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miguelf's review
3.0
Did I just read Anne Applebaum’s ‘woke’ treatise? This is sarcasm of course, but it does belie a bit of the subtext of this short book. There is a strong element of pearl clutching by Applebaum as she finds that over the past 30 years the developed world right wing has passed her by as she’s stayed firmly entrenched in the right-of-center lane. Whether it was in Poland, the UK, or in her native USA, she seems a bit mystified as the darker and more undemocratic elements emerged in the respective Conservative parties and demagogues rose to the top of their respective parties. There’s definitely a sense of incredulity that takes place to try to understand the surprise and shock here. Her last book, Red Famine, was a great overview of what happened in the 30’s in Ukraine, so as someone well versed in undemocratic institutions it’s no wonder she’s critical of current trends – it’s just surprising that she didn’t come to these beliefs earlier in life.
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