Reading Recommendation
The Twilight of Democracy
Anne Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy was published five years ago. In light of recent developments, I thought it might be a good idea to revisit the book as it was, when first published, a warning shot across the bow. It’s not just about authoritarianism’s rise in far-off places—it’s about how democratic backsliding is happening here, how it’s not just a problem of “the masses,” but one being driven by elites who once stood for democracy but are now selling it out. Applebaum digs into how former allies—journalists, intellectuals, and political insiders—abandoned the principles they once championed in favor of nationalism, conspiracy theories, and authoritarian power plays. If we want to push back, we need to understand why this is happening and what we can do about it.
Authoritarianism Isn’t Just a Bottom-Up Movement—Elites Are Pushing It
Too often, we talk about the rise of authoritarianism as if it’s a grassroots rebellion against democracy. That’s a mistake. The real danger isn’t just from the street-level extremists—it’s from the elites who make authoritarianism possible, who normalize it, who create a framework for oppression that others then enforce.
Applebaum shows how political operatives, media figures, and intellectuals have drifted away from democratic ideals—not because they had a grand ideological epiphany, but because authoritarianism offers them something democracy doesn’t: certainty, power, and personal advantage. For some, it’s the lure of influence. For others, it’s nostalgia for a past where their values went unchallenged. And for many, it’s simply that they’ve found authoritarianism to be a more direct path to power and wealth.
They know exactly what they’re doing. They’ve learned that you don’t have to abolish democracy to kill it. You just have to erode it from within—discredit institutions, rewrite history, create chaos, and manipulate just enough of the public to maintain power.
How Authoritarianism Gains Ground
Here’s what Applebaum makes clear: democracy doesn’t just collapse overnight. It decays. Slowly, deliberately, piece by piece.
1. Weaponized Disinformation
They don’t need to silence all opposition—just flood the zone with enough lies, half-truths, and conspiracies that people don’t know what to believe anymore. State-run media, propaganda networks, and social media manipulation create a constant hum of paranoia and resentment.
2. The Creation of “Us vs. Them” Politics
Authoritarians need enemies. They stir up nationalism, pit groups against one another, and use race, religion, and identity to consolidate power. If you’re not with them, you’re against them—and that means you’re a traitor.
3. The Slow, Quiet Capture of Institutions
Stack the courts. Corrupt the press. Rig the elections. Pass laws that look democratic but tilt the playing field so badly that winning is a foregone conclusion. In places like Hungary, Poland, and even the U.S., we’ve seen it happen step by step.
4. The Cultivation of Authoritarian Nostalgia
They sell people a false past—a golden age when their version of society reigned supreme, before democracy “corrupted” everything with its pluralism and messiness. Trump’s “Make America Great Again,” Putin’s Soviet nostalgia, Orbán’s white Christian nationalism—they’re all selling the same story: We had paradise, and the liberals took it away.
What Do We Do About It?
If democracy is going to survive this moment, we can’t just be defenders. We have to be on offense.
1. Stop Playing the Left vs. Right Game—Frame It as Democracy vs. Authoritarianism
Applebaum is right—this isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about whether we will live under democracy or an elite-controlled, rigged system where power never changes hands. There are conservatives who still believe in democracy, and we need them in this fight. This is about making alliances across ideological divides to stop authoritarian rule before it cements itself.
2. Disrupt the Disinformation Machine
We can’t let propaganda go unchallenged. Support independent media. Call out disinformation when you see it. Educate people about how propaganda works. A public that knows how to identify lies is a public that’s harder to control.
3. Build Pro-Democracy Infrastructure
We need strong institutions—independent journalism, judicial accountability, grassroots organizing, and voting rights protections. Democracy doesn’t sustain itself. It has to be actively built and defended every day.
4. Make Organizing a Culture, Not Just a Response to Crisis
If the only time we mobilize is when democracy is in immediate danger, we’ve already lost. The right builds movements that are generational. We have to do the same—invest in education, leadership training, and long-term organizing strategies that don’t just react but proactively create a vision for a better democracy.
5. Fight Polarization With Pluralism
Authoritarianism thrives on division. It needs people to believe that their fellow citizens are the enemy. That’s why our movements have to be radically inclusive—welcoming people in, rather than just calling them out. Democracy is strongest when people feel like they belong in it.
6. Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
One of Applebaum’s biggest warnings is that people tend to normalize creeping authoritarianism. We rationalize it, minimize it, tell ourselves it’s not really that bad yet. That’s the danger. By the time people wake up to the full extent of what’s happening, it’s often too late. The time to fight is now.
The Bottom Line
Authoritarians aren’t waiting. They are organized. They are building networks of power that stretch across borders. They are rewriting history to justify oppression.
We have to be just as relentless. We have to invest in democratic infrastructure, counter authoritarian disinformation, and build broad-based movements that can withstand the long fight ahead.
Democracy is not a given. It’s not a guarantee. It’s something that has to be won—and we have to be willing to win it.
The question isn’t whether democracy can survive this moment. The question is: Are we willing to fight for it?