Thanks for sharing the LA times authoritarian story & cartoon you did with Ivan. It's too small to read, even with online magnification. Do you have it available in another form with bigger type to circulate to Lucid members? Thx.!
How I handled it is that I took screen shots of it in 2 parts and then shared them in Signal. On my laptop I am able to expand it and read it that way. You could use a tablet too if you have Signal on it.
How I handled it is that I took screen shots of it in 2 parts and then shared them in Signal. On my laptop I am able to expand it and read it that way. You could use a tablet too if you have Signal on it.
P.S. No need to share in another, larger format, Ruth. I put on my extra strong reading glasses vs. my computer ones, and I could make out the story. Assuming others too will be able to read with help if needed.
Has Ruth discussed Trump's use of the National Guard? If so, where can I see what she had to say about it? I think it is all about getting us accustomed to military displays, like his vanity military parade was
And how about the colossal disaster that is RFK, Jr. Does that fit in some way with the fascism story? I can't say exactly how, but the scope of RFK's negative impact on our health is certainly in keeping with the other disastrous consequences of Trump's rule.
Thank you for that, it helps me with my "understanding" of him. I have repeatedly asked myself whether or not he believes the crap he espouses.
When people lie, they of course don't believe what they are saying, which is what makes it a lie as opposed to a mistaken belief. RFK is certainly wrong, very wrong about just about everything medical, but to what extent is he aware he is wrong? Because he gains from the BS he peddles and he has political ambitions, I don't know which it is between "sincere" and "insincere." No question in my mind, though, that he is a maximal threat to us.
You know those three components you suggest all sound plausible to me, but how exactly might they figure in fascism? For example, how might "unreality" figure? Does Trump's mendacity figure as "unreality" (and how is it that he has gotten away with that incredible level of mendacity, or maybe even succeed on account of it?) Wild conspiracy theories? Well we have certainly had that in spades with Trump (e.g., the Deep State; Birtherism; etc.), but is that part of the fascism? Sadism, that one I don't need any expansion on, since it is self-evident with Trump.
And on a bit of reflection, I think it all works with RFK too.
When we recognize that fascism was created by a sociopath, Mussolini, we begin to see the connection between the fascist structure and the sociopathic mind. Sociopathic grandiosity can easily lead sociopaths to live in a delusion. Some of them will create their own reality with the sole purpose of supporting their grandiosity. They generally believe their delusions to be true. But socipathic fascist leaders will also try to discredit the truth via lies, in an attempt to build their own truth; an unreality.
Generating wild conspiracies is a tool used to by fascists to get people unmoored from reality by destroying the information space. It creates a situation where people can no longer agree on the truth.
Sadism is common in sociopaths like tRump and was also seen in Mussolini. RFK jr could possibly be a sociopath/psychopath (ASPD).
I am in Chicago right now waiting to see what is tangible from Trump's war threats against our city. I appreciate the reminder in simple form of what we are looking at. I had just read and compiled a series of Substack articles that people have written about Blue State Soft Secession.
Right now I am watching on PBS Passport a series called "Soviet Jeans." There are 8 episodes that tell a story of a young Latvian guy who together with friends are involved in underground procurement of western goods that are illegal in 1980s Riga. So this is a black market operation, a very dangerous thing to do in a country with a secret police and informers at every corner. There is also a Finish stage director working at the State Theater to put on a production of Hamlet. She is learning about Censorship. The series does a good job of highlighting the hypocrisy of the people in charge of enforcing everything, and it is not clear if anyone who appears to believe in the regime is not just going along to get along, as opposed to true belief.
It reminds me of the book "The Illegals" by Shaun Walker where he tells us that by the time Stalin is in power no one really believed in the ideals of the Soviet Socialist Republic any more. So, you have people being raised in total corruption.
I am also thinking about the world that Putin grew up in and took over and is trying to hold onto. The Ukrainians don't want any of it. If you can watch this on PBS I recommend it. I think we should be using these artistic means available to understand the culture that is created under a fascist system.
There are many people who, for whatever reason, can't or won't read books, newsletters, etc. who WOULD read cartoon captions or graphic novel. My own son is dyslexic and fits into that category. So, yes, they DO serve an important purpose in this ongoing battle to keep democracy safe. Thank you, Ruth.
Ruth, that LA Times collaborative piece needs to be printed in every newspaper in the country, wherever possible, and posted on social media sites as well. Maybe you can tout it when you make appearances on MSNBC, CNN and other programs. Dare I suggest that you try to get onto a Fox program? It is an impressive and compelling distillation of the steps to authoritarianism that the general public needs to be educated on.
Thank you for all your years of research and scholarship on this crucial subject.
The phrase, "it can't happen here" was the title of a fictional, dystopian, and very prescient novel by Sinclair Lewis written in 1935. The same phrase also appeared in Steven Spielberg's movie, "Schindler's List." I fear that too many of my fellow countrymen are living the parable of the boiled frog right now.
I have a dream! That Jack Smith will go back to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute the Trump Crime Family, including, but not limited to, Trump, Hegseth, Rubio, Miller, etc, etc, etc, for war crimes like the attack on the ship off of Venezuela.
From 2008 to 2010, Smith worked as investigation coordinator for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.[19][17] In that position, he oversaw cases against government officials and militia members accused of war crimes and genocide.[9][16] In 2010, Smith returned to the U.S. to become chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section (PIN).[8][17] Among his first responsibilities was evaluating current investigations, and he recommended closing investigations into several members of Congress.[9][a] He spent five years as chief of PIN, where he prosecuted a variety of corruption cases, including those against Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, U.S. representative Rick Renzi, Jeffrey Sterling, a Central Intelligence Agency officer who shared national secrets,[20][17] New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver,[21] and North Carolina Senator John Edwards.[22] McDonnell, Renzi, Sterling,[20] and Silver were found guilty,[21] though the Supreme Court later unanimously overturned McDonnell's conviction.[23] Edwards' case ended in a mistrial.[22]
On May 7, 2018, Smith was named to a four-year term as chief prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, investigating war crimes in the Kosovo War.[15][16][24] During his time as the chief prosecutor, he brought charges against several individuals, including Salih Mustafa[27][28][29] and the sitting President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi.[30] He took up the post on September 11, 2018, and was appointed to a second term on May 8, 2022, before stepping down on November 18, 2022.[31]
The United States has a complicated relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC):
Not a party to the ICC:
The U.S. signed the Rome Statute (the treaty establishing the ICC) in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, but never ratified it. In 2002, President George W. Bush’s administration took the unusual step of "unsigning" the treaty, making clear the U.S. does not accept ICC jurisdiction.
Concerns about sovereignty:
U.S. officials have long argued that joining the ICC could expose American military personnel, diplomats, and officials to politically motivated prosecutions, especially given the U.S.’s extensive overseas military activities.
Cooperation when useful:
Even though it isn’t a member, the U.S. has at times supported the ICC’s work, particularly when cases align with U.S. interests. For example, Washington has cooperated on cases involving atrocities in places like Sudan (Darfur), the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya.
Tensions and sanctions:
Relations have sometimes been hostile. In 2020, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on ICC officials investigating alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. These sanctions were lifted in 2021 by the Biden administration, which has taken a more cooperative, though still cautious, approach.
Current stance (as of 2025):
The U.S. is still not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction over U.S. citizens. However, it engages selectively with the Court, especially in cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes committed by non-allies.
It doesn’t replace national courts — it acts only when a state is “unwilling or unable” to prosecute serious international crimes itself. This is called the principle of complementarity.
🔹 2. How the ICC Could Claim Jurisdiction over Americans
Even though the U.S. isn’t a party to the Rome Statute, Americans can still fall under ICC jurisdiction in two main ways:
Territorial jurisdiction
If crimes are alleged to have been committed on the territory of a country that is an ICC member, the ICC can investigate and prosecute — regardless of the accused person’s nationality.
Example: The ICC opened an investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes and torture in Afghanistan (an ICC member), which could implicate U.S. military and CIA personnel.
UN Security Council referral
The U.N. Security Council can refer situations to the ICC, even involving non-member states.
Example: The Council referred Darfur (Sudan) and Libya, neither of which was an ICC member at the time.
🔹 3. Limits and Practical Challenges
The U.S. does not cooperate with ICC investigations of Americans, and U.S. law (the American Service-Members’ Protection Act) even authorizes the government to use “all means necessary” to free U.S. citizens held by the ICC.
Without cooperation (arrest, extradition, or evidence sharing), the ICC has a very hard time prosecuting Americans.
Politically, the U.S. has enough global influence to make such prosecutions unlikely, though not impossible.
🔹 4. Current Reality
The ICC has not indicted any Americans to date.
The Afghanistan investigation was narrowed in 2021 to focus more on Taliban and ISIS crimes rather than U.S. actions — partly due to political and resource considerations.
The U.S. continues to oppose ICC jurisdiction over its citizens but does support prosecutions of adversaries (e.g., Russian war crimes in Ukraine).
Head of the European Union Rule-of-Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) under its Head of Mission Alexandra Papadopoulou, appointed Jack Smith as Chief Prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
Thanks. The basics hete align with my understanding. But I don't ever believe anything from AI without factchecking. It has no concept of truth or fact-checking, instead focused on creating a plausible-sounding answer based on its data set. As more AI slop is generated, we can expect answers to get even worse.
Thanks for sharing the LA times authoritarian story & cartoon you did with Ivan. It's too small to read, even with online magnification. Do you have it available in another form with bigger type to circulate to Lucid members? Thx.!
Either a handheld magnifying glass or the magnifier built into you smartphone may help. It did for me.
How I handled it is that I took screen shots of it in 2 parts and then shared them in Signal. On my laptop I am able to expand it and read it that way. You could use a tablet too if you have Signal on it.
How I handled it is that I took screen shots of it in 2 parts and then shared them in Signal. On my laptop I am able to expand it and read it that way. You could use a tablet too if you have Signal on it.
Enlargingworked on iPad
Sometimes I have to use magnifier app to read labels.
In the Substack app, I was able to download the image. I could then zoom in and move around as needed
P.S. No need to share in another, larger format, Ruth. I put on my extra strong reading glasses vs. my computer ones, and I could make out the story. Assuming others too will be able to read with help if needed.
Has Ruth discussed Trump's use of the National Guard? If so, where can I see what she had to say about it? I think it is all about getting us accustomed to military displays, like his vanity military parade was
And how about the colossal disaster that is RFK, Jr. Does that fit in some way with the fascism story? I can't say exactly how, but the scope of RFK's negative impact on our health is certainly in keeping with the other disastrous consequences of Trump's rule.
Three of the many components of fascism are sadism, unreality and wild conspiracies. RFK jr engages in all three of these.
I remember the man from 30 years ago, and today he is quite different. He seems delusional.
Thank you for that, it helps me with my "understanding" of him. I have repeatedly asked myself whether or not he believes the crap he espouses.
When people lie, they of course don't believe what they are saying, which is what makes it a lie as opposed to a mistaken belief. RFK is certainly wrong, very wrong about just about everything medical, but to what extent is he aware he is wrong? Because he gains from the BS he peddles and he has political ambitions, I don't know which it is between "sincere" and "insincere." No question in my mind, though, that he is a maximal threat to us.
You know those three components you suggest all sound plausible to me, but how exactly might they figure in fascism? For example, how might "unreality" figure? Does Trump's mendacity figure as "unreality" (and how is it that he has gotten away with that incredible level of mendacity, or maybe even succeed on account of it?) Wild conspiracy theories? Well we have certainly had that in spades with Trump (e.g., the Deep State; Birtherism; etc.), but is that part of the fascism? Sadism, that one I don't need any expansion on, since it is self-evident with Trump.
And on a bit of reflection, I think it all works with RFK too.
When we recognize that fascism was created by a sociopath, Mussolini, we begin to see the connection between the fascist structure and the sociopathic mind. Sociopathic grandiosity can easily lead sociopaths to live in a delusion. Some of them will create their own reality with the sole purpose of supporting their grandiosity. They generally believe their delusions to be true. But socipathic fascist leaders will also try to discredit the truth via lies, in an attempt to build their own truth; an unreality.
Generating wild conspiracies is a tool used to by fascists to get people unmoored from reality by destroying the information space. It creates a situation where people can no longer agree on the truth.
Sadism is common in sociopaths like tRump and was also seen in Mussolini. RFK jr could possibly be a sociopath/psychopath (ASPD).
I am in Chicago right now waiting to see what is tangible from Trump's war threats against our city. I appreciate the reminder in simple form of what we are looking at. I had just read and compiled a series of Substack articles that people have written about Blue State Soft Secession.
Right now I am watching on PBS Passport a series called "Soviet Jeans." There are 8 episodes that tell a story of a young Latvian guy who together with friends are involved in underground procurement of western goods that are illegal in 1980s Riga. So this is a black market operation, a very dangerous thing to do in a country with a secret police and informers at every corner. There is also a Finish stage director working at the State Theater to put on a production of Hamlet. She is learning about Censorship. The series does a good job of highlighting the hypocrisy of the people in charge of enforcing everything, and it is not clear if anyone who appears to believe in the regime is not just going along to get along, as opposed to true belief.
It reminds me of the book "The Illegals" by Shaun Walker where he tells us that by the time Stalin is in power no one really believed in the ideals of the Soviet Socialist Republic any more. So, you have people being raised in total corruption.
I am also thinking about the world that Putin grew up in and took over and is trying to hold onto. The Ukrainians don't want any of it. If you can watch this on PBS I recommend it. I think we should be using these artistic means available to understand the culture that is created under a fascist system.
It is great! Do you think it could be put in other papers as well? Times, WSJ, Washington Post (maybe?)
Would be great! Maybe Maddow or others would share on TV ? Thanks for sharing it.
There are many people who, for whatever reason, can't or won't read books, newsletters, etc. who WOULD read cartoon captions or graphic novel. My own son is dyslexic and fits into that category. So, yes, they DO serve an important purpose in this ongoing battle to keep democracy safe. Thank you, Ruth.
Ruth, that LA Times collaborative piece needs to be printed in every newspaper in the country, wherever possible, and posted on social media sites as well. Maybe you can tout it when you make appearances on MSNBC, CNN and other programs. Dare I suggest that you try to get onto a Fox program? It is an impressive and compelling distillation of the steps to authoritarianism that the general public needs to be educated on.
Thank you for all your years of research and scholarship on this crucial subject.
A post-it in front of me in my studio says:
"Every joke is a tiny revolution." George Orwell
Thank you Prof RGB for sharing.
Brilliant, Prof. Ben-Ghiat!
The phrase, "it can't happen here" was the title of a fictional, dystopian, and very prescient novel by Sinclair Lewis written in 1935. The same phrase also appeared in Steven Spielberg's movie, "Schindler's List." I fear that too many of my fellow countrymen are living the parable of the boiled frog right now.
Thank you Ruth for
posting these LAT
cartoons and the closing
one by Ivan about says
where we are with
masked men knocking
on doors. Every little bit
of humor can and will q
help us through.
Question for both authors: Is it possible to get/purchase permission to reprint this work so it can be distributed more widely???
Dr. Ben-Ghiat, your zoom meeting with Randi Weingarten and us on Sept 7th was awesome. Thank you so much for being our leader.
Brilliant, so clear and helpful! Thank you!
Trevor Noah made a profound and very funny skit comparing Trump to an African Dictator. (“Every joke is a tiny revolution.” George Orwell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIHRrGHSaX0
I have a dream! That Jack Smith will go back to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute the Trump Crime Family, including, but not limited to, Trump, Hegseth, Rubio, Miller, etc, etc, etc, for war crimes like the attack on the ship off of Venezuela.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_(lawyer)
From 2008 to 2010, Smith worked as investigation coordinator for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.[19][17] In that position, he oversaw cases against government officials and militia members accused of war crimes and genocide.[9][16] In 2010, Smith returned to the U.S. to become chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section (PIN).[8][17] Among his first responsibilities was evaluating current investigations, and he recommended closing investigations into several members of Congress.[9][a] He spent five years as chief of PIN, where he prosecuted a variety of corruption cases, including those against Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, U.S. representative Rick Renzi, Jeffrey Sterling, a Central Intelligence Agency officer who shared national secrets,[20][17] New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver,[21] and North Carolina Senator John Edwards.[22] McDonnell, Renzi, Sterling,[20] and Silver were found guilty,[21] though the Supreme Court later unanimously overturned McDonnell's conviction.[23] Edwards' case ended in a mistrial.[22]
On May 7, 2018, Smith was named to a four-year term as chief prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, investigating war crimes in the Kosovo War.[15][16][24] During his time as the chief prosecutor, he brought charges against several individuals, including Salih Mustafa[27][28][29] and the sitting President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi.[30] He took up the post on September 11, 2018, and was appointed to a second term on May 8, 2022, before stepping down on November 18, 2022.[31]
The USA never joined the ICC, did it? If correct, they have no jurisdiction.
But I love the idea
Tom - This is a dream that makes me smile and gives me hope when I think about the possibility:-)
From ChatGPT, hopefully accurate:
https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68bf0f9d63448191b800409ba6941733
The United States has a complicated relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC):
Not a party to the ICC:
The U.S. signed the Rome Statute (the treaty establishing the ICC) in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, but never ratified it. In 2002, President George W. Bush’s administration took the unusual step of "unsigning" the treaty, making clear the U.S. does not accept ICC jurisdiction.
Concerns about sovereignty:
U.S. officials have long argued that joining the ICC could expose American military personnel, diplomats, and officials to politically motivated prosecutions, especially given the U.S.’s extensive overseas military activities.
Cooperation when useful:
Even though it isn’t a member, the U.S. has at times supported the ICC’s work, particularly when cases align with U.S. interests. For example, Washington has cooperated on cases involving atrocities in places like Sudan (Darfur), the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya.
Tensions and sanctions:
Relations have sometimes been hostile. In 2020, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on ICC officials investigating alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan. These sanctions were lifted in 2021 by the Biden administration, which has taken a more cooperative, though still cautious, approach.
Current stance (as of 2025):
The U.S. is still not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction over U.S. citizens. However, it engages selectively with the Court, especially in cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes committed by non-allies.
https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68bf1079facc819194710d6a688c9232
🔹 1. Jurisdiction Basics
The ICC can prosecute four categories of crimes:
Genocide
Crimes against humanity
War crimes
Crime of aggression
It doesn’t replace national courts — it acts only when a state is “unwilling or unable” to prosecute serious international crimes itself. This is called the principle of complementarity.
🔹 2. How the ICC Could Claim Jurisdiction over Americans
Even though the U.S. isn’t a party to the Rome Statute, Americans can still fall under ICC jurisdiction in two main ways:
Territorial jurisdiction
If crimes are alleged to have been committed on the territory of a country that is an ICC member, the ICC can investigate and prosecute — regardless of the accused person’s nationality.
Example: The ICC opened an investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes and torture in Afghanistan (an ICC member), which could implicate U.S. military and CIA personnel.
UN Security Council referral
The U.N. Security Council can refer situations to the ICC, even involving non-member states.
Example: The Council referred Darfur (Sudan) and Libya, neither of which was an ICC member at the time.
🔹 3. Limits and Practical Challenges
The U.S. does not cooperate with ICC investigations of Americans, and U.S. law (the American Service-Members’ Protection Act) even authorizes the government to use “all means necessary” to free U.S. citizens held by the ICC.
Without cooperation (arrest, extradition, or evidence sharing), the ICC has a very hard time prosecuting Americans.
Politically, the U.S. has enough global influence to make such prosecutions unlikely, though not impossible.
🔹 4. Current Reality
The ICC has not indicted any Americans to date.
The Afghanistan investigation was narrowed in 2021 to focus more on Taliban and ISIS crimes rather than U.S. actions — partly due to political and resource considerations.
The U.S. continues to oppose ICC jurisdiction over its citizens but does support prosecutions of adversaries (e.g., Russian war crimes in Ukraine).
Tom - Some further background:
Head of the European Union Rule-of-Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) under its Head of Mission Alexandra Papadopoulou, appointed Jack Smith as Chief Prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68be504020688191ab0b869aabf10171
Jack Smith left to become Garland's special counsel to prosecute Trump; but, IMHO, too late to be able to get the job done.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/jack-smith-special-counsel/index.html
DOJ PIN? Bondi's team has managed to reduce the team from 30 to 5 and there has not been an acting head since Feb 2025.
https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68be4f5da1f88191ac796798b8fac86a
Thanks. The basics hete align with my understanding. But I don't ever believe anything from AI without factchecking. It has no concept of truth or fact-checking, instead focused on creating a plausible-sounding answer based on its data set. As more AI slop is generated, we can expect answers to get even worse.
The Democracy Labs blog (https://thedemlabs.org/) uses cartoons daily to illustrate current issues. I get these cartoons from Political Cartoons. (https://caglecartoons.com)
Ann Telnaes (Pulitzer prize winner and formerly with the Washington Post) also has a great Substack with cartoons. (https://anntelnaes.substack.com/)
Here's today's DemLab's blog about Trump's threat to use the National Guard to attack Chicago.
@DoNotTurnOnUs organizes active duty military to refuse fascist orders
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/09/07/donotturnonus-organizes-active-duty-military-to-refuse-fascist-orders/