Trump's War on Education
(chrishedges.substack.com)
Trump’s assault on education comes out of the playbook used by all authoritarian regimes.
Trump’s assault on education comes out of the playbook used by all authoritarian regimes.
Surrendering to Authoritarianism
(chrishedges.substack.com)
Liberal institutions, including universities, traditionally surrender without a fight to the dictates of autocrats. Ours are no exception.
Liberal institutions, including universities, traditionally surrender without a fight to the dictates of autocrats. Ours are no exception.
The Path to American Authoritarianism
(foreignaffairs.com)
Donald Trump’s first election to the presidency in 2016 triggered an energetic defense of democracy from the American establishment. But his return to office has been met with striking indifference. Many of the politicians, pundits, media figures, and business leaders who viewed Trump as a threat to democracy eight years ago now treat those concerns as overblown—after all, democracy survived his first stint in office. In 2025, worrying about the fate of American democracy has become almost passé.
Donald Trump’s first election to the presidency in 2016 triggered an energetic defense of democracy from the American establishment. But his return to office has been met with striking indifference. Many of the politicians, pundits, media figures, and business leaders who viewed Trump as a threat to democracy eight years ago now treat those concerns as overblown—after all, democracy survived his first stint in office. In 2025, worrying about the fate of American democracy has become almost passé.
Cory Doctorow: Tech's benevolent-dictator-for-life to authoritarian pipeline
(pluralistic.net)
Silicon Valley's "authoritarian turn" is hard to miss: tech bosses have come out for autocrats like Trump, Orban, Milei, Bolsonaro, et al, and want to turn San Francisco into a militia-patrolled apartheid state operated for the benefit of tech bros:
Silicon Valley's "authoritarian turn" is hard to miss: tech bosses have come out for autocrats like Trump, Orban, Milei, Bolsonaro, et al, and want to turn San Francisco into a militia-patrolled apartheid state operated for the benefit of tech bros:
Against 'Free Market Authoritarianism'
(isonomiaquarterly.com)
Can a ‘free market’ version of authoritarianism — or ‘liberal authoritarianism’ for those outside the U.S. context and discourse — exist and serve as a viable alternative system to liberal democracy?
Can a ‘free market’ version of authoritarianism — or ‘liberal authoritarianism’ for those outside the U.S. context and discourse — exist and serve as a viable alternative system to liberal democracy?
On Tyranny – Lessons from the Twentieth Century
(archive.org)
A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism.
A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism.
The Reasons Authoritarianism Is Growing – and How to Reverse It
(scottsantens.com)
It takes all kinds. Humanity would have never made it this far without a multitude of people with a wide diversity of personality types and preferences. It is our individual differences wherein lies our strength as a society, but my belief in the truth of that statement is also in polar opposition to those who disagree with individuality and diversity and prefer oneness and sameness.
It takes all kinds. Humanity would have never made it this far without a multitude of people with a wide diversity of personality types and preferences. It is our individual differences wherein lies our strength as a society, but my belief in the truth of that statement is also in polar opposition to those who disagree with individuality and diversity and prefer oneness and sameness.
It happened there: how democracy died in Hungary
(vox.com)
A new kind of authoritarianism is taking root in Europe — and there are warning signs for America.
A new kind of authoritarianism is taking root in Europe — and there are warning signs for America.