Video of Q&A with NYU Law Prof. Ryan Goodman; A Sample of Lucid Content Enjoyed By Paying Subscribers. Join Us!

Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers. Have you ever wondered what you are missing by being a free subscriber? I’m sharing with everyone an example from the weekly Q&As that are at the heart of the Lucid community. Each week, we gather to discuss the most important issues relative to threats to democracy. Often I have a guest, but the second half (which is never recorded) is always devoted to you, Lucid subscribers, asking live questions.

Here is the link to the video of the first half of yesterday’s Q&A with Professor Ryan Goodman of New York University Law School. He’s also Co-Editor-in-Chief of Just Security. We talked about recent legal actions regarding Trump’s eligibility to run for office. I contrasted the way the US government handled Jan. 6 with Brazil’s prompt and appropriately severe response to Bolsonaro’s Jan. 8 insurrection (he was effectively disqualified by a ban on him running for office until 2030).

You won’t want to miss Prof. Goodman’s discussion of the Hur Report - a report, in my opinion, designed for information warfare purposes, since it treats Biden at times as though he were on trial, as well as creating an official record of his supposed mental incompetency that can be cited in the future. This is another example of what I call “garbage politics” —wasting taxpayer money and weaponizing government for political purposes and ideological battles. Here is my Feb. 2023 “Get Ready for Garbage Politics” essay that explains the concept.

I hope this gives you a sense of the Q&As, and for $5 a month you can participate in them and receive a video like this if you can’t attend in person. I also sometimes answer questions sent to me via email during the first half (you can send your questions to me at contact.ruthbenghiat@gmail.com). And paying subscribers have commenting privileges on all content.

For MSNBC viewers: I will be on Ayman tonight at 7pmET talking with guest host Paola Ramos about the importance of prosecuting authoritarians and on how to deal with leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele (the latter bills himself as “the world’s coolest dictator”). On Sunday morning at 11am ET I will be speaking with Ali Velshi. As always in TV land, this could change, but that’s the plan right now.

Whatever you decide to do with your subscription, stay well and stay lucid!

Ruth