The new dark times

pp. 225-244

in: Käte C. Langdon, Vladimir Tismaneanu, Putin's totalitarian democracy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020

Abstract

Having already discussed the significance of ideology, cultural dynamics, and society's historical memory in Russia, Langdon and Tismaneanu establish Putin's Russia as a totalitarian democracy that normalizes the abnormal. Through examinations of authoritarianism, fascism, and totalitarianism in the context of modern Russia, the authors conclude that Putin's political success is not guaranteed by personality alone: it requires the consent of the masses, plus some sort of imposed ideology. This trend, as well as other tenets of Putinism, is not just limited to Russia, either. This final chapter reaffirms the worldwide need to question governments, to think individually, and to understand—but not necessarily accept—how and why nation-states, parties, and masses turn to populism, nationalism, authoritarianism, and even fascism or totalitarianism in modern times.