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Trump might have to be prosecuted to save American democracy, an expert on authoritarianism argues
Business insider ^ | 06/15/2022 | Charles R Davis

Posted on 06/15/2022 4:49:08 PM PDT by ChicagoConservative27

Ruth Ben-Ghiat spends a lot of time thinking about authoritarianism. An historian at New York University, she is an expert on the rise of fascism in Italy and, most recently, author of the the book, "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present," tracing the erosion of democracy from Russia to the United States of America.

She is keenly focused on what happens when those in power lose their grip on it.

"The authoritarian playbook has no chapter on failure," Ben-Ghiat wrote in a November 2020 piece for The Washington Post. "Nothing prepares the ruler to see his propaganda ignored and his charismatic hold weaken until his own people turn against him."

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: 202011; authoritarianism; bastilleday; benghiat; charlesrdavis; expert; grandrasoirnational; lacravateacapet; lamirabelle; laveuve; levasistas; nevertrumpersagree; prosecuted; ropetreeruth; ruthbenghiat; shortbusxvi; someassemblyrequired; tds; trump
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Public hearings have started into the events of January 6th, what is your reaction to what you’ve seen thus far? And have you been surprised by anything?

First, I want to say that the fact that we are having these hearings is very hopeful and very moving to me as somebody who studies what happens when democracies get wrecked because in many places around the world these hearings would be impossible. You wouldn’t be able to have them and the investigators would be locked up or worse. We should never take it for granted that we are having these hearings, especially since — among the things that these hearings remind us of and new footage makes clear — how close we came to losing our democracy and just how many people among Trump’s inner circle and sitting GOP congressmen and congresspeople, in general, were involved at various levels with this process that was trying to overturn the election.


21 posted on 06/15/2022 5:05:57 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
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To: MarvinStinson
Looks like a person from a "think tank"
People that can only think inside a tank.
22 posted on 06/15/2022 5:06:18 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: ChicagoConservative27

One person, likely no real world experience, who had to come up with some tiny slice of a highly nuanced research topic to get her(largely meaningless) PhD and some partisan hack found her under a rock so they could further besmirch the best president of the century.

I still smell desperation.

BTW, Watch what a .75% increase in the fed rate does. I hope you like rice and oatmeal.


23 posted on 06/15/2022 5:06:23 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

They’ve tried. There is no crime. Enough with the pearl clutching scumbags.


24 posted on 06/15/2022 5:06:23 PM PDT by MrRelevant
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To: ChicagoConservative27

The shocking part is.... people actually pay for subscriptions and advertising to that rag.


25 posted on 06/15/2022 5:06:47 PM PDT by pacificus
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To: ChicagoConservative27

The reason demented democrats and their leftist allies continually focus on the word democracy is they are attempting to condition/brainwash ignorant Americans about what our country was founded as. A Representative Republic.
Democracy is Mob/Majority rule. They are counting on a combination of their Conditioning and the Ignorance of the masses to accomplish their end goals.
And, Number One on their Hit List is the Electoral College.


26 posted on 06/15/2022 5:07:50 PM PDT by ocrp1982 (God is Great and Jesus is Our Lord and Savior)
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To: bray

prosecute all demonrats.


27 posted on 06/15/2022 5:08:26 PM PDT by Ronald77
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To: ChicagoConservative27

An expert..great!!!


28 posted on 06/15/2022 5:09:18 PM PDT by Osage Orange (Had a tag line a couple times....maybe have another someday.)
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To: nicollo

Yes, she does believe it, which is what makes it so scary.


29 posted on 06/15/2022 5:10:54 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Trump will be sworn in under a shower of confetti made from the tattered remains of the Rat Party.)
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To: nicollo

This is complete projection.......but she makes some valid points. You don’t need to be a professor to know......

Authoritarians use propaganda...ie stuff which isn’t true
Authoritarians restrict rights in the name of security
Authoritarians use violence to get what they want
Authoritarians can’t make life better for one group without harming another group.

Does this sound like Trump or Biden? Honestly, life is pretty simple when one breaks it down to the basics.


30 posted on 06/15/2022 5:11:10 PM PDT by SteelPSUGOP
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To: ChicagoConservative27

She is likely the poster child for communism in Italy.


31 posted on 06/15/2022 5:11:22 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Prosecuting Trump will spark a civil war that will massacre all the leftist libtards in this country. Both sides don’t want that honestly...

...ok well maybe I dissent there...


32 posted on 06/15/2022 5:12:08 PM PDT by InsidiousMongo
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To: MarvinStinson

Ruth looks a wee bit masculine


33 posted on 06/15/2022 5:12:57 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: butlerweave

“We’re living in dangerous times when the left wants it all and don’t care what they have to do to get it”

Especially when they control so much.....including the DOJ.


34 posted on 06/15/2022 5:14:02 PM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

This article is a load of BS, an expert on BS argues.


35 posted on 06/15/2022 5:14:08 PM PDT by MileHi ((Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

If every leftist who should be dead, was, there would be no room to bury them.


36 posted on 06/15/2022 5:14:46 PM PDT by Lazamataz (The firearms I own today, are the firearms I will die with. How I die will be up to them.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Amateur gaslighter.


37 posted on 06/15/2022 5:15:14 PM PDT by freespirit2012
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Another Maoist whore with a book coming out.


38 posted on 06/15/2022 5:16:46 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Ballots)
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To: MarvinStinson

If my dearly departed...and very funny...Dad saw that picture he’d ask “how much does she charge to haunt a house?”


39 posted on 06/15/2022 5:18:32 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Ballots)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Trump’s 2nd term is going to make Nixon look like Mitt Romney.


40 posted on 06/15/2022 5:18:37 PM PDT by Mr. Blond
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