they form a network of brothers and how it is against its citizens, but what is the way forward and what are the solutions? Applebaum speaks to liberal democracies in the ideals, in what democracies ought to be. She pits Autocracy Inc. with good democracies but does not breakdown what one is in institutional structure, what does a democracy that has all these ideals look like.
informative
sad
medium-paced