In this interview, historian and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat breaks down the subtle mechanics of modern political control. Moving past historical models of closed-media dictatorships, Ben-Ghiat explains how authoritarian environments form in the open digital age through "short-term coordination," mandatory party dogmas, and the intentional targeting of everyday citizens to induce widespread self-censorship.
She is joined by Pat Morrison to discuss the shifting American perspective on wealth, the emotional mechanics of modern propaganda, and why the ultimate goal of authoritarian rhetoric is to make citizens police themselves.