The Despot's Apprentice

Brian Klaas​

The Despot's Apprentice, by Brian Klaas.

Scribe, $27.99

As someone whose speciality is studying despots, Brian Klaas is well placed to analyse how Donald Trump is trashing American democracy with authoritarian tactics. While there are no startlingly new revelations in Klaas' tally of the US President's attacks on the media, the rule of law, ethical guidelines, election integrity, independent institutions and a shared sense of truth, their cumulative effect is genuinely frightening. So too is Klaas' expose of how government is being corrupted from within by nepotism, cronyism, the exploitation of public office for financial gain and collusion with Russia to undermine the democratic norms. What was once shocking is now routine, the danger being that citizens are numbed to violations and political standards are shattered. Klaas shows creeping authoritarianism in action.