Ruth Ben-Ghiat
@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
Historian; Author, NYT Bestseller Strongmen; Publisher, Lucid, a Substack newsletter on authoritarianism and threats to democracy; Film & TV Consultant
My book #Strongmen turns 5 today! The paperback edition, with a new epilogue on January 6, is now 4. The book built a large readership gradually and became a New York Times bestseller in Nov. 2024. Thank you to all who read it and share its warnings about what such leaders do to societies.
November 10, 2025 at 8:04 PM
My book #Strongmen turns 5 today! The paperback edition, with a new epilogue on January 6, is now 4. The book built a large readership gradually and became a New York Times bestseller in Nov. 2024. Thank you to all who read it and share its warnings about what such leaders do to societies.
How the shutdown relates to autocracy. For the tyrant Congress and Parliament are expendable. I am the only one that matters Trump tells us. We deserve good governance and leaders who care about our welfare.
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
How the shutdown relates to autocracy. For the tyrant Congress and Parliament are expendable. I am the only one that matters Trump tells us. We deserve good governance and leaders who care about our welfare.
Live from the Zohran victory party
November 5, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Live from the Zohran victory party
Resistance means using all the tools and spaces you have for peaceful opposition. My latest video.
October 31, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Resistance means using all the tools and spaces you have for peaceful opposition. My latest video.
Bannon says Tr*ump is acting as a vehicle of divine providence. This is an old authoritarian propaganda theme.
October 24, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Bannon says Tr*ump is acting as a vehicle of divine providence. This is an old authoritarian propaganda theme.
In protesting peacefully we reclaim our cities and communities from state brutality. These are our spaces, our homes.
October 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
In protesting peacefully we reclaim our cities and communities from state brutality. These are our spaces, our homes.
My collaboration with Ivan Ehlers for the @latimes.com
September 8, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My collaboration with Ivan Ehlers for the @latimes.com
Hi Everyone, on Aug 1 at 1-2pmET over at Substack I am doing an AMA about authoritarianism and #Strongmen. Just download the app, enable notifications and look for the join link at 1!
July 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Hi Everyone, on Aug 1 at 1-2pmET over at Substack I am doing an AMA about authoritarianism and #Strongmen. Just download the app, enable notifications and look for the join link at 1!
Trump now copies Putin's gold phone. This is pathetic.
July 1, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Trump now copies Putin's gold phone. This is pathetic.
A message of support to those protesting today and some tips drawn from the history of resistance.
June 14, 2025 at 2:08 PM
A message of support to those protesting today and some tips drawn from the history of resistance.
Fake emergencies to justify crackdowns-not very original
June 8, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Fake emergencies to justify crackdowns-not very original
My latest for Lucid: Trump insults the military because he knows they embody a courage and integrity he will never have. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
May 27, 2025 at 10:25 AM
My latest for Lucid: Trump insults the military because he knows they embody a courage and integrity he will never have. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
My latest for Lucid: Arresting Judges, the Trump Administration Follows the Authoritarian Playbook. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
May 20, 2025 at 8:09 AM
My latest for Lucid: Arresting Judges, the Trump Administration Follows the Authoritarian Playbook. open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...
Two moments from the recent @penamerica.bsky.social @peninternational.bsky.social World Voices Festival panel on Autocracy and the Slow Death of Democracy. I had a great discussion with @shteyngart.bsky.social Jason Stanley Francine Prose, Burhan Sonmez, and @jonfreadom.bsky.social.
May 9, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Two moments from the recent @penamerica.bsky.social @peninternational.bsky.social World Voices Festival panel on Autocracy and the Slow Death of Democracy. I had a great discussion with @shteyngart.bsky.social Jason Stanley Francine Prose, Burhan Sonmez, and @jonfreadom.bsky.social.
This Will Not End Well
April 23, 2025 at 6:52 PM
This Will Not End Well
In Nazi Germany, the targeted population was encouraged to self-deport and the state sought to impoverish them to force them to leave.
April 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
In Nazi Germany, the targeted population was encouraged to self-deport and the state sought to impoverish them to force them to leave.
My latest for Lucid: Why We Resist. Link in bio.
March 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
My latest for Lucid: Why We Resist. Link in bio.
This is a national emergency:
February 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
This is a national emergency:
This is heartbreaking and that is the point. Create as much chaos and misery as possible while creating a huge purse of $ to try and plunder.
February 1, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This is heartbreaking and that is the point. Create as much chaos and misery as possible while creating a huge purse of $ to try and plunder.
Trupa Trupa US tour, don't miss this!
January 23, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Trupa Trupa US tour, don't miss this!
This is literally the subject of a chapter in my book #Strongmen...
January 20, 2025 at 7:23 PM
This is literally the subject of a chapter in my book #Strongmen...
Flip the script on democracy's destroyers. It's Day One of the new phase of the fight for our democracy.
January 20, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Flip the script on democracy's destroyers. It's Day One of the new phase of the fight for our democracy.
