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Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World By Anne Applebaum

Japan’s Quiet Leadership: Reshaping the Indo-Pacific By Mireya Solis

Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for The 21st Century By Josh Rogin

Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine By Lucian Kim

Sovereignty and Extortion: A New state Form in Mexico By Claudio Lomnitz

 


Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World
By Anne Applebaum

Doubleday, July 2024
224 pages

We think we know what an autocratic state looks like: There is an all-powerful leader at the top. He controls the police. The police threaten the people with violence. There are evil collaborators, and maybe some brave dissidents.

But in the 21st century, that bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are underpinned not by one dictator, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, surveillance technologies, and professional propagandists, all of which operate across multiple regimes, from China to Russia to Iran. Corrupt companies in one country do business with corrupt companies in another. The police in one country can arm and train the police in another, and propagandists share resources and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.

International condemnation and economic sanctions cannot move the autocrats. Even popular opposition movements, from Venezuela to Hong Kong to Moscow, don’t stand a chance. The members of Autocracy, Inc, aren’t linked by a unifying ideology, like communism, but rather a common desire for power, wealth, and impunity. In this urgent treatise, which evokes George Kennan’s essay calling for “containment” of the Soviet Union, Anne Applebaum calls for the democracies to fundamentally reorient their policies to fight a new kind of threat.

REVIEWS

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Economist, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Times

“Autocracy, Inc. is a valuable book for many reasons, but the focus on illicit wealth creation and on those in democracies who enable it is especially timely. So is Applebaum’s recommendation that we wage war on autocratic behaviors wherever they occur.”—The Washington Post

“Anne Applebaum is one of the most insightful observers of dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, authoritarianism and democracy in the world today. Autocracy, Inc. is a wakeup call and offers a way ahead to anyone interested in preserving the democratic values and culture that have been fought for at a high price in blood and treasure for over 200 years.”—General Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Anne Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc. provides a trenchant account that indicates that Trump, for all his bluster about America First, is part of a global phenomenon—namely, the rise of an international kleptocracy that often works in tandem.”—Washington Monthly

“Tightly argued, crisply written…The question left unresolved by this engrossing book is whether America will ultimately confront the autocrats—or sidle up to them.”—Air Mail

“A thoughtful and thought-provoking treatise on how autocracies have transformed from the way they operated in the 20th Century to the new modus operandi of the 21st . . . An excellent read for anyone concerned about the fate of the liberal world order-in this country and, for that matter, universally.”—Cipher Brief

“Bold, powerful and important. Impunity is on the march because of the forces and tactics exposed here. We don’t just need to read this book – we need to act on it.”—David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After seventeen years as a columnist at The Washington Post, Anne Applebaum became a staff writer at The Atlantic in January 2020. She is the author of five critically acclaimed and award-winning books: Twilight of Democracy, Red Famine, Iron Curtain, Between East and West, and Gulag, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. She divides her time between Poland, where her husband is foreign minister, and Washington, D.C.


Japan’s Quiet Leadership: Reshaping the Indo-Pacific

By Mireya Solis

Brookings Institution Press, August 2023
260 pages

Why has Japan emerged from the “lost decades” unscathed from the populist wave and a far more consequential actor in the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific? In answering this question, Japan’s Quiet Leadership provides a sweeping look at Japan’s domestic economic and political evolution, its economic statecraft, and the array of geopolitical challenges that have triggered a gradual but substantial shift in the country’s security profile. This deep dive into Japan’s trajectory over the last three decades underscores Japan’s hidden strengths in its democratic resilience, social stability, and proactive diplomacy; while reckoning with the profound challenges the nation faces: depopulation, rising inequality, voter disengagement, and threats to Asia’s long peace. The book traces the profound currents of change coursing through the Japanese polity and its external environment; and the myriad ways in which Japan’s experience has become more relevant to countries coping with slow growth, adverse demographics, adjustment to economic globalization, and the emergence of a powerful and assertive China.
REVIEWS
For years many in the foreign policy community worshipped at the altar of China. China was to be the future. However, Dr. Solis saw clearly that our future rested on alliances, chief among them, with Japan. She masterfully dissects the statecraft, economic agility and political evolution which has allowed Japan to reshape the Indo-Pacific and her role in it. As Japan had to deal with demographic change, a different security atmosphere, and declining relative capabilities not to mention pandemic, Dr. Solis’ effort can provide the template for other nations facing similar challenges. This should be the text book for a new generation of foreign policy thinkers. — Richard Armitage, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and former Deputy Secretary of State
In Japan’s Quiet Leadership, Mireya Solis offers invaluable insights into the emergence of Japan from its “lost decades” to becoming a trend setter and rule maker on the international stage. She colorfully navigates this thirty- year transformation, leaving the reader with a deep appreciation of the complexities involved in Tokyo re-inventing itself. To better understand how Japan has managed to step up its game internationally at a time of global uncertainty and rising nationalism in many corners of the world, this book is a must read. — Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Policy Institute, former deputy assistant U.S. Trade Representative
Japan’s Quiet Leadership: Reshaping the Indo-Pacific acutely captures the geopolitical sea change that evolutionized Japan’s politics and economy to its position in the region today. Demonstrating her intricate knowledge as a Japan hand and authority on trade with her keen eye of the country’s domestic political dynamics, Solis depicts a compelling case of the late Prime Minister Abe’s leadership in repositioning and reimagining Japan and its significance today – a testament to his legacy holding strong in years to come. — Funabashi Yoichi, Chairman of the Global Council of the International House of Japan, former editor-in-chief of the Asahi Shimbun

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mireya Solís is Director of the Center for Policy Studies and Knight Chair in Japan Studies at the Brookings Institution, where she specializes in Japanese foreign economic policy, regional integration in East Asia and U.S. economic strategy in Asia.


Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for The 21st Century

By Josh Rogin

Mariner Books, April 2024

. . . Almost as soon as he entered office (in 2016), Donald Trump brought to a boil the long-simmering rivalry between the (U.S. and China), while also striking up a “friendship” with Chinese president Xi Jinping — whose manipulations of his American counterpart would undermine the White House’s already disjointed response to the historic challenge of a rising China. All the while, Trump’s own officials fought to steer U.S. policy from within.

By the time the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in Wuhan, Trump’s love-hate relationship with Xi had sparked a trade war, while Xi’s aggression had pushed the world to the brink of a new Cold War. But their quarrel had also forced a long-overdue reckoning within the United States over China’s audacious foreign-influence operations, horrific human rights abuses, and creeping digital despotism. Ironically, this awakening was one of the biggest foreign-policy victories of Trump’s fractious term in office.

. . . drawn from Josh Rogin’s unparalleled access to top U.S. officials from the White House and deep within the country’s foreign policy machine, Chaos Under Heaven reveals an administration at war with itself during perhaps our most urgent hour.

REVIEWS

“In Chaos Under Heaven, Josh Rogin tells a deeply reported, briskly written, and compelling story of how President Trump and his team struggled to deal with the significant economic and national security threats posed to the US by the Chinese government. This book is a must-read for anyone looking for insight into why this new cold war matters to every American.” –JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor
“Chaos Under Heaven is required reading for anyone who wants to know what happened between America and China during Trump’s tumultuous four years in the White House. Josh Rogin’s account is rich in detail and full of insight into the events and people that drove the United States as it began to change many of its longstanding policies in dealing with Beijing.” — JAMES MANN, New York Times best-selling author of The China Fantasy and Rise of the Vulcans
“Packing the account with insider details, Rogin makes a persuasive case that confronting China’s rise is essential to world affairs. Readers will appreciate this in-depth look behind the headlines.” –Publishers Weekly
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josh Rogin is a Washington Post foreign policy columnist and CNN political analyst. He has reported for Bloomberg View, the Daily Beast, Foreign Policy, Congressional Quarterly, Federal Computer Week, and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.


Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine

By Lucian Kim

Columbia University Press,Woodrow Wilson Center Series,
December 2024
344 pages

Putin’s Revenge offers a gripping, definitive account of Russia’s path to war, from Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 Maidan uprising up to the full-scale invasion. Kim examines the Kremlin’s motives, tracing Putin’s transformation from a seemingly pragmatic leader into an embittered tyrant who saw it as his historical mission to reconquer Ukraine. Placing the war in the broader context of the Soviet Union’s collapse, Kim argues that it represents a clash between those who reject the Soviet past—like Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexei Navalny—and those who still identify with it. He debunks the Kremlin narrative that the West instigated the conflict, and instead identifies the root causes of the war in the legacy of Russian imperialism and Putin’s dictatorial rule. At the same time, Kim is critical of the West’s empty promises to Ukraine, which made the country vulnerable to a revanchist Russia.

REVIEWS
Lucian Kim has written a definitive account of the tragic chapters leading up to Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He draws on his deep grasp of this history, punctuated by personal stories from his decades of reporting on Ukraine and Russia, to tell a complex story in a highly readable way. Putin’s Revenge is a must-read for scholars, government officials, students and general audiences. — Michael McFaul, author of From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia

In an engaging narrative that weaves together historical backdrop with firsthand experience, the journalist Lucian Kim takes us inside the Russo-Ukrainian war, giving us a deep understanding of Putin and the nature of his regime. — James Goldgeier, American University

Lucian Kim draws on his decades of pioneering and revelatory reporting in Russia, Ukraine and Europe to guide us through the twists and turns leading to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In a fast-paced, vivid narrative that bursts with fresh insight, Kim upholds his reputation as one of America’s finest foreign correspondents. This is the book for anyone who wants to understand exactly why and how Putin launched Europe’s largest land war since WWII. — Fiona Hill, The Brookings Institution

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucian Kim has reported on Ukraine and Russia since Vladimir Putin’s first term in office. Based in Moscow and Berlin for more than twenty years, he covered central and eastern Europe as a correspondent for National Public Radio, Bloomberg News, and the Christian Science Monitor. He was the recipient of a Wilson Center Fellowship in Washington, DC, where he began writing this book.


Sovereignty and Extortion: A New state Form in Mexico
By Claudio Lomnitz

Duke University Press Books, August 2024
240 pages

Over the past fifteen years in Mexico, more than 450,000 people have been murdered and 110,000 more have been disappeared. In Sovereignty and Extortion, Claudio Lomnitz examines the Mexican state in relation to this extreme violence, uncovering a reality that challenges the familiar narratives of “a war on drugs” or a “failed state.” Tracing how neoliberal reforms, free trade agreements, and a burgeoning drug economy have shaped Mexico’s sociopolitical landscape, Lomnitz shows that the current crisis does not represent a tear in the social fabric. Rather, it reveals a fundamental shift in the relationship between the state and the economy in which traditional systems of policing, governance, and the rule of law have eroded. Lomnitz finds that power is now concentrated in the presidency and enforced through militarization, which has left the state estranged from itself and incapable of administering justice or regaining control over violence. Through this critical examination, Lomnitz offers a new theory of the state, its forms of sovereignty, and its shifting relation to capital and militarization.

REVIEW

“It is a good time for Lomnitz’s essays to be published—judicial reform is likely to become the defining feature of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency and Morena’s plans are generating much hot air within the traditional enemy of Mexican sovereignty, the US. The anthropologist makes a sagacious and eloquent contribution to questions about whither this troubled country is heading—while providing evidence of the creative power of anthropology to contemplate contemporary sociopolitical issues.”―Gavin O’Toole, Latin American Review of Books

“A remarkably provocative collection of essays that inverts lazy true-crime assumptions. Sovereignty and Extortion offers readers a new framework for understanding how cartels and states coexist. It should be required reading not only for all students of organized crime, but also for those interested in the future of the state, sovereignty and the rule of law.”―Benjamin T. Smith, Times Literary Supplement

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claudio Lomnitz is Campbell Family Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University and the author of several books, including Nuestra América: My Family in the Vertigo of Translation, The Return of Comrade Ricardo Flores Magón, and Death and the Idea of Mexico.

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