Defeating the Dictators

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A01=Charles Dunst
Author_Charles Dunst
autocrats autocracy dictator dictatorship vladimir putin viktor orban presidents
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conservative agenda world politics joe biden jamal khashoggi francis fukuyama
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eq_society-politics
jan 6 coup donald trump republican eroding democrat values
oliver bullough butler to the world the oligarchs
political science political economy the end of history anne applebaum
propoganda singapore taiwan china xi jinping
rise of the strong men identity politics iain dale
the rise of nationalism peter pomerantsev the world order
twilight of democracy rise of the autocrats

Product details

  • ISBN 9781399704434
  • Weight: 685g
  • Dimensions: 164 x 234mm
  • Publication Date: 02 Feb 2023
  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Hardback
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' Charles Dunst's deeply researched, timely and powerful book offers a blueprint for how democracies should fight back.' - Sir Kim Darroch

'Remarkable. A thoughtful and perceptive book.' - Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt, MP


The world is currently experiencing the lowest levels of democracy we have seen in over thirty years. Autocracy is on the rise, and while the cost of autocracy seems evident, it nevertheless remains an attractive option to many.

While leaders like Viktor Orbán disrupt democratic foundations from within, autocrats like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin do so from abroad, eroding democratic institutions and values and imperilling democracies that appear increasingly fragile. There are even those who, disillusioned with the current institutions in place, increasingly think authoritarianism can deliver them a better life than democracy has or could.

They're wrong. Autocracy is not the solution - better democracy is. But we have to make the case for it. We have to combat institutional rot by learning from one another, and, at times, from our rivals. And we have to get our own houses in order. Only then can we effectively stand up for democratic values around the world and defeat the dictators.

Charles Dunst is deputy director of research and analytics at The Asia Group, adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a contributing editor of American Purpose, Francis Fukuyama's magazine. His reportage and analysis have appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Washington Post and Foreign Policy, among other outlets. A former foreign correspondent, he has reported from countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Hungary, Romania, and Andorra. He holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Hamilton College. A native New Yorker, he lives in Virginia.

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