The Road to Unfreedom: Fake Democracy and New Fascism by Timothy Snyder

2020/05/26

The author's On Tyranny was published in 2017 in both the original and translated versions.

As the subtitle "Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" suggests, the book overlays the present day with totalitarianism from the 1930s onward. It has been translated into approximately 20 languages and gained a reputation as a guide on how to avoid populism and new fascism. This book evolves those ideas further and discusses historical facts as material relevant to the 21st century. I was asked to provide a "Word from the Translator" for the publisher's special website for this book, and I included the following expression.

<"A bad feeling" seems to be spreading throughout the world. It is also close at hand.

As the translator, I have no intention of idly brandishing idealism, and I certainly do not care for nationalistic pronouncements, but even so, I wonder. Why is it that "words," which should be the strongest weapon in politics, are treated as lighter than a feather, the management of public records is neglected, the bureaucracy is forced into "sontaku" (anticipatory compliance), journalism—which exists precisely because it is critical—is silenced, even the principles of healthy succession of power are endangered, and people can utter all sorts of inconsistencies and contradictions without feeling any shame?>

In this book, the author makes use of coined terms such as the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity, schizofascism, and sado-populism. Furthermore, the first volume explains how Putin built an authoritarian regime (authoritarianism) and exported that system to Europe and the United States. The highlight is the struggle over Ukraine. A favorite saying of the European Bureau Officer of a certain national newspaper is that the challenges for the EU are: first, Ukraine; second, refugees; and third, Brexit. The survival of the EU is at stake in the conflict between Russia (imperial-oriented) and the EU (integration-oriented), and Ukraine is the main battlefield.

The second volume describes the process by which Russia, through cyberattacks, propaganda, and financial aid, made Trump—the American version of an oligarch—president. American society is seeing a rapid maldistribution of wealth due to regressive taxation and persistent racism. Just like in Europe, many Russian sympathizers have appeared in America.

The "restoration of history" that the author strongly advocates is likely the best means to prevent "Fake Democracy and New Fascism" (the subtitle).

The Road to Unfreedom: Fake Democracy and New Fascism by Timothy Snyder

Toshiho Ikeda

Keio University Press

Volume 1: 276 pages, Volume 2: 248 pages, 2,500 yen each (excluding tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.