@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
Historian; Author, NYT Bestseller Strongmen; Publisher, Lucid, a Substack newsletter on authoritarianism and threats to democracy; Film & TV Consultant
"Press conferences" as performances of authoritarian bullying
08.12.2025 20:38 β π 502 π 151 π¬ 45 π 6Read #Strongmen and compare with Mussolini quotes on same subjects...
06.12.2025 01:57 β π 527 π 181 π¬ 41 π 11
Donald Trumpβs disdain for international justice represents a historical rupture to the diplomatic tool of post-conflict justice β and a potentially serious threat to peace.
β International law expert Ruti Teitel
via @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
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04.12.2025 17:51 β π 381 π 112 π¬ 5 π 3There is no diplomacy in the democratic sense: open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
03.12.2025 04:07 β π 396 π 134 π¬ 13 π 2
@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
QOTD (Book) - Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present" by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, scholar on fascism and authoritarian leaders.
Trump's Dangerous Disregard for International Justice
A guest post by international law expert Ruti Teitel
by @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
#USA #Trump #uspoli
open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
That's the idea! Wrecking the biggest threat to autocratic domination.
30.11.2025 17:21 β π 392 π 129 π¬ 4 π 5
In 2022, Biden earmarked billions of dollars to help former coal communities. It was the largest investment in Appalachia since LBJ's 1960sβ war on poverty.
But Trump won West Virginia 70% to 28% in 2024. And now he's taking away the funding Biden gave them.
When are they going to learn?
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24.11.2025 22:00 β π 504 π 102 π¬ 27 π 6
π₯π₯π₯ A 3 alarm fire for House Republicans following Marjorie Taylor Greeneβs announced resignation, courtesy of @punchbowlnews.bsky.social:
24.11.2025 11:52 β π 2955 π 821 π¬ 277 π 112
The Noose and the Swastika
MAGA's Big-Tent Racism
by @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
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17.11.2025 16:37 β π 15 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Trump launches a military occupation of Charlotte, NC, to punish the city for having a Democratic governor and Democratic mayor. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
15.11.2025 21:07 β π 420 π 217 π¬ 17 π 8thanks!
14.11.2025 13:50 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
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.
10.11.2025 20:04 β π 787 π 219 π¬ 28 π 17How 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.
08.11.2025 21:44 β π 684 π 234 π¬ 14 π 12
"Instead of toilet paper we were given pages from books by writers and philosophers to use. The secret police wanted to show their contempt for ideas."
-- @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social , "Strongmen: Mussolini to the present"
An incredible and prescient analysis by @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social of how our situation harkens back to autocrats past ...
open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
Live from the Zohran victory party
05.11.2025 03:08 β π 530 π 49 π¬ 11 π 1
Moral leadership isn't public consensus, or found in institutions. It's created by singular individuals, whose perspectives may conflict with popular values.
Moral adaptibility, is useful.
Speak softly, carry heavy.
@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
On Election Day, Nov 4, The Left Hook is rolling out an awesome lineup!
3 pm ET: @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
4 pm ET: @levparnas.bsky.social
5 pm ET: @hannahgais.bsky.social
Join us! No paywalls.
Thelefthook.substack.com
Resistance means using all the tools and spaces you have for peaceful opposition. My latest video.
31.10.2025 13:26 β π 484 π 174 π¬ 14 π 7
A moving essay by @mollymckew.bsky.social www.greatpower.us/p/the-sacred...
30.10.2025 14:52 β π 249 π 95 π¬ 11 π 8π€©Super excited that Le Monde have published a summary of our piece for @JoDemocracy on the "Myth of Democratic Resillience", with a stronger focus on the implications for Latin America π€©
This version is for Spanish speakers out there ...
www.eldiplo.org/notas-web/el...
I know!
28.10.2025 10:45 β π 8 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Inevitable and tracks with the cycles of regimes
28.10.2025 03:24 β π 551 π 209 π¬ 17 π 6That's the authoritarian dream
25.10.2025 23:49 β π 4063 π 1023 π¬ 73 π 17
Always told liberals Bill Maher was a racist piece of shit, especially against Muslims and Arabs, and we were ignored for years.
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Bannon says Tr*ump is acting as a vehicle of divine providence. This is an old authoritarian propaganda theme.
24.10.2025 19:15 β π 828 π 339 π¬ 79 π 28
