It is what it is. The human condition is capable of twisting, deforming and undermining any ideal that is put before it. Because you will tell me what could be wrong, right from the start, with a political system like communism that merely semantically points to equality, treatment between equals without class or condition. the utopia of Marx and the allegorical awakening of much of the narrative of George Orwell...
But it turned out that communism was just the opposite. As Def Con Dos sang back in the nineties "But who translated Lenin's speeches?" From his acidic lyrics he points to a free translation of Stalin that he ended up making of communism: collection, authoritarianism and dictatorship.
It will be that we have no solution because the solution, unbridled capitalism, that liberalism loaded with similar empty slogans that communism displayed. False ideals and pseudo-well-being societies that start from false meritocracies and an increasingly marked difference between the wealthy classes and the street workers.
But hey, let me get on the vine. Today it is time to talk about that made-to-measure communism, commissioned from tailors capable of dressing totalitarianisms in kind, complacent states for their fellow citizens. And an Anna Applebaum knows a lot about all this, pointing to those vestiges of gimmicky communism, as I say, nothing to do with the theoretical, which even today governs between Russia, China and the diffuse eastern border where even today an iron curtain seems to stand that at times threatens to fall on us all in the form of World War III.
Top 3 Recommended Books by Anne Applebaum
Gulag: History of Soviet concentration camps
Dissent is always wrong. And the dissemination of his doctrine does nothing but stir up a people that must internalize the principles of a regime as perfect as communism. Because under the umbrella of communism, society points to the ideal of prosperity, equality and fraternity never achieved by any other system.
El Gulag appears in the consciousness of the West in 1977 with the publication of the work of Alexander Solzhenitsyn Archipelago Gulag. Based on new studies, memoirs published after the fall of the USSR and some hitherto secret files, Anne Applebaum makes a historical reconstruction of the origin and evolution of the Soviet concentration camps that returns this unfortunate and unforgettable episode to the center of the stormy history of the convulsive twentieth century. With detail and precision we witness daily life in the camp: self-mutilation to avoid forced labor, marriages between prisoners, the life of women and children, rebellions and escape attempts.
The book, documented and rigorous, maintains that the Gulag It was born not only out of the need to isolate the elements that the Communist Party considered enemies, but also to obtain, at the same time, a mass of slave-workers who would work in exchange for food in immense projects such as the White Sea Canal or the mines. from Kolyma. After describing the horror organized by the Soviet regime, the book narrates how Gorbachev, whose family was directly affected by this repressive policy, decided to end this prison regime by freeing citizens from one of the most perverse and cruel repressive systems that the world has known.
The Twilight of Democracy: The Seduction of Authoritarianism
Disenchantment polarizes the world more than ever right now. Because in addition to that gloomy notion of the future, everything conspires to make us worse in our positions. Internet searches and social networks in tune with the world we want to see… the perfect breeding ground to succumb to old nostalgic ideals of one color or another. It's time to hug something; cling to that burning nail that gives us a light capable of blinding us with its clarity. As long as you let yourself go, putting aside the slightest critical sense, you can give yourself over to the most unexpected cause.
The liberal democracies of the West are under siege and the rise of authoritarianism It is an issue that should concern us all. In The Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum –pulitzer prize and one of the first historians to warn about the dangerous tendencies undemocratic in the West - clearly and concisely exposes the pitfalls of nationalism and autocracy and explains why political systems with simple and radical messages they are so attractive.
The despotic leaders they do not come to power alone, but they do so supported by their political allies, an army of bureaucrats and the media that pave the way for them and support their mandate. In addition, the nationalist and authoritarian parties that have been gaining relevance in the liberal democracies they offer prospects that benefit only their supporters, enabling them to rise to unrivaled heights of wealth and power.
Following in the footsteps of Julien Bandage y Hannah Arendt, Applebaum portrays the new defenders of illiberal ideas from around the world and denounces how this new authoritarian elite uses the conspiracy theories, political polarization, the terrifying reach of social networks, and even the feeling of nostalgia to destroy everything and redefine our idea of ​​​​a nation.
Modern western democracies are under siege and the rise of authoritarianism is an issue that should concern us all. On The decline of democracy, Anne Applebaum (Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the first historians to warn of dangerous anti-democratic tendencies in the West) clearly and concisely exposes the pitfalls of nationalism and autocracy. In this extraordinary essay she explains why simple and radical message systems are so attractive.
Despotic leaders do not come to power alone; They do so supported by political allies, armies of bureaucrats and the media that pave the way for them and support their mandates. Likewise, the nationalist and authoritarian parties that have been gaining relevance in modern democracies offer perspectives that exclusively benefit their supporters, allowing them to reach unparalleled levels of wealth and power.
Following in the footsteps of Julien Benda and Hannah Arendt, Applebaum portrays the new defenders of illiberal ideas and denounces how these authoritarian elites use conspiracy theories, political polarization, the terrifying reach of social networks and even the feeling of nostalgia. to destroy everything and redefine our idea of ​​nation.
Masterfully written, and urgent and necessary reading, The decline of democracy it is a brilliantly detailed analysis of the earthquake that is shaking the world and a passionate defense of democratic values.
The Iron Curtain: The Destruction of Eastern Europe 1944-1956
We all have the feeling that the West has been feeding a monster under the idea that it could not even pretend to devour us as a Monster. Today Putin awakens old ghosts of cold wars that also have their doses of hand-to-hand confrontation. And the monster wants it all. Putin is ready for anything, even moving the iron curtain until it covers all of Europe. From those powders these muds. Let's take perspective to focus on what we have to live with today with this Russia governed by ideological heirs of the USSR.
At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union controlled a vast expanse of territory in Eastern Europe. Stalin and his secret police undertook the conversion of twelve radically different countries to an entirely new political and moral system: communism.
Historian Anne Applebaum (who won the Pulitzer Prize for Gulag) presents in these pages the definitive work on how the Iron Curtain came to be and what life was like on the other side. Applebaum describes in frightening detail how political parties, the Church, the media, youth organizations, in short, all the institutions of civil society, were quickly dismantled. She explains how the secret police were organized and how all forms of opposition were attacked and destroyed. As a result, in an astonishingly short period of time, Eastern Europe was completely Stalinized. From documents inaccessible until recently and sources unknown in the West, Applebaum follows the communist tactics on their way to power, threats, abuses and murders. She also narrated individual stories to show the options that were presented to people: fight, flight or collaborate.
The Iron Curtain is the stunning story of a brutal period and a worrying reminder of how fragile free societies are. Today the Soviet bloc is a lost civilization, whose cruelty, paranoia, perverse morals and strange aesthetics manages to capture Applebaun in the fascinating pages of this book.
