*Autocratic State Capture -- A Warning! • page 1/1 • Off-Topic Discussion • lichess.org

Autocratic State Capture
by Anne Applebaum

I do believe that not enough attention has been paid to the fact that perceptions of reality, as received through one’s phone, are now more powerful than real reality.

As the editor of the New Republic points out, that online reality is now dominated by the far right.

The expression “mainstream media” is so far out of date as to be laughable.

The New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal are not the mainstream.

They do not set the agenda.

They reach far fewer people than the network created by Fox, Sinclair, iHeart, OANN, X and the Russian government’s extensive troll farms and paid influencers.

As I’ve written repeatedly, the threat from leaders like Trump is not that they will turn America into a movie about the Third Reich.

The threat is what political scientists call AUTOCRATIC STATE CAPTURE - that they will take control of institutions that should belong to everyone, and transform them into institutions that serve them and their cronies, either politically or financially.

In the US we also face a specific version of this threat:

• Unaccountable tech oligarchs may begin to shape our economic and foreign policy in ways that benefit them personally, but are bad for the rest of us.

Why do I think this will happen?

As I wrote before the election, Trump’s use of autocratic language, the talk of vermin and “enemies” and of using the police against traitors, is a very old way to build support for the idea that “our side” deserves to break the law, because “their side” is immoral, illegal, or even subhuman.

Trump’s use of this kind of language during the campaign could have been, among other things, a way of preparing the electorate for dramatic change, for the transformation of institutions, even for violence.

The nature of state capture is most clearly laid out in the podcast I put together with Peter Pomerantsev, on Autocracy in America.

Completed before the election, it describes the ways in which our political system was already weakened and prepared for this kind of change, not least because attempts to capture the state have happened in America before.

One of our episodes is about Huey Long, the autocratic governor of Louisiana in the 1930s.

Even in the present moment, we already have partially politicized courts; our economic system is already too friendly to foreign corruption.

We already have politicians who know how to use lies to change reality too.

Both of my recent, shorter books address some elements of this story too.

Twilight of Democracy, published in 2020, attempted to explain how and why “elite,” educated people living in democracies might be attracted to the far-right.

Autocracy Inc, published last summer, describes the network of dictatorships that now seek to undermine liberal democracy, economically, politically and above all through propaganda and information war.

This international background helps to explain the extraordinary danger of the current moment, especially give the president-elect’s initial military and intelligence appointments.

I’m not just pushing these books for their own sake.

In both of them I make long arguments that don’t fit into a substack post or magazine article.

Other people are writing along these lines too.

Timothy Snyder, in his recent substack posts, argues that, “taken together, Trump’s candidates constitute an attempt to wreck the American government.”

Masha Gessen has also written about the deep appeal of authoritarian propaganda in the New York Times.

Both Snyder and Gessen have written books about this subject too.

Try Gessen’s Surviving Autocracy and Synder’s On Freedom.

Also Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, as well as Ziblatt and Levitsky’s How Democracies Die, if you haven’t read them already.

~ Anne Applebaum
American Journalist and Historian

Applebaum has written extensively about the history of Communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. She has worked at The Economist and The Spectator, and was a member of the editorial board of The Washington Post (2002–2006). Applebaum won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2004 for Gulag: A History. She is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a senior fellow at The Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Source:
anneapplebaum.substack.com/about

Let's Fight For Freedom And Human Decency!

Let's Be Smart!

Let's Not Be Manipulated!

Let's Save Our Planet!

Let's Make The World A Better Place For Everyone!

We Can Do It!

Autocratic State Capture by Anne Applebaum I do believe that not enough attention has been paid to the fact that perceptions of reality, as received through one’s phone, are now more powerful than real reality. As the editor of the New Republic points out, that online reality is now dominated by the far right. The expression “mainstream media” is so far out of date as to be laughable. The New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal are not the mainstream. They do not set the agenda. They reach far fewer people than the network created by Fox, Sinclair, iHeart, OANN, X and the Russian government’s extensive troll farms and paid influencers. As I’ve written repeatedly, the threat from leaders like Trump is not that they will turn America into a movie about the Third Reich. The threat is what political scientists call AUTOCRATIC STATE CAPTURE - that they will take control of institutions that should belong to everyone, and transform them into institutions that serve them and their cronies, either politically or financially. In the US we also face a specific version of this threat: • Unaccountable tech oligarchs may begin to shape our economic and foreign policy in ways that benefit them personally, but are bad for the rest of us. Why do I think this will happen? As I wrote before the election, Trump’s use of autocratic language, the talk of vermin and “enemies” and of using the police against traitors, is a very old way to build support for the idea that “our side” deserves to break the law, because “their side” is immoral, illegal, or even subhuman. Trump’s use of this kind of language during the campaign could have been, among other things, a way of preparing the electorate for dramatic change, for the transformation of institutions, even for violence. The nature of state capture is most clearly laid out in the podcast I put together with Peter Pomerantsev, on Autocracy in America. Completed before the election, it describes the ways in which our political system was already weakened and prepared for this kind of change, not least because attempts to capture the state have happened in America before. One of our episodes is about Huey Long, the autocratic governor of Louisiana in the 1930s. Even in the present moment, we already have partially politicized courts; our economic system is already too friendly to foreign corruption. We already have politicians who know how to use lies to change reality too. Both of my recent, shorter books address some elements of this story too. Twilight of Democracy, published in 2020, attempted to explain how and why “elite,” educated people living in democracies might be attracted to the far-right. Autocracy Inc, published last summer, describes the network of dictatorships that now seek to undermine liberal democracy, economically, politically and above all through propaganda and information war. This international background helps to explain the extraordinary danger of the current moment, especially give the president-elect’s initial military and intelligence appointments. I’m not just pushing these books for their own sake. In both of them I make long arguments that don’t fit into a substack post or magazine article. Other people are writing along these lines too. Timothy Snyder, in his recent substack posts, argues that, “taken together, Trump’s candidates constitute an attempt to wreck the American government.” Masha Gessen has also written about the deep appeal of authoritarian propaganda in the New York Times. Both Snyder and Gessen have written books about this subject too. Try Gessen’s Surviving Autocracy and Synder’s On Freedom. Also Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, as well as Ziblatt and Levitsky’s How Democracies Die, if you haven’t read them already. ~ Anne Applebaum American Journalist and Historian ----- Applebaum has written extensively about the history of Communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. She has worked at The Economist and The Spectator, and was a member of the editorial board of The Washington Post (2002–2006). Applebaum won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2004 for Gulag: A History. She is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a senior fellow at The Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. ----- Source: anneapplebaum.substack.com/about ----- Let's Fight For Freedom And Human Decency! Let's Be Smart! Let's Not Be Manipulated! Let's Save Our Planet! Let's Make The World A Better Place For Everyone! We Can Do It! -----