One heaves a sigh of relief that someone, anyone, clearly sees what the "GOP" is really about now. It's always been like that it's just much more open about being an authoritarian, fascist movement than it used to be.
thank you, Ruth for your work and for sharing your Statement - although you explain Trump's domesticating the GOP, was it also not weaponizing the GOP - a sort of wilding?
And now the House. The coupe is alive and well. These people have to be held accountable. They’re unqualified and malignant. They will shut down government and hurt many Americans, including hardworking Federal employees.
This is a wonderfully clear and concise description of what happened and where we now find ourselves. This is not a clown show or the WWF/E. This is everyday American fascists , funded by, American billionaire fascists, who have gotten purchase on deconstructing America’s experiment with democratic governance. Thanks you!
The only thing I hardly ever see is a clear a concise description of the billionaire industrialists and others who have been funding this for generations. The Koch brothers and so many more are the financial strong-arms behind all of this and they continue to get a complete pass on their generations of extraordinary efforts to undermine democratic policies and institutions. Can you help to fill this gap?
there are a couple very good books out there, one by Sen. Whitehouse "The Scheme", it will keep you up at night. But I agree our news agencies have dropped the ball and seem more interested in making as much money as Rupert Murdoch, Leonard Leo etc. Another one that shines a light on the subject is by Brittany Kaiser "Targeted", she does not pull any punches when it comes to Kellyanne Conway and others in that line of "work". Another by Sarah Kendzior "They Knew". It helps me navigate the disinformation. And if you haven't read Elie Mystal's "Allow Me to Retort", he also has some insights that are proactive. And Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean...all very informative....
"Democracy in Chains" indeed shows the connection between some of our wealthy elites and their plan for an authoritarian capitalist paradise. Charles Koch does not like democracy and this should come as no surprise, given that he is a sociopath. Once again we see a connection between sociopathy and authoritarianism.
Good morning Ruth! This is an amazing piece! With your knowledge of autocrats, you have condensed the devastating years of Trump into an very well written report, that should be disseminated to the masses. Thank you for this report! I hope it opens a lot of eyes that have been squinted shut with anger and hate.
Your brilliant mind is able to see around you and then synthesize and accurately report what you observe happening in the world. I save everything you write and share your words with my sons to use and explain events happening around us every day. You are a distinguished and valuable resource. Blessings to you.
It is inspiring to hear such clear thinking, for which I applaud you. It is also troubling how easy it was for Trump to get so many to follow him down such a perverse rabbit hole. Watching what is happening in Congress right now is also discouraging. Despite the leader losing his position, the cult has taken on a life of its own.
I hesitate to use the word "love" but when I read her essays, I am so impressed with her intelligence, her exquisite detail and of course her lucidity - aptly named! I enjoy the way she presents information about the complex dynamics of our global environment and how she points the finger at the appropriate enemies of Democracy. We need Dr. Ruth bin Ghiat's more than ever before b/c it seems to me we may be reliving the build up to the 1930s - and she is warning us to keep an eye on these characters. Thank you so much, Dr. Ruth!
It’s an equal honor to be a part of your journey through the book and LUCID Friday’s. I know it hasn’t been easy for you with the ‘dark side’ unleashed by authoritarians and grifters, especially in our country. But, light ultimately wins over darkness. I wish I could be on the call with you today, but the only thing more important than staying engaged in this age is being with family.
As an American I am grateful you participated in the historical work of the J6 comittee to preserve our democracy. It’s a grand old Flag 🇺🇸 long may she wave, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
Gosh, Ruth, I am going to save this and re-read it the way I use some of my History reference books. What you said was said with such economy of words, and lack of abstractions that it is both easy to understand and hard-hitting. I so appreciate it when a person of your education and expertise can communicate in writing in such a way that WE REALLY GET IT. Well done, Well done. Thank you for your service to our country.
The events leading up to, on the day of, and since January 6, 2021, are mind numbing, shocking, and appalling! How easily democracy can be wrested away, and how close we came to totally losing it (and still remain close to losing it), are bone chilling! All democracy loving people must do everything they can to not let this heinous activity be normalized! Thank you, Ruth, for being a powerful voice, in concert with the January 6th Committee, to call out the perilous times we are in! This must never be normalized!
I know a number of Trump supporters (in-laws) and they remain strident supporters of authoritarianism/Trumpism. I have always been amazed at how easily they were convinced of the so called righteousness of what Trump was selling. Now, they can't seem to realize that they were wrong, and will not change; the Backfire Effect. This highlights one of the major differences in the conservative mind vs the liberal mind. Liberals, when given corrective information will change; conservatives will reject the correction and dig in their heels. The inability to accept Trump's loss in 2020 and accept that Trump lied is classic Backfire Effect in the conservative mind. Trump used confirmation bias to push his fascist aganda, and once implanted, his followers could not reject it, even though it was anti-democracy. It's easy to see how fascism gets a foothold in society, especially among conservative thinkers.
Ruth, thank you for all you have done and continue to do to defend Democracy. 💕
One heaves a sigh of relief that someone, anyone, clearly sees what the "GOP" is really about now. It's always been like that it's just much more open about being an authoritarian, fascist movement than it used to be.
thank you, Ruth for your work and for sharing your Statement - although you explain Trump's domesticating the GOP, was it also not weaponizing the GOP - a sort of wilding?
And now the House. The coupe is alive and well. These people have to be held accountable. They’re unqualified and malignant. They will shut down government and hurt many Americans, including hardworking Federal employees.
This is a wonderfully clear and concise description of what happened and where we now find ourselves. This is not a clown show or the WWF/E. This is everyday American fascists , funded by, American billionaire fascists, who have gotten purchase on deconstructing America’s experiment with democratic governance. Thanks you!
The only thing I hardly ever see is a clear a concise description of the billionaire industrialists and others who have been funding this for generations. The Koch brothers and so many more are the financial strong-arms behind all of this and they continue to get a complete pass on their generations of extraordinary efforts to undermine democratic policies and institutions. Can you help to fill this gap?
there are a couple very good books out there, one by Sen. Whitehouse "The Scheme", it will keep you up at night. But I agree our news agencies have dropped the ball and seem more interested in making as much money as Rupert Murdoch, Leonard Leo etc. Another one that shines a light on the subject is by Brittany Kaiser "Targeted", she does not pull any punches when it comes to Kellyanne Conway and others in that line of "work". Another by Sarah Kendzior "They Knew". It helps me navigate the disinformation. And if you haven't read Elie Mystal's "Allow Me to Retort", he also has some insights that are proactive. And Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean...all very informative....
"Democracy in Chains" indeed shows the connection between some of our wealthy elites and their plan for an authoritarian capitalist paradise. Charles Koch does not like democracy and this should come as no surprise, given that he is a sociopath. Once again we see a connection between sociopathy and authoritarianism.
Just finished Sarah Kendzior's, They Knew. Excellent.
One of the best. Be sure to read “The Trilogy.” Her and Ruth know each other.
Dark Money
Democracy in Chains
Corruption in America
Three books by incredible women shedding light on what, how, and who is threatening our democracy.
Good morning Ruth! This is an amazing piece! With your knowledge of autocrats, you have condensed the devastating years of Trump into an very well written report, that should be disseminated to the masses. Thank you for this report! I hope it opens a lot of eyes that have been squinted shut with anger and hate.
Your brilliant mind is able to see around you and then synthesize and accurately report what you observe happening in the world. I save everything you write and share your words with my sons to use and explain events happening around us every day. You are a distinguished and valuable resource. Blessings to you.
It is inspiring to hear such clear thinking, for which I applaud you. It is also troubling how easy it was for Trump to get so many to follow him down such a perverse rabbit hole. Watching what is happening in Congress right now is also discouraging. Despite the leader losing his position, the cult has taken on a life of its own.
Great project and thank you for your inspiration! What an amazing success!
I hesitate to use the word "love" but when I read her essays, I am so impressed with her intelligence, her exquisite detail and of course her lucidity - aptly named! I enjoy the way she presents information about the complex dynamics of our global environment and how she points the finger at the appropriate enemies of Democracy. We need Dr. Ruth bin Ghiat's more than ever before b/c it seems to me we may be reliving the build up to the 1930s - and she is warning us to keep an eye on these characters. Thank you so much, Dr. Ruth!
It’s an equal honor to be a part of your journey through the book and LUCID Friday’s. I know it hasn’t been easy for you with the ‘dark side’ unleashed by authoritarians and grifters, especially in our country. But, light ultimately wins over darkness. I wish I could be on the call with you today, but the only thing more important than staying engaged in this age is being with family.
We are blessed to have you, Ruth - articulate and knowledgeable, to fight against MAGA and Fascism around the globe.
As an American I am grateful you participated in the historical work of the J6 comittee to preserve our democracy. It’s a grand old Flag 🇺🇸 long may she wave, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
Gosh, Ruth, I am going to save this and re-read it the way I use some of my History reference books. What you said was said with such economy of words, and lack of abstractions that it is both easy to understand and hard-hitting. I so appreciate it when a person of your education and expertise can communicate in writing in such a way that WE REALLY GET IT. Well done, Well done. Thank you for your service to our country.
The events leading up to, on the day of, and since January 6, 2021, are mind numbing, shocking, and appalling! How easily democracy can be wrested away, and how close we came to totally losing it (and still remain close to losing it), are bone chilling! All democracy loving people must do everything they can to not let this heinous activity be normalized! Thank you, Ruth, for being a powerful voice, in concert with the January 6th Committee, to call out the perilous times we are in! This must never be normalized!
I know a number of Trump supporters (in-laws) and they remain strident supporters of authoritarianism/Trumpism. I have always been amazed at how easily they were convinced of the so called righteousness of what Trump was selling. Now, they can't seem to realize that they were wrong, and will not change; the Backfire Effect. This highlights one of the major differences in the conservative mind vs the liberal mind. Liberals, when given corrective information will change; conservatives will reject the correction and dig in their heels. The inability to accept Trump's loss in 2020 and accept that Trump lied is classic Backfire Effect in the conservative mind. Trump used confirmation bias to push his fascist aganda, and once implanted, his followers could not reject it, even though it was anti-democracy. It's easy to see how fascism gets a foothold in society, especially among conservative thinkers.
Thank you for sharing the excellent, clear and concise report that you wrote for the Jan. 6th Committee.