Authoritarians, propaganda. Book: Strongmen. @MSNBC columnist. Speaking: ICM. ruthbenghiat.com. Newsltr:Lucid, on Threats to Democracy
New York, USA
Joined December 2012
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Some Personal News: Today I'm launching Lucid, a newsletter about abuses of power and how to counter them. It provides clear analysis about the consequences of democratic erosion, and the costs of disinformation and corruption in government, boardrooms, and institutions. 1/
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DeSantis uses kids as props because like he is a hollow and false individual (check out his smile - tells you everything) who will use anyone to get ahead. This is someone who used his own infant as a prop to win Trump's favor.
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"injecting." @GovRonDeSantis: master of authoritarian doublespeak. Look at him busily signing more legislation that encourages fear and hatred. Truly the Mussolini of Florida.
Florida law now officially prohibits injecting sexuality and gender ideology into elementary school curriculum.
In Florida, we will protect our kids and support our parents.
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Elite defections from Trump cult can make a difference. That's why GOP is now in emergency mode. As I said on @Acosta @CNN yesterday, expect more extremism, more attempts to destabilize society thru violence. New witnesses will face threats to stop flow of compromising info.
New: Jan. 6 committee member Adam Kinzinger says on CNN that new witnesses have come forward in the wake of Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony
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Meadows, as Trump's COS, was the "glue" of the coup operation, bringing everyone together and conveying Leader's wishes and plans. Every coup has a figure like this. Besides his "charity" getting $1 million from DT's grift, we can ask what his role was to be post-coup.
For me, the most important revelation was Trump instructing Meadows to talk to Stone and Flynn on the night of Jan. 5th, Meadows planning to go to the Willard 'warm room,' being talked out of it by Hutchinson, and calling in instead. This is where it gets real.
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UK edition, same text, virility chapter on machismo and misogyny as essential tools of authoritarian rule
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.@ruthbenghiat: The Jan. 6 riot may have failed in its goals. But coups and states of emergency, like those outlined in Mark Meadows' presentation, have long driven authoritarians. on.msnbc.com/3aewfcX
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When a leader feels the need to puff up his personality cult, you can be sure that internal repression and international repression are increasing.
The 4th volume of ''#Xijinping: The Governance of #China'' has been published recently by Foreign Language Press in both Chinese & English. The book will be available at home & abroad.
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See you at 4pmET. I'll be talking about Jan 6 as a coup attempt
Back with you 2-6p eastern. Lots to cover. Joining me… Michael Fanone @RonanFarrow @MollyJongFast @secupp @eliehonig @ruthbenghiat @RonBrownstein @elliotcwilliams @JDWackrow @thepointsguy and @wildcorwin plus @ThirdEyeBlind lead singer @stephanjenkins - see you soon.
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Ruth Ben-Ghiat retweeted
A few books I suggest on autocracy-these are ones I read in last ~year:
Surviving Autocracy-by @mashagessen
Strongmen: Mussolini to Present-by @ruthbenghiat
Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism-by @anneapplebaum
Hiding in Plain Sight-by @sarahkendzior
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Agree about the corruption and DeSantis, but Trump was plenty competent at what he cared about: using the Presidency as a base to promote Trump-branded properties, building a personality cult, and subjecting the GOP to authoritarian-style party discipline.
The hallmark of the Trump Era was corrupt incompetence, where the president's ego was the only ideology. Trump 2: Judgement Day starring Ron DeSantis will be much closer to pure Christo-nationalist-fascism, more competent and therefore more dangerous.
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In the US you will also get killed and jailed, believe me.
“Orbán doesn’t need to kill us, he doesn’t need to jail us,” a Hungarian sociology professor said. “He just keeps narrowing the space of public life. It’s what’s happening in your country, too.” nyer.cm/nzmCnpC
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Exhibit A of Kremlin infowar, which aims to get people to see the world in ways that benefit the Kremlin. And to get citizens of an enemy power to act against their national interests. Encouraging secession, sedition, violence is part of that.
Marge Greene tonight says that Putin just wanted to be our friend and ally, but we blew the opportunity by supporting Ukraine.
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Excellent @BrynnTannehill analysis
SCOTUS has opened Pandora's box. They've reverted to an extreme "states' rights" position that allows red states to end civil rights and oversight of corporations. Blue states like CA are going to try to drive the market with sanctuary laws and their own regs. 1/n
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When you know about coups...new revelations from #January6thHearings about Trump trying to get to the Capitol have confirmed my June 12 analysis for @Acosta @cnn.
Just incredible that this Trump-Secret Service altercation story is distracting from the major news that Trump knowingly told armed supporters to march on the Capitol — and Meadows spoke to Stone and Flynn the night before January 6. And then wanted a pardon.
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Hey @brithume what a bad faith tweet. You know perfectly well that never in 50 years has a president tried to pull off a coup to remain in power illegally. p.s. trying to have the VP assassinated was kinda new too.
I’ve covered Washington for more than 50 years, including 11 years covering Congress specifically. I’ve never seen a committee all of whose members were chosen by one party, and where there is no cross-examination or any attempt to present both sides.
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Meadows hung around Trump long enough to master his mafia-style threat technique. He "sent a message" to Cassidy H: "He wants me to let you know that he’s thinking about you. He knows you’re loyal, and you’re going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition.”
Discussing this reporting shortly on @Morning_Joe politico.com/news/2022/06/30…
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Usual cowardice of the authoritarian
"For China's authoritarian leader obsessed with stability, Hong Kong may now feel more like home than ever. Unlike his previous visits to the city, Xi Jinping no longer needs to worry about any public expression of dissent..." READ MORE: edition.cnn.com/2022/06/29/a… @vausecnn @CNN
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Ruth Ben-Ghiat retweeted
Trump isn't the threat. It's the entire GOP and right-wing ecosystem. They'll simply discard Trump and replace him with DeSantis. The entire conservative movement is radicalized and weaponized. The rational Republicans are gone. It's power and party above country.
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As I write in #Strongmen, Mussolini declared the first right-wing dictatorship in history to escape a special investigation. It is no accident that the Court abandons impartial justice while the Jan 6 hearings expose the criminal actions of the GOP. The guilty act out of fear.
The Supreme Court has gone rogue. We are in a full-blown Constitutional crisis. Congress must act. And we must pressure Congress to act, while it still can. #TheMajority
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