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1 week ago | 
the.ink | Anand Giridharadas |Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Today, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, scholar of authoritarian regimes, joined 3,000 Ink and Lucid readers to discuss the weekend’s dueling events: the huge turnout all over the country for No Kings rallies, and the much smaller crowds that turned out for Donald Trump’s limp military spectacle in Washington, D.C. Trump may have big authoritarian pretensions, but why was it so hard for him to get the military parade he dreamed of? We discuss. We are opening this video to all.
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2 weeks ago | 
the.ink | Anand Giridharadas |Ruth Ben-Ghiat |Jason Stanley
To coin a proverb, one fascism scholar is an expert; two is an unlawful gathering. So today we talked with scholars of fascism Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Jason Stanley (and 4,100 readers) about whether Donald Trump’s disproportionate response to anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles puts the United States further down the path towards a police state — or opens up possibilities for an effective and sustained mass response.
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2 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat |Joyce Vance
Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers. Here are some upcoming events. At 12:30-1:30pmET today I will be doing a Substack Live with Anand Giridharadas of The Ink. We always have thoughtful exchanges and today will be no exception. To join, just download the Substack App from the App Store, enable notifications, and click on the join link at 12:30. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. There is no need to register for this Live and everyone is welcome.
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2 weeks ago | 
joycevance.substack.com | Joyce Vance |Ruth Ben-Ghiat
What happens when the president federalizes the National Guard on a Saturday night and sends 2000 troops into Los Angeles? You thank your lucky stars you have a chat with authoritarianism expert and author of the Lucid Substack, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, planned for the next day!Ruth’s ability to analyze Trump’s moves in the light of the behavior of other strongmen is invaluable. Her confidence that protests have value, and more importantly, her explanation of why they do, is essential.
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3 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers. Here is the link to register for the Zoom at 1-2pmET. Marc Elias has a last-minute conflict and is very sorry he cannot join us, we will host him on August 8 instead. I am delighted to tell you that an expert on broligarchs will join us instead to speak about the Trump-Musk drama: the wonderful Br…
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3 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Hi Everyone, the schedules of members of Congress can be unpredictable, and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), who was supposed to join us tomorrow at 12:15, has to reschedule. Many of you sent in great questions for Rep. Casar and we will keep them on hand. Our customary 1-2pmET gathering will go on tomorrow as scheduled with guest Marc Elias. Paying subscribers will receive a link tomorrow at 10AMET to register for the Zoom gathering.
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3 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Welcome back to Lucid, and a big hello to new subscribers. This Friday, June 6, we have a Q&A double-header: at 12:15pmET we have a 20-minute conversation with Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, he is fighting to raise wages for millions of American workers, expand immigrant rights, restore abortion rights and voting rights, protect veterans and seniors, and tackle the climate crisis.
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3 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
America is now a laboratory of autocratic innovation, and it is vital for our nation’s future to be clear about what is happening. Here is a summary of the argument that follows. I have carefully considered every word because the language we use matters. The Donald Trump administration blends classic means of authoritarian takeover with something new: a power-sharing agreement between a president and a private individual, Elon Musk.
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3 weeks ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Hi Everyone, I scheduled a Live for tonight at 8:30pmET and then, hours ago, I cancelled it due to a conflict. I have no idea why no one got a message that it is not happening. I apologize for any inconvenience. I will be back tomorrow with an essay on the U.S. 2025 coup as a techno-authoritarian innovation, and information about our Q&As on Friday, June 6, at 12:15pmET with Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Chair of the Progressive Caucus, and at our customary 1-2pmET time with Marc Elias.
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1 month ago | 
lucid.substack.com | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers. Our next Q&A will take place on Sunday, June 1, 8-9pmET. It will be “just us” again, so we’ll have plenty of time for questions. Then we have a series of great guests, all on Fridays, 1-2pmET: June 6, Marc Elias; June 13, Amy McGrath; June 20, Jonathan Metzl. Those who cannot attend will find the video of my remarks on the Lucid home page, videos tab.
