Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World (Bog, Hardback, Engelsk) af Anne Applebaum

The renowned historian and journalist exposes the intricate networks aiming to dismantle the democratic world. We often envision autocratic states as simplistic cartoons with a single villainous leader at the helm. However, in the 21st century, this image is far from accurate. Modern autocracies are not led by one tyrant but by complex networks involving kleptocratic financial systems, security services, and skilled propagandists.

These networks extend beyond national borders, linking corrupt, state-run enterprises across different dictatorships. Law enforcement agencies in one country may supply arms and training to their counterparts in another. Propagandists pool resources, using troll farms to disseminate similar anti-democratic messages and narratives that criticize America.

Unlike past military or political coalitions, this conglomeration—Autocracy, Inc.—doesn’t function as a unified bloc but rather as a collection of enterprises. Their connections are transactional, allowing them to cross ideological, geographical, and cultural boundaries effortlessly.

Ultimately, they are united by one common goal: their aversion to the democratic world and a desire to undermine our political systems and values. This shared worldview—its origins, endurance, operations, and how democracies have inadvertently supported its growth, as well as strategies for counteracting it—forms the core of this book.