午夜剧场

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

As the subtitle "Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century" suggests, it overlaid the history of totalitarianism since the 1930s onto the modern era. Translated into approximately 20 languages, it gained a reputation as a guide on how to avoid populism and new forms of fascism. This book evolves those ideas further, drawing on historical facts as material relevant to the 21st century. I was asked to provide a "Word from the Translator" for the publisher's special webpage for this book, and I included the following expression.

<"A sense of unease" seems to be spreading throughout the world. It is also close at hand.

As a translator, I have no intention of idly brandishing idealism, nor am I someone who likes making 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? Why is the management of public records neglected, and the bureaucracy forced into "sontaku" (anticipatory compliance)? Why is journalism, which finds its raison d'être in being critical, silenced? Why is even the principle of the healthy succession of power put at risk, and why can people utter contradictions and inconsistencies without feeling any shame?>

In this book, the author utilizes coined terms such as the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity, schizofascism, and sado-populism. Based on these, the first volume clarifies how Putin built an authoritarian regime and exported that system to Europe and the United States. The highlight is the struggle over Ukraine. A common saying of a certain national newspaper's European Bureau Officer is that the challenges for the EU are: first, Ukraine; second, refugees; and third, Brexit. The survival of the EU depends on the clash 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, helped Trump—an American version of an oligarch—become president. American society is seeing a rapid concentration 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 for is likely the best means to prevent "fake democracy and new fascism" (the subtitle).

Toshiho Ikeda

午夜剧场 Press

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

*Affiliations and job titles are as of the time this magazine was published.