Anne Applebaum Discusses ‘Autocracy, Inc.’
Join host Michael Zeldin in his conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Anne Applebaum about her new book, Autocracy, Inc. The book offers a chilling examination of the modern global networks of autocratic regimes working together to weaken democratic institutions and spread authoritarian influence across the world.
Applebaum challenges the conventional image of autocracies as being led by a single, all-powerful dictator. Instead, she reveals a far more complex reality: autocracies in the 21st century are sustained by sophisticated and intertwined networks. These networks span multiple nations and include kleptocratic financial systems, surveillance technologies, and professional propagandists working collectively to protect their power and wealth. Applebaum highlights how regimes in countries like China, Russia, and Iran collaborate through corrupt businesses, shared military strategies, and unified media messages designed to amplify the narrative that democracy is weak and vulnerable.
Throughout the conversation, Applebaum and Zeldin explore how these regimes are bound by a mutual desire for impunity and control despite their lack of common ideology. From Venezuela to Moscow to Hong Kong, opposition movements have struggled to make an impact against these deeply entrenched power structures. According to Applebaum, traditional methods of international condemnation and economic sanctions have failed to curtail the rise of Autocracy, Inc.
In her urgent call to action, Applebaum echoes the sentiments of George Kennan’s Cold War-era “containment” strategy, arguing that democracies must fundamentally rethink their policies to confront this new and more complex threat. She warns that without a concerted, coordinated response, the autocrats’ grip will continue to tighten, leaving democratic systems increasingly vulnerable to erosion from within and without.
This episode of That Said provides a sobering yet essential look at the global forces challenging democracy and the steps needed to protect and strengthen it in the face of autocratic ambition.
About Our Guest
Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, recognized for her insightful analysis on global affairs and the rise of authoritarianism. She is a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute, where her work focuses on democracy and international politics.
Applebaum was previously a longtime columnist for The Washington Post and a member of its editorial board. She has held prominent editorial roles, including Foreign and Deputy Editor of The Spectator in London, and contributed as a columnist for Slate, as well as the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs.
