Search

Create

9+

Pulitzer Prize Historian: You Won’t Notice Until It’s Too Late – Anne Applebaum

The Diary Of A CEO16.3M subscribers

Join

Subscribe

15K

Share348,890 views

May 11, 2026 New Episodes

Anne Applebaum has spent decades studying how democracies collapse, how authoritarian systems rise, and why the warning signs are often ignored until it’s too late. She reveals why America is entering a dangerous new phase, and what happens next! Anne Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic and has hosted its Autocracy in America podcast. She is also a senior fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the School of Advanced International Studies. She is also the bestselling author of books such as, ‘Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World’. She explains: ◼️ Why democracies rarely collapse overnight ◼️ Why America may be closer to autocracy than people think ◼️ How elected leaders can slowly take apart the system from within ◼️ Why corruption is one of the clearest warning signs of authoritarianism ◼️ Why Big Tech leaders are bending toward political power ◼️ How America’s allies are already preparing for U.S. betrayal ◼️ Why Russia, China, and Iran are challenging the democratic world order ◼️ Why America may never fully go back to normal after Trump 00:00 Intro 02:10 Why History Keeps Repeating 03:33 Democracy’s Biggest Warning Sign 05:12 Why Democracy Feels So Broken 07:41 The Biggest Threats Right Now 08:52 Why Democracy Is Rapidly Shifting 10:18 Could America Become An Autocracy? 12:05 What A Trump Third Term Means 14:56 Why Autocracy Appeals To People 19:12 Trump’s Wealth Changes Everything 21:27 Why Global Stability Is Collapsing 26:26 Democracy Vs Dictatorship: What Lasts? 27:38 Who’s Happier: Democracies Or Autocracies? 29:04 Would Informed People Choose Democracy? 30:45 How Putin Stays In Power 32:40 5 Tactics Autocrats Use 34:19 Are Tech CEOs Enabling This? 38:11 Can America Ever Return To Normal? 39:27 Why Nations Are Turning Inward 43:57 What This Means For Americans 45:39 The Most Dangerous Part Of Dictatorship 48:49 Why Trump’s Ratings Are Falling 50:48 Ads 52:50 The 2nd Tactic Autocrats Use 57:39 The 3rd Tactic Autocrats Use 59:40 The 4th Tactic Autocrats Use 1:05:58 Should Social Media Have Legal Power? 1:12:58 Can Citizens Really Leave China? 1:14:15 The 5th Tactic Autocrats Use 1:14:48 Why ICE Is Breaking Down 1:17:00 Ads 1:17:32 Is The American Empire Declining? 1:21:32 Is Politics Just Human Nature? 1:24:20 Does Democracy Create Extreme Capitalism? 1:26:27 How Democracies Defend Themselves 1:28:01 Is Mainstream Media Politically Biased? 1:31:42 Why Journalism Matters More Than Ever 1:33:11 How Algorithms Control Your Reality 1:34:19 Anne’s Personal Political Journey 1:40:48 What Regime Change Really Feels Like 1:44:18 Anne’s Toughest Setback