The TV show that misunderstands autocracy

Plus, what to stream and read now. APRIL 23, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Kate Winslet stars as Elena Vernham in HBO's The Regime. Miya Mizuno/HBO “As an ex-Soviet,” Anastasia Edel writes in her review of the new HBO series [The Regime](, “I am baffled by the renewed global fascination with autocracy.” With democracy [declining]( around the globe, a miniseries about the dictatorial chancellor of an unnamed Central European country couldn’t be timelier. And yet, argues Edel, the Kate Winslet-led show fails to provide either insight or humor around the increasing allure of strongmen. Worse still, it exhibits a naivete about the phenomenon, which to Edel feels “distinctly American.” With what should you take a break from the news cycle to distract yourself instead? Every weekend, FP offers reviews of books, movies, and television shows from around the world that relate in some way to politics and global affairs. Some are big releases you might be curious about—like the new feature film [Civil War](, from British director Alex Garland. The movie’s relevance in an election year is heightened by an insistence on not giving the audience a “good side” to root for, writes Jordan Hoffman in his review. Garland’s “big artistic swing is obscuring U.S. politics from the disaster that’s unfolding on the screen,” Hoffman argues. “As such, he makes the insanity of civil war that much clearer.” Other FP reviews spotlight the best of culture from around the world. Tanja Maljartschuk’s [Forgottenness]( is a book about Ukrainian identity and the struggle against nonexistence that was originally published in 2016. Though it won a national Ukrainian book award at the time, it has only just been published in English. “Until this year,” writes Johannes Lichtman in a review for FP, “not a single novel translated from Ukrainian [has] been published by a major U.S. publisher.” Lichtman grapples with whether it is disrespectful to read a book written between the Maidan Revolution of 2014 and the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022 as a guide to understanding Ukraine in 2024. “Fortunately,” the reviewer concludes, “Forgottenness shares a way to read itself and also to read Ukraine’s latest fight for survival.” Be sure to put this book, and FP’s weekend coverage of culture from around the world, on your radar.—Amelia Lester   New and Noteworthy - Still with Israel: “Even before the war in Gaza, public opinion even among Israel’s peace partners was overwhelmingly hostile to Israel,” David E. Rosenberg [writes](. 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Cancel anytime.](   [FP Live]( Inside the GOP’s Foreign Policy On DemandWhat would a second Trump term mean for U.S. foreign policy? Who has the former president’s ear on world affairs? FP columnist Matthew Kroenig joined FP Live to discuss these questions in the context of his new book, We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy & the New Cold War, co-written with Dan Negrea and with a foreword from former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. [Watch]( the conversation now. Iran’s Attack on Israel—What Happens Next? On DemandWill the conflict in the Middle East turn into a broader regional war? What are the likely scenarios for what might happen next? Suzanne Maloney, a vice president at the Brookings Institution who has advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Iran policy, and Ronen Bergman, an Israeli investigative journalist for the New York Times Magazine and the author of books including The Secret War with Iran and Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, explored these questions on FP Live. [Watch]( the conversation now, or [read]( the edited transcript. The New Idea of India On DemandExecutive editor Amelia Lester was joined by editor in chief Ravi Agrawal, who wrote the lead essay, “[The New Idea of India](,” in Foreign Policy’s new Spring 2024 issue. Agrawal argues that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s enduring popularity may have as much to do with demand as it does supply—a theory that helps explain India’s growing assertiveness in global affairs. [Watch]( the conversation now, or [read]( the edited transcript.   Exercise Your Mind Multiweek national elections began in which country on Friday? - Pakistan - India - Indonesia - Brazil You can find the answer to this question and learn more at the end of this email.   FROM FP EVENTS [AI and the Future of Defense]( [Join Foreign Policy, in partnership with The Palantir Foundation for Defense Policy & International Affairs, for a candid discussion on how AI is transforming alliances and defense policies from the Atlantic to the Pacific—and how AI could impact the future of warfare.]( [LEARN MORE](   Most Popular [Greenpeace activists pose with placards as they stage a protest seeking to block the oil tanker ]( [Russia’s Shadow Fleet Could Create Strange Allies]( Both Greenpeace and NATO are working against off-book oil tankers. 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Check out the [new synthesis report]( on FPA’s crisis simulation, Fighting ‘Smart’ Pandemics, produced with support from CEPI and held at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, on how to harness the potential and mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence for biosecurity. - Small Moves, Big Changes: What strategies do global leaders use to negotiate and compromise on the world stage—and how can those tools shape your own world? Join Northwestern University law professor Annelise Riles to examine how small decisions make big impacts in a new podcast series, [Everyday Ambassador](, with support from the Humboldt Foundation. Look out for new episodes every Wednesday on [Apple](, [Spotify](, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.   Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. Answer: B. India. As voting gets underway, the question is not whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will secure a third term, but by what margin, FP’s Michael Kugelman [writes]( in South Asia Brief. [Subscribe to Foreign Policy]( [The world, at your fingertips]( Keeping up with global moments has never been more essential. Save up to 50% when you join our community of readers today. [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for FP's This Week newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? [Explore FP Solutions](. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2023 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.