I’ve just finished Anne Applebaum’s “Twilight of Democracy”. Not too long ago, I read her “Autocracy, Inc”. I can’t recommend them more. These two slim volumes explain the sudden rise and popularity in the 21st century of neofascist, populist governments throughout the world, as well as how they operate and function. We’ve all been watching this happen, but Applebaum ties up all the loose threads and brings it all back home.

No, this is not a massive conspiracy, or a sinister plot. Oh, yes, there are plenty of villains, but it isn’t all directed by a cabal of evil masterminds. This new fascism has arisen in and of the masses, it appears to be a spontaneous movement arising from history itself. The villains are the symptom, not the cause. Its as old as Babylon and as evil as hell.

Read these books. They won’t tell you anything you don’t already know, but they will still change the way you look at history and the world.