The decline of the West? The authoritarian challenges from China, Russia, and North Korea.

This document is a book review that focuses on the decline of the West and the challenges posed by authoritarian states such as China, Russia, and North Korea. The review highlights two important books on China, one by Frank Dikötter and another by Elizabeth C. Economy. Dikötter's book examines the history and politics of post-Mao China and its rise as an authoritarian superpower, while Economy's book explores China's aspirations to replace the United States as the world's leading superpower. The review provides a brief overview of the main themes and conclusions of each book, emphasizing the importance of understanding contemporary China. Additionally, the article reviews three books that analyze the foreign policies and power dynamics of China, Russia, and North Korea. It discusses China's challenges to the United States' dominant power and international institutions, Russia's use of control over information and media to construct an ideological account of history, and how China, Russia, and North Korea manipulate historical narratives to legitimize their politics and consolidate power. The article raises concerns about the decline of the West and the rise of militarized authoritarianism. [Extracted from the article]