One thing you hear from people who study authoritarianism or who have experienced its rise firsthand in other countries is that they've been genuinely shocked at how quickly the Trump administration is moving compared to other regimes. Earlier this year, The Guardian spoke to one political scientist who studied this at Harvard who said, "Trump is throwing authoritarian punches at a much greater rate than any of these other cases in their first year in power. We don't yet know how many of those punches will ...

Political Analysis - The analysis suggests the Trump administration's rapid implementation of policies perceived as authoritarian is faster compared to other regimes [1][2] - The administration's actions, such as the removal of Jimmy Kimmel, are seen as a tactical mistake due to their speed [2] - Public disapproval is evident in the administration's 40% approval rating [5] - The backlash against the administration's actions demonstrates the power of defending democracy [7] Societal Impact - Actions like removing Jimmy Kimmel and potential indictment of James Comey are perceived as shocking across the political spectrum [5] - The presence of mass secret police forces or military troops on American streets is considered jarring [6] Strategic Assessment - The administration's approach is likened to a vehicle speeding over obstacles, potentially leading to a crash [3][4] - The speed at which the administration is moving may be a disadvantage because they lack public support [7]

George Packer, writing for The Atlantic, argues, "We can't see the threat of authoritarianism because we don't recognize it. We're living in a in an in an authoritarian state," he writes. It didn't feel that way this morning when I took my dog for his usual walk in the park and dew from the grass glittered on my boots in the rising sunlight. It doesn't feel that way when you're ordering an iced mocha latte at Starbucks or watching the Patriots lose to the Steelers.The persistent normality of daily life is d ...

for joining the conversation. We have former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with us. It's really great to have you. >> It's wonderful to be back with all of you. >> Thank you so much. So, um the big news yesterday, there's a there's always news going around in I would say for me personally, the big news was this shift >> on Russia. Mhm. >> And I'm curious just looking at the arc of this story over the past month or two from Anchorage to that European leaders meeting at the White House to John Lamir has ...

Freedom of Speech and Censorship - The discussion revolves around freedom of speech, censorship, and potential government overreach in media [1][2][3] - Concerns are raised about whether recent actions against media figures constitute cultural censorship or state pressure [2][21] - The industry acknowledges a distinction between cultural censorship and governmental censorship, with the latter posing a greater threat to free press [2][3][21] - Some argue that freedom of speech is under attack more than ever, drawing parallels to situations in countries with stricter censorship laws [1] Political and Corporate Influence - The industry notes that corporate pressures and decisions, rather than solely governmental actions, play a significant role in sidelining media figures [1] - The influence of political figures and voters on media content and decisions is also considered [1] - The potential for the FCC to investigate whether certain programs qualify as bonafide news is discussed, raising concerns about regulatory overreach [15][16][17] Historical Context and Future Implications - Historical parallels are drawn to the Nixon era and attempts to control the media, highlighting concerns about potential abuses of power [10][11] - The vulnerability of broadcast networks due to declining viewership and financial structures is emphasized [18][19] - The industry expresses concern about a chilling effect on media and the erosion of free speech, potentially leading to self-censorship [18][20][14]

Gary Kasrav is a Russian dissident, exile and chess grandmaster. He has seen authoritarianism with his own eyes. And this week, he wrote this in his Substack newsletter, The Next Move.As demagogues go, Donald Trump is not especially original. A tragedy occurs, the leader starts pointing fingers and blames the other guy as a pretext for overreach. It's so formulaic that no TV show with this plot would ever have made it near near this past weekend's Emmys.Kasprov warned that we should understand this for what ...

Legendary talk show host David Letterman has weighed in on Jimmy Kimmel's indefinite suspension. Uh here he is with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic at the Atlantic Festival. >> This is misery and uh in in the world of somebody who is an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship.Sooner or later, everyone is going to be touched. And then my good friend Jimmy Kimmel, I you know, I just uh I feel bad about this because uh we all see where this is going, correct. It's managed media and uh it's no good. It's silly. It ...

Vaccine Science & Public Health - The former CDC director testified she was fired for refusing to pre-approve vaccine recommendations without scientific review and for refusing to dismiss career scientists [1][2][3][5] - Concerns raised about undermining public trust in vaccines, which are considered safe and effective by major medical and scientific organizations and have saved millions of lives [6][7] - Fears that undermining vaccine trust could hinder preparation for future pandemics, potentially costing millions of lives [8][9] - Allegations that the childhood vaccine schedule may be altered by individuals with vaccine skepticism [10][11] - Appointment of individuals promoting conspiracy theories to committees determining childhood vaccine policies raises concerns [12][13][14] Political & Authoritarian Concerns - Accusations of authoritarianism, with the former CDC director allegedly being told to follow political directives regardless of scientific opinion [9] - Allegations of pressure on media, with an FCC commissioner allegedly threatening actions against affiliates and Disney [15] - Concerns about a broader trend towards authoritarianism in the US, including attacks on media and the working class [15][16][17]

Yeah, this is completely playbook what is happening and scholars of authoritarianism have been warning about this for years. Every authoritarian ever waits for an atrocity to happen, a terrorist attack, and they have planned how they're going to use it. They're going to use it to target the political opposition.Steven Miller is now talking about Democrats the way he talks about immigrants. So this is just what we expected. Uh it's exactly what happens uh in any author.It's it's what you would do if you were ...

Joining me now, Ben Rhodess, former deputy national security adviser under President Barack Obama. He's the co-host of Pod Save the World and an MSNBC political contributor. He's the author of After the Fall, the rise of authoritarianism in the world we've made.Uh Ben, you're the perfect person to have this this conversation with because of the news cycle that we're in. Some of this was lost. People uh either maybe didn't see it and certainly maybe haven't studied it, but I think it's really really instruct ...