The Road to Unfreedom
Russia, Europe, America
by Timothy Snyder · first published 2018
50% recommend50% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explains how modern authoritarianism and Russian politics developed, giving readers context on current geopolitics and changing how they understand government. Suggested for anyone wanting political background.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
With the end of the Cold War, the victory of liberal democracy seemed final. Observers declared the end of history, confident in a peaceful, globalized future. This faith was misplaced. Authoritarianism returned to Russia, as Vladimir Putin found fascist ideas that could be used to justify rule by the wealthy. In the 2010s, it has spread from east to west, aided by Russian warfare in Ukraine and cyberwar in Europe and the United States. Russia found allies among nationalists, oligarchs, and radicals everywhere, and its drive to dissolve Western institutions, states, and values found resona
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Of you want to understand why this is happening, read "The Road to Unfreedom" by Prof Timothy Snyder. https://www.amazon.com/Road-Unfreedom-Russia-Europe-America/...
on “Supreme Court strikes anti-corruption law that bars officials from taking gifts” ↗On the topid of neo contemptory fascism, I'd highly recommend reading Timothy David Snyder's works. Particularly these two: - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Road To Unfreedom
on “Umberto Eco on common features of fascism (2016)” ↗…history professor Timothy Snyder reading his books and then watch him on YouTube. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig is also a major academic in this area. Their respective relevant books are "The Road to Unfreedom" and "They Don't Represent Us." Timothy Snyder also wrote "On Tyranny," which is a very quick read which is directly applicable to the question you are asking, he also narrated it in video form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tocssf3w80…
on “Ask HN: Tech work that strengthens liberal democracy” ↗…know. What I can say for certain is that I’m not yet ready to abandon the possibility of America—not just for the sake of future generations of Americans but for all of humankind. A point made in The Road to Unfreedom by Snyder is that one reason Russia is going after America is for domestic political reasons: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Unfreedom Specifically if the Russian public can be shown that…
on “I’m Not yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America” ↗Timothy Snyder is a historian who has written on extensively on the history of Ukraine (Bloodlands) and Putin (The Road to Unfreedom). I'm not familiar with The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, but Dr. Snyder makes some strong counterpoints to the Mearsheimer way of thinking on Ukraine in this [1] podcast and others. He has also…
on “Overton's window creates opportunities for the brave” ↗This is the way of Russian misinformation and propaganda. Timothy Snyder discusses at length in The Road to Unfreedom. And it has spread. Witness U.S. hard-right politics. Eventually the "Gish Gallop" becomes an assault on factuality itself. As Jason Stanley says, they goal of ending factuality is to "smash truth and…
on “Brandolini's Law” ↗