In this riveting portrait of authoritarianism in peril, acclaimed journalist William Dobson takes us inside the relentless battle between dictators and the people challenging their rule.
We are witnessing an incredible moment in the war between dictators and democracy—waves of protests are sweeping Syria and Yemen, and despots have fallen in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. But the Arab Spring is only the latest front in a worldwide battle between freedom and repression, a battle that also rages in a dozen other countries from Venezuela to China, Russia to Malaysia. It is a struggle that, until recently, dictators have been winning hands-down. The reason is that today’s authoritarian regimes are nothing like the frozen-in-time government of North Korea. They are ever-morphing, technologically savvy, and internationally connected, and they have replaced more brutal forms of intimidation with seemingly “free” elections and talk of human rights. Facing off against modern dictators is an unlikely army of democracy advocates—students, bloggers, environmentalists, lawyers, activists, and millionaires—who are growing increasingly savvy themselves. The result is a global game of cat-and-mouse, where the future of freedom hangs in the balance. Dobson takes us behind the scenes in both camps, and reveals how each side is honing its strategies for the war that will define our age.
About William J. Dobson
WILLIAM J. DOBSON is politics and foreign affairs editor for Slate. He has been an editor at Foreign Affairs, Newsweek International, and Foreign Policy. During his tenure at Foreign Policy, the magazine was nominated for the coveted National Magazine Award for General Excellence each year and won top honors in 2007 and 2009. His articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and he has provided analysis for ABC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, and NPR. He lives in Washington, DC.
Editorial Review
Despite some reassuring advances in democracy over the last 40 years, from the collapse of dictatorships in Latin America, East Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and recent progress since last year’s Arab Spring, Slateforeign affairs editor Dobson sees a pernicious, no-less-repressive shift in the tactics of autocrats still hanging on. Old-style authoritarian regimes have given way to modern dictators who “work in the more ambiguous spectrum that exists between democracy and authoritarianism”—e.g., in Russia and China. In chapters that treat the newfangled dictatorial styles of these leaders (e.g., “The Czar” refers to Vladimir Putin; “The Pharaoh” to Hosni Mubarak) alternating with chapters on the increasingly savvy forces working against them (“The Opposition” and “The Youth”), Dobson travels around the globe, from Malaysia to Venezuela, chronicling his encounters with both camps. The tools of the dictator have always involved centralization of power, and for the modern autocrat no less, especially control of TV and newspapers. They are also more careful now not to upset the sense of political apathy, “the grease that helps any authoritarian system hum.” While Putin carefully maintains stability and order to keep his grip, Hugo Chávez of Venezuela cultivates popular chaos, stacking all government institutions with supporters so that he has amassed “unchecked executive power.” Besides speaking with plenty of brainwashed supporters of these regimes, Dobson sought out activists in the political opposition who have bravely endured terror and intimidation. – Kirkus Reviews
Velvet Gloves Over Iron Fists - ‘The Dictator’s Learning Curve,’ by William J. Dobson
The New York Times Book Review – June 10, 2012 (Excerpt)
“Here we go,” Tony Soprano said in the first episode of “The Sopranos” when Dr. Melfi, his psychiatrist, reached for her prescription pad. “Here comes the Prozac.”
Tony was having panic attacks. It wasn’t easy being a crime boss anymore. The old order was falling away. The Feds had new methods, like the RICO statute. His family gave him agita. His attacks made him feel, he said, like he had “ginger ale in my skull.”
It’s hard not to think about Tony’s woes while reading William J. Dobson’s intelligent and absorbing “Dictator’s Learning Curve.” It’s a book that intricately explores the headache-making complexities of being an authoritarian tough guy in 2012. These despots may well be on anti-depressants too.
Old-school oppressors like Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and Idi Amin had it easy. There was no YouTube, no Facebook, no Twitter. “Today, the world’s dictators can surrender any hope of keeping their worst deeds secret,” Mr. Dobson observes. “If you order a violent crackdown — even on a Himalayan mountain pass — you now know it will likely be captured on an iPhone and broadcast around the world.” [Read the full article...]
“The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy” by William J. Dobson
The Washington Post Book Review – October 13, 2012 (Excerpt)
William J. Dobson’s exploration of the contest between contemporary dictatorships and those who rebel against them is valuable because it offers a sober analysis of both sides.
Dobson traveled nearly 100,000 miles researching this book, which takes a close look at the face of modern authoritarianism in Russia, Venezuela and Egypt, with passing attention toChina and Malaysia. He concludes that dictators have become more selective in the restrictions they impose on their subjects and more cunning in their use of democratic guises to suppress opposition while still resorting to brutal means as needed.
To be sure, an attentive reader of the news will find little new in Dobson’s account of how Vladimir Putin’s Russia uses a servile judiciary to squelch dissidents, or how Hugo Chavez has maintained his grip on power through demagogy and ruinously expensive handouts, or how Chinese technocrats stay dominant despite the ludicrous facade of a communist government in a capitalist society. But Dobson skillfully shows how similar themes shoot through these different authoritarian societies. [Read the full article...]
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THE BLEEDING HILLS
A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7
The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]
The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.
