View Discussion HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 4, 2025) – In the latest installment of the McCain Institute’s Authors & Insights series, Anne Applebaum discussed her latest book, “Autocracy Inc.” with McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. The conversation between Dr. Farkas and Applebaum centered on the global rise of authoritarianism, its threats to the U.S. and its allies, and the implications of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, among other topics.
In “Autocracy Inc.,” Applebaum explores how today’s major autocracies—Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela—operate in concert not because they share a single ideology, but because other shared interests bind them together despite their ideological differences.
Notable remarks from Applebaum during the Authors & Insights event:
On autocracy as a business: “My book is an attempt to explain why nationalist Russia, and communist China, and theocratic Iran, and Bolivarian socialist Venezuela, why they would work together. … I was looking at this group as a network, and I used the expression Autocracy Inc…. because it works like a large business conglomerate. They’re separate companies and each one has their own business models, but they cooperate at the macro level when it’s in their interests.”
On autocrats: “They work together because they have a common enemy, and the common enemy is us, and by us, I mean people who live in the liberal democratic world who use the language of liberal democracy, and by that I mean accountability, transparency, rule of law, human rights, belief in things like free press, and free media.”
On the Russian influence: “We’ve known that the Russians are interested in shaping our social media and in shaping our conversation…They’re already influencing your life, and they’re shaping your political conversation even if you don’t know it.”
On the war in Ukraine: “As far as I can tell, based on what I’ve heard, I have never heard the Russians say they want to end the war…I also never heard the Russians say that they recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Click HERE to view the complete discussion.
The McCain Institute’s Authors & Insights series features interviews with authors of important books on American politics, policy, and leadership that affirm the importance of character-driven leadership and America’s role in the international community. Previous authors have included the late former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper, CBS News’ Major Garrett and elections expert David Becker, World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain, CNN’s Jake Tapper, POLITICO National Security Reporter Alex Ward, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and more.