Ruth Ben-Ghiat
@ruthbenghiat
Historian; Author, NYT Bestseller Strongmen; Publisher, Lucid, a Substack newsletter on authoritarianism and threats to democracy; Film & TV Consultant
Strongmen are always looking out for number one: themselves. That’s why they create inner sanctums around themselves, surrounding themselves with family members who do not give them objective feedback. We should all be concerned when leaders surround themselves with only sycophants.
Putin’s war against Ukraine isn’t just about gaining territory, it aims to obliterate Ukraine as a sovereign country and culture.
As an educator, I am concerned about the destruction of truth. There is a concerted effort to wipe away the importance of truth across the board — an attempt to make trusted authorities into optics of suspicion. We must keep defending all the brave, courageous truth-tellers out there.
As someone who has studied strongmen throughout history, I can’t stress enough that we should not see authoritarians as infallible.
Here, I talk about why we should pay attention to what I describe as an age of “plunder.” That is, the erosion and destruction of the rights and freedoms of the many.
I wrote about Trump's obsession with the 2020 election and what we should pay attention to on Thursday night — The Big Lie, Foreign Interference Edition. Read my full essay at my Substack, Lucid.Substack.Com
I was pleased to be with @aliciamenendez.bsky.social for the premiere of her new @msnowreports.bsky.social show!
Some news...I am writing a book on resistance for @vikingbooks.bsky.social!
Disaster Fascism: two frames for considering Trump's threat to annihilate Iran. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
Authoritarians will stop at nothing to feel safe. Since they have no concept of public welfare and consider everyone an asset to be used and discarded, they will easily enter into a military conflict without a long-term strategy, regardless of the casualties it causes.
Autocrats always find way to contribute to entice people to give up their morals. That’s why it’s so important for all of us to be aware of when they’re trying to do, remain true to our morals, and find ways to respond accordingly.
Strongmen, like Trump, live in constant fear of being held accountable — which is why all of us should be concerned about what they might do to the upcoming midterms. The best thing we can all do is pay attention, call them out for what they’re doing, & turn out in huge numbers in November.
Oligarchs usually operate outside government. But under the Trump administration, they moved inside — accelerating the dismantling of the civil service by using anti-democratic tactics.
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are part of the autocratic war to control the narrative. The more lawless governments become, the more they seek to silence inconvenient facts and people and invent the reality they need.
Under authoritarian regimes, public spheres — streets, parks, neighborhood — become testing grounds for authoritarian rituals of humiliation and domination.
Back then, wannabe dictators either declared dictatorship or staged a coup. Today wannabe dictators use “electoral autocracy” — they come to power via elections but then hollow out the electoral system through voter suppression, banning rivals from running for office, intimidation, & other tactics.
Nothing threatens authoritarian regimes more than act of nonviolent protest — people standing together, choosing empathy and courage, and refusing to be afraid.
Throughout history, change is most effective when people speak up. I am encouraged by the increasing number of people, especially those in the sports world, who are speaking out — and hope we can inspire more to do the same.
Trump & his allies are completely discarding any of language of democracy and international law.
My thoughts about the tragic shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis — and why this is what happens under authoritarian regimes that socializes its agents to wage war on the public.
On this 5-year anniversary of January 6th, let’s all remember that we are not immune from coups and insurrections. We are not immune from authoritarianism. Preventing them from happening in the U.S. requires all of us pay attention and do something to protect democracy.
My book #Strongmen turns 5 today! The paperback edition, with a new epilogue on January 6, is now 4. The book built a large readership gradually and became a New York Times bestseller in Nov. 2024. Thank you to all who read it and share its warnings about what such leaders do to societies.
How the shutdown relates to autocracy. For the tyrant Congress and Parliament are expendable. I am the only one that matters Trump tells us. We deserve good governance and leaders who care about our welfare.
Resistance means using all the tools and spaces you have for peaceful opposition. My latest video.
Bannon says Tr*ump is acting as a vehicle of divine providence. This is an old authoritarian propaganda theme.
In protesting peacefully we reclaim our cities and communities from state brutality. These are our spaces, our homes.
