Tag Archives: putin

Autocracy, Inc.

Anne Applebaum says our image of autocratic dictators as cartoon villains who exercise total control over their people is outdated. In Autocracy, Inc. she reveals how autocracies are run by sophisticated military, financial, and information networks that support each other without having any common ideology except holding on to power. Continue reading

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Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible

On the surface, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia is a memoir of the years 2001 to 2010 when the author, Peter Pomerantsev, lived and worked in Russia.  In reality, the book … Continue reading

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Notes on the Invasion of Ukraine

I read because it helps me make sense of the world. I blog because it helps me distill what I’ve read, and hopefully it helps others make sense of the world too. The events of the past week make all … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Reflections | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Surviving Autocracy: Can American democracy survive Trump’s autocratic transformation?

Most people in the US today have never lived under a dictatorship. Maybe we’ve heard stories from our parents or grandparents who immigrated from such places, but we don’t have personal experience with autocratic rulers. This is truly one of … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments