iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

@zeit.de interviewed me about American autocracy. It was published on Sept. 23, 2026.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Trump’s banning of entire media outlines is part and parcel of what authoritarians do to a free press. Authoritarians simply do not like a free press — and the latest escalation from Trump is a dangerous moment for a functioning democracy.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Trump's ban on MSNOW, CNN, and Politico is not only part of the autocratic playbook, but the timing is no coincidence. Trump is well in the autocratic backfire process, thus, entire media outlets he sees as threats must be banished. This is a moment of reckoning for America.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Judges are targets in the United States, a backsliding and damaged democracy, because they have repeatedly stood up for democratic notions of justice. We are in a fight for the soul of the judiciary and the future of what law will mean while Trump retains power.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

In authoritarian states, “law” upholds lawlessness, and its first duty is to keep the leader safe from domestic or outside accountability processes. Judicial capture is the means, and the conversion of the law into what the leader and his enablers need it to be is the end.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

In my latest essay, I write about the deeply dangerous threats being made against U.S. Judges — and how, despite this, U.S. judges are displaying the courage to stand up to authoritarian threats and attacks on Democratic notions of the law. More at my Substack at Lucid.Substack.com.

lucid.substack.com

Lucid | Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Substack

A newsletter for big-picture thinking about autocracy and threats to democracy around the world. Click to read Lucid, by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousands of subscriber...

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

For over 10 years, Trump has delegitimized elections through propaganda and lies. We must not fall for his antics as we get close to the midterms. The most important thing any of can do is reject his lies and turn out loudly and proudly.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My latest essay draws attention to the “other” September 11th: the U.S.-backed military coup in Chile, which led to a 17-year military dicatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet. I wrote about what that can teach us today. Hope you’ll take a read at lucid.substack.com/p/rule-of-th...

lucid.substack.com

Rule of the Lawless: Chile’s Coup, the Other 9/11

Anti-Communist domestic terror, transnational repression, and collaboration with Fascists

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Desperate autocrats engage in desperate behaviors—and that is exactly what Trump is doing now. His tricks are in line with those of other desperate autocrats, but they are worth calling out and paying attention to. Remember that autocrats fear you and fear the power you express by voting.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Hello to everyone! I will have a Substack live conversation with Robert P. Jones at 12:30pmET today about the need for moral renewal and a counter-turn to the corrupt and racist backslide we are living through. Backslide being the title of his new book. See you later!

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

My latest essay on the power of hope — the secret weapon of democracy restoration in situations of authoritarian affliction — and what we can learn from the late great Gloria Steinem. Read more lucid.substack.com/p/live-today...

lucid.substack.com

Live Today 4:30pmET with Joyce Vance; Gloria Steinem on the Power of Hope

Hope: the secret weapon of democracy defense and anti-authoritarian struggle

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

We have witnessed infantile behavior from Bully No.1 (Trump attacking PM Mark Carney while posting multiple photos of himself with his second most favorite murderous dictator, Kim Jung Un) and from Bully No. 2 (Vance, posing as the champion of “fairness,” warning Canada to “stop taking advantage.”

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

One reason vote-by-mail remains under attack by Republicans is because of who it helps turn out.

Two New York Times charts on Colorado's all-mail voting, from research by Adam Bonica, Jacob Grumbach, Charlotte Hill, and Hakeem Jefferson.

Top chart, "Which Coloradans benefited most from all-mail voting," shows the difference between actual and projected turnout in Colorado's 2018 election. By race: African-American voters gained about 11 percentage points, Asian about 9, Latino about 8, white about 7.5. By education: less than a high school diploma about 10 points, high school diploma, some college, and bachelor's degree about 9 each, graduate degree about 7. By household wealth: $0 to $5k gained about 11 points, with gains shrinking as wealth rises to about 6 points for households over $500k.

Bottom chart, "Mailing every Coloradan a ballot increased voting across all age groups," plots actual 2018 turnout against projected turnout without all-mail voting, by age from under 30 to 90. Actual turnout is higher at every age. The gap is widest for the youngest voters, roughly 14 points near age 30, and narrows to about 5 points for voters in their 70s and 80s. Generations labeled Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, Silent Generation.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

In my new essay, I write about the escalating, attacks on Canada’s sovereignty — tariffs, mockery of PM Carney, and a push for Alberta to secede. I also explain how Kremlin-backed separatism and MAGA opportunism have converged on the province, with the goal of weakening Canadian democracy.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

There is no comparison for how fast Trump has destructed government and wrecked the nation. But he’s also more unpopular than he ever has been — and that should encourage us to continue resisting, speaking out, and voting.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Make a band bigger Truly Massive Attack

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I explain how Trump is leaving all his options on the table when it comes to trying to interfere or intimidate people from voting. We should be clear-eyed about what he’s doing and make sure all of us show up in full force in November, so his antics won’t work.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

My thoughts on how we are witnessing the eatablishment of an institutionalized system of corruption in the United States. I write more about this administration and how it compares to other autocracies at my Substack, Lucid.Substack.com

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Holley Atkinson @holleya.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Just heard a couple podcast convos w/ @gilduran.com on his new ESSENTIAL book, out today “The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy” Was all set to run to buy it when it showed up in my mail! Forgot I’d preordered via @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social’s Lucid Zoom… back in Dec 2025! 🤣

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Government institutions are “hollowed out” under autocracy, meaning that the civil service must lose its professional ethics and impartiality and do what the leader asks. Yet government institutions are also retooled and infused with new missions and priorities.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The appointment of Todd Blanche, as AG, is the latest sign that America is experiencing a form of personalist rule. This is a form of autocracy which organizes around the self-preservation of a leader whose private interests prevail over national ones in shaping domestic & foreign policy.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

My latest Lucid essay gives context for Blanche as AG. It looks at how autocrats use their personal lawyers to go after their enemies, police their image, bribe judges, and cover up corruption. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

open.substack.com

Todd Blanche, the Latest Tool: How Autocrats Use Personal Lawyers

Welcome to personalist rule

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The United States under the Trump administration is in a class by itself in terms of this hypocrisy. While US companies such as Anduril test their drones in Ukraine, as a Modern War Institute report detailed in January 2025. Trump has refused to give Ukraine Patriot missiles.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Strongmen are always looking out for number one: themselves. That’s why they create inner sanctums around themselves, surrounding themselves with family members who do not give them objective feedback. We should all be concerned when leaders surround themselves with only sycophants.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Putin’s war against Ukraine isn’t just about gaining territory, it aims to obliterate Ukraine as a sovereign country and culture.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I’m having a Substack Live convo with Anne Applebaum at 9amET today. We’ll talk about autocratic alliances, Russia's war on Ukraine, and more. Make sure notifications are enabled on Substack and look for the join link (which will be emailed to all Lucid subscribers at 9am).

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

As an educator, I am concerned about the destruction of truth. There is a concerted effort to wipe away the importance of truth across the board — an attempt to make trusted authorities into optics of suspicion. We must keep defending all the brave, courageous truth-tellers out there.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Identifying historical patterns, including how autocrats behave when their power is threatened, can help us to understand what may happen in the future. We should all be prepared so we can expect the unexpected and do something productive if and when that moment comes.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

I am having a Substack Live conversation at 1pmET today with @jonathanswan about his new book Regime Change and where he sees the Trump presidency going. Open the Substack app, enable notifications, and look tor the join link from me at 1.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

As someone who has studied strongmen throughout history, I can’t stress enough that we should not see authoritarians as infallible.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Apparatchiks have their orders: conjure a Communist threat inside America, associating with it the entire Dem Party, to prepare people to accept whatever authoritarian crackdown the administration may be planning to stop elections from handing them a defeat.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

My latest about a new communist conspiracy from MAGA, just in time for the midterms. Watch how their language and slogans align and how Communist threats to elections become the drum they beat as we head into the midterms.

lucid.substack.com

Lucid | Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Substack

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Here, I talk about why we should pay attention to what I describe as an age of “plunder.” That is, the erosion and destruction of the rights and freedoms of the many.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Desperate times mean desperate measures, if you are an unpopular leader afraid of going the way of your friend Viktor Orban. In my latest, I wrote about the ludicrous powerpoint Trump talked about in his speech and why it reinforces the fanaticism of Trump & MAGA. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

open.substack.com

I Reviewed the China-Blaming Jan. 5 2021 Power Point. Will Trump’s Speech Rely On It?

Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I wrote about Trump's obsession with the 2020 election and what we should pay attention to on Thursday night — The Big Lie, Foreign Interference Edition. Read my full essay at my Substack, Lucid.Substack.Com

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LadyCat311🇺🇲 @coffeecat311.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

LUCID Trump's Obsession With Undoing His 2020 Defeat Every authoritarian leader has a central obsession that comes to occupy propaganda and policy. Trump's is fixing the system so he never loses aqain Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social July 15, 2026 open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

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Richard Power @wyrdsofpower.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

took another look at the “Coup Power Point” on “election fraud, foreign interference & options for 6 Jan” cooked up by Col. Phil Waldron … made its way to then-CoS Mark Meadows & was presented to several members of Congress on 1/5/21 to justify imminent “events” - @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social

open.substack.com

I Reviewed the China-Blaming Jan. 5 2021 Power Point. Will Trump’s Speech Rely On It?

Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers.

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Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 10/07/2026

Not sure if you happened to catch Thursday's episode of The Daily. I was interviewed and talked about the extraordinary ways President Trump and his family have monetized the White House, based on a decade of reporting on the Trump family. Please listen & share www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/p...

nytimes.com

The Unprecedented Personal Profits of Trump’s Presidency

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

My latest about corruption — this time about the particular role sons-in-law, like Jared Kushner, have played throughout history and why we should pay attention to them. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

open.substack.com

When Corruption is a Family Affair

Trump's Sons-in-Law are Part of a Pattern

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Kettering Foundation @kettering.org · 02/07/2026

KF Senior Fellow @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social warns that authoritarian corruption depends not only on those who abuse power, but also on the institutions that enable them. Her latest Lucid essay examines the Supreme Court’s role in weakening checks on presidential power. bit.ly/4ffNoBF

lucid.substack.com

The Supreme Court, Partner in Authoritarian Corruption

A key truth revealed by the Slaughter v. Trump decision

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Derek Beres @derekberes.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Perfect time to be reading @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social Stoking in-group fighting is one of the most effective authoritarian techniques. The fact that the left isn’t laser-focused on Trump’s $2 billion+ earnings as president, but treats it as a shrug, says everything about where we’re at.

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clegra aka kizomba_aq 🟥 @clegra.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social is very good here, trying to pause and rethink the conceptual difference between T & his flunkies in relation to the traditional Strongmen that she studied so carefully before.

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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Join me in conversation with @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social on "Thinking Live" for a conversation about the state of democracy at home and abroad. Today, June 15th, 3pm ET snyder.substack.com

Event announcement card.
Top reads "Substack Live with Ruth Ben-Ghiat"
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Text: "Thinking Live with Ruth Ben-Ghiat about the state of democracy at home and abroad"
3:00PM (ET) June 15th
on
snyder.substack.com

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

My problem with the White House thunderdome isn’t that it’s “vulgar,” or “tacky,” qualities I often enjoy & terms which are often crudely classist when used pejoratively. My problem, as always, is the fascism. Don’t get distracted by taste, which is deeply subjective; it’s the fascism.

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