Pulitzer Prize Historian: You Won't Notice Until It's Too Late!

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

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Monday, 11 May 2026 - 1 hour 49 minutes

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

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:03:13 Why History Keeps Repeating
• 00:04:52 Why Democracy Feels So Broken
• 00:07:21 The Biggest Threats Right Now
• 00:08:32 Why Democracy Is Rapidly Shifting
• 00:09:58 Could America Become An Autocracy?
• 00:11:45 What A Trump Third Term Means
• 00:14:36 Why Autocracy Appeals To People
• 00:18:52 Trump’s Wealth Changes Everything
• 00:21:08 Why Global Stability Is Collapsing
• 00:26:06 Democracy Vs Dictatorship: What Lasts?
• 00:27:18 Who’s Happier: Democracies Or Autocracies?
• 00:28:44 Would Informed People Choose Democracy?
• 00:30:25 How Putin Stays In Power
• 00:32:20 5 Tactics Autocrats Use
• 00:33:59 Are Tech CEOs Enabling This?
• 00:37:51 Can America Ever Return To Normal?
• 00:39:07 Why Nations Are Turning Inward
• 00:43:37 What This Means For Americans
• 00:45:19 The Most Dangerous Part Of Dictatorship
• 00:48:29 Why Trump’s Ratings Are Falling
• 00:50:28 Ads
• 00:52:31 The 2nd Tactic Autocrats Use
• 00:57:19 The 3rd Tactic Autocrats Use
• 00:59:20 The 4th Tactic Autocrats Use
• 01:05:38 Should Social Media Have Legal Power?
• 01:12:38 Can Citizens Really Leave China?
• 01:13:55 The 5th Tactic Autocrats Use
• 01:14:28 Why ICE Is Breaking Down
• 01:16:40 Ads
• 01:17:49 Is The American Empire Declining?
• 01:21:49 Is Politics Just Human Nature?
• 01:24:38 Does Democracy Create Extreme Capitalism?
• 01:26:44 How Democracies Defend Themselves
• 01:28:18 Is Mainstream Media Politically Biased?
• 01:31:59 Why Journalism Matters More Than Ever
• 01:33:29 How Algorithms Control Your Reality
• 01:34:37 Anne’s Personal Political Journey
• 01:41:05 What Regime Change Really Feels Like
• 01:44:36 Anne’s Toughest Setback

Follow Anne:
Youtube - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/4pTtMb1
Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/1GOn8p5
X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8M5yUMK
Website - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/GGmhcYf

You can purchase Anne’s book, ‘Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World’, here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/D07471h

Sponsors:
Stan - Visit https://coach.stan.store/?ref=stevenbartlett&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=episode5
Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/steven

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