Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat What modern authoritarian leaders have in common (and how they can be stopped). Ruth Ben-Ghiat is the expert on the “strongman” playbook employed by authoritarian demagogues from Mussolini to Putin―enabling her to predict with uncanny accuracy the recent experience in America. In Strongmen, she lays bare the blueprint these leaders have followed […]

Assholes: A Theory – Book & Feature Documentary Film by Aaron James Assholesatheory.com

The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine Stewart Katherinestewart.me For too long the Religious Right has masqueraded as a social movement preoccupied with a number of cultural issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. In her deeply reported investigation, Katherine Stewart reveals a disturbing truth: this is a political movement that seeks to gain power […]

Russia’s Crony Capitalism: The Path from Market Economy to Kleptocracy by Anders Aslund Atlanticcouncil.org/expert/anders-aslund/ Dr. Anders Åslund is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. He is a leading specialist on economic policy in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Dr. Åslund has served as an economic adviser to several governments, notably the governments […]

Digital Renaissance: What Data and Economics Tell Us about the Future of Popular Culture By Joel Waldfogel