Lucid | Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Substack

In the Shadow of Dictatorship: Prisons as Archives of Resistance Stories, and the Toll of Silence and Fear

Thoughts on the afterlives of lengthy regimes in Syria and Libya.

18 hrs ago •

Reg. Info Today's Q&A, 1-2pmET

Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers.

Dec 6 •

The Failed Self-Coup in South Korea as a Lesson in Strongman Psychology; Video of Dec. 1 Q&A

Knowing why authoritarians do what they do helps us to resist them.

Dec 5 •

Most Popular

Violence is Trump's Brand

Jun 3 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Trump Channels Nazism's Aesthetics; Kara Swisher Video

Oct 27 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Special Counsel Jack Smith's New Filing Reveals the Perils of Trump's Personalization of Power

Oct 4 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

What is Fascism; Fox's Baier Models Authoritarian Silencing; Videos from Oct. 11 & Oct. 18

Oct 20 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

The "Debate" and the "Firehose of Falsehood"; Video of June 28 Q&A

Jun 30 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

The Real Reason Donald Trump Insults the U.S. Military

Sep 4 • Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Reg. Info Q&A Dec 1, 8-9pmET

Nancy McLean, author of Democracy in Chains, is our guest

Dec 1 •

Searching for Common Ground

Reflections on Having Difficult Conversations, and Wisdom from a Buddhist monk

Nov 29 •

Technologies of Resistance from Nazi Germany to Myanmar

Young people are always in the forefront of resistance movements, and they use the latest communications and other technologies to build networks of…

Nov 28 •

Project 2025 as Authoritarian Takeover

Project 2025 is in the news again: the appointment of Russ Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held during Trump 1.0, has…

Nov 23 •

Reg. Info Today's Q&A, 1-2pmET/Video Clips of Jan. 6 Doc. Fight Like Hell

And the video of our Nov. 17 Q&A, and a stunning Montana sunset

Nov 22 •

Jan. 6 as Foundational Event for American Autocracy

Lucid: A newsletter for big-picture thinking about autocracy and threats to democracy around the world

Nov 21 •

Reg. Info Q&A, Sunday, Nov. 17, 8-9pmET

And a calming view of the Huntington Gardens in Los Angeles

Nov 17 •

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A newsletter for big-picture thinking about autocracy and threats to democracy around the world

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