Tag

Authoritarianism

All articles tagged with #authoritarianism

politics5 days ago•39 min saved

Ken Burns: Founders Would Be Disappointed by Today's U.S. Authoritarianism

Ken Burns told Meet the Press that the drafters of the Constitution would be abjectly disappointed by how far the United States has drifted toward authoritarian power, noting the executive has expanded while Article I's power has weakened. While praising progress on rights, he warned that current division and anti-education rhetoric threaten democracy and urged lifelong learning and a marketplace of ideas to sustain a healthy republic, saying the founders anticipated such risks and would want stronger checks on power.

via Yahoo News UK|

#authoritarianism #constitution #democracy

politics6 days ago•6 min saved

Ken Burns says Founding Fathers would be disappointed by today’s U.S. democracy

On Meet the Press, Ken Burns says the Founders would be abjectly disappointed by today’s concentrated executive power and partisan division, warning of authoritarian temptations, while noting progress on rights and urging lifelong learning as a safeguard for democracy.

via TheWrap|

#authoritarianism #democracy #founding-fathers

politics25 days ago•12 min saved

Family probes as power plays: a new authoritarian tactic in US politics

LA Times columnist Anita Chabria argues that the DOJ probe of Jennifer Siebel Newsom reflects a forward‑looking, selective prosecution aimed at neutralizing Gavin Newsom as a potential 2028 rival, signaling a more authoritarian tactic than past grievances; the piece cites Harvard’s Steven Levitsky and notes that right‑wing media have attacked Siebel Newsom, while Newsom frames the investigation as baseless and urges resilience to defend democracy.

via Los Angeles Times|

#authoritarianism #doj-investigation #donald-trump

world27 days ago•24 min saved

Hong Kong’s security crackdown tightens retroactive charges

The Washington Post’s Editorial Board argues that Hong Kong’s national security law, already suppressive, is being intensified by Beijing’s push, expanding retroactive prosecutions for acts that didn’t exist as crimes when committed and deepening the coercive climate around civil rights and political life.

via The Washington Post|

#authoritarianism #china-nation #civil-rights

world2 months ago•3 min saved

Global press freedom at a 25-year low as authoritarian pressure grows

RSF’s World Press Freedom Index shows global press freedom at its lowest level in 25 years, with more than half of the 180 countries rated as “difficult” or “very serious” and less than 1% of people living in “good” conditions. The decline is driven by expansive national-security laws, restrictive legal tools, hostile politics, and a struggling media business model, impacting democracies as well as autocracies. The US drops to 64nd place; Russia under Putin uses anti-terror and other laws to curb reporting. Argentina and El Salvador are singled out for significant declines, and more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. The report calls for ending journalism criminalisation and SLAPPs, protecting reporters, and ensuring access during conflict, noting safety concerns in the UK and highlighting Syria’s notable improvement while Eritrea remains last.

via The Guardian|

#authoritarianism #journalist-safety #press-freedom

world3 months ago•24 min saved

Orban’s survival bid tests Trump’s global reach in Hungary vote

Hungary’s parliamentary election pits Viktor Orban—backed by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—as he seeks to extend his 16-year rule, with polls suggesting he trails in the race. The outcome could influence Hungary’s EU relations and signal the reach of Trump’s global political movement.

via The Washington Post|

#authoritarianism #donald-trump #elections

style3 months ago•18 min saved

Handmaid’s Tale sequel reframes power by focusing on the enforcers

Monica Hesse argues that The Testaments, Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale sequel, widens the scope by shifting to the enforcers—the Aunt Lydia who becomes regime architect, Agnes's journey from a Gilead plum to potential leader, and Daisy’s encounters with the Pearl Girls—probing how ordinary people are drawn into authoritarian power, and while it risks echoing the original’s missteps, it offers a sharper look at the narratives people tell to justify oppression.

via The Washington Post|

#authoritarianism #books-and-literature #fiction

politics3 months ago•26 min saved

No Kings: Turning a record protest into ongoing, cross-movement organizing

More than 8 million people joined about 3,300 No Kings protests—the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history—yet experts say lasting change comes from sustained, cross-movement organizing at local and national levels, using tactics like mutual aid, know-your-rights trainings, boycotts, walkouts, and policy advocacy to keep momentum going beyond the day of demonstrations.

via The Guardian|

#authoritarianism #donald-trump #movement-building

politics4 months ago•21 min saved

Trump Allies Draft Emergency Order to Seize Voting Power

According to a Washington Post report, Trump allies are drafting an executive order that would let the president unilaterally ban mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms, granting him extraordinary power over elections. Critics say it would be unconstitutional and undermine state control of elections, while watchdogs warn it could erode democracy, despite some signals of coordination with the White House.

via Common Dreams|

#authoritarianism #donald-trump #election-2026

politics4 months ago•23 min saved

Love as a Shield: Pritzker Frames Illinois Against Authoritarianism

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker used the State of the State to link the budget speech to a broader fight over democracy, invoking John Peter Altgeld’s progressive legacy to defend equal rights and criticize Trump-era policies, while detailing plans to ease housing and energy costs and noting Illinois’ economic resilience (GDP over $1.2 trillion) and recent debt relief. He urged Americans to love their country through empathy and everyday courage—citing community actions from Little Village bicyclists to churches and school parents—as the country’s best antidote to rising authoritarianism.

via Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack|

#altgeld #authoritarianism #illinois

$AOC warns Trump could push US toward an 'age of authoritarianism' and fracture Europe ties$

world4 months ago•3 min saved

AOC warns Trump could push US toward an 'age of authoritarianism' and fracture Europe ties

At the Munich Security Conference, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Donald Trump of tearing apart the transatlantic alliance and pursuing an 'age of authoritarianism,' urging a left-leaning, rules-based US foreign policy and addressing inequality to counter rising populism. She criticized U.S. actions from Maduro in Venezuela to threats against Greenland and the Iraq War, advocating a 'working-class-centered' approach to global affairs.

via The Guardian|

#alexandria-ocasio-cortez #authoritarianism #donald-trump

world4 months ago•8 min saved

AOC Champions Working-Class Vision at Munich, Faces Foreign-Policy Hurdles

At Munich Security Conference, Ocasio-Cortez linked rising income inequality to the appeal of authoritarians and urged stronger Western alliances and domestic reforms, but faltered on foreign-policy specifics like Taiwan and Iran, underscoring her economic focus and relative inexperience on international crises.

via The New York Times|

#authoritarianism #foreign-policy #income-inequality

politics5 months ago•33 min saved

Historians warn Trump risks autocratic backfire that toppled dictators

A New York University history professor, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, argues that Donald Trump is repeating a classic autocratic mistake she calls “autocratic backfire”—leaders who cut themselves off from expert feedback, push flawed policies, and double down on risky moves. She cites this pattern in dictators like Mussolini and Putin and says it can erode public trust and threaten a leader’s hold on power, a trajectory she says could unfold for Trump despite slipping approval ratings.

via Yahoo News Canada|

#authoritarianism #autocratic-backfire #donald-trump

politics5 months ago•32 min saved

Cheer for Athletes, Not the Autocrat

An opinion piece arguing Americans can support Team USA and its athletes without endorsing President Trump’s authoritarianism, noting how autocrats have long used sports for propaganda. It highlights a State Department sports diplomacy Playbook and offers practical ideas for fans: cheer athletes who speak out, back democratic allies, and mock the tyrant—connecting home protests to stadium messages with historical precedents.

via The Bulwark|

#authoritarianism #olympics #politics

policy5 months ago•36 min saved

Alex Pretti killing marks a grim turning point for American democracy

Vox argues that the January 24 killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis exposes a shift toward brutal, overt repression and a new era of authoritarian tactics in the United States, contrasting two pathways to authoritarianism—subtle legal power grabs and naked violence—and warning that Washington’s response to street protests will determine whether democracy endures; the piece calls for accountability for agents and questions the government’s handling of ICE deployments.

via vox.com|

#authoritarianism #immigration #minneapolis