Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Autocracy, Inc by Anne Applebaum

Gone are the days when a charismatic person full of rhetoric was able to usurp the power, and maintain it with an iron hand.

The latest form of autocracy has become decentralized in a true sense. Which means that all the autocrats that we see around are not in their position because they persuaded a larger population to follow their lead. Today, it is more complex with financial structures, state power, and propaganda machinery keep them where they are. This brings a longevity not because they are more stable but there are many more vested interests in keeping them in power. Which leads to a crackdown on free speech,  systemic graft, and a class of people who thrive in the proximity of such an eco system.

But what is the legacy of such systems/people? Most likely this is not the case of leaving a legacy. This is the lunacy of coming and staying in power for now, and as long as possible without giving any thought to the consequences or the legacy that it is leaving. The decentralization helps a lot with only one face in public and everything else hiding behind that. So, even if it ends, it is difficult to trace the connection between the systems, and bring them to justice. Once, it is over, the whole machinery moves on to building a new eco system to keep it working.

The face always stay in public domain as long as it can be kept. But only the power of people can depose this. But this leaves a vacuum for the others to fill that gap which is where it is important to keep a check on who replaces it.

Peace

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