Historian, Educator, and Commentator
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, propaganda, and democracy protection. She is the recipient of Guggenheim and other fellowships, an advisor to Protect Democracy, and an MSNBC opinion columnist. She appears frequently on MSNBC, PBS, and other networks.
Her latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present (2020; paperback with a new epilogue, 2021), examines how illiberal leaders use corruption, violence, propaganda, and machismo to stay in power, and how resistance to them has unfolded over a century.
She is also a consultant for television and film productions, including Guillermo del Toro’s Academy Award-winning 2022 movie Pinocchio, which is set in Fascist Italy.
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Now Available in paperback, with a new epilogue about Jan 6th.
Strongmen
Mussolini To The Present
Ours is the age of the strongman, of heads of state who damage or destroy democracy, use masculinity as a tool of political legitimacy, and promise law and order rule – and then legitimize lawless behavior by financial, sexual, and other predators. Covering a century of tyranny, this book examines how authoritarians use propaganda, virility, corruption, and violence to stay in power, and how they can be opposed.
Recent Lucid Articles
Authoritarians and their Sons-In-Law from Mussolini to Trump: Partners in Corruption
January 3, 2024
“The essence of authoritarianism is getting away with crime, and corruption must be at the center of any analysis of how dictatorships operate.”
The Wall and the Drill: Authoritarianism Means Controls for Some, License to Plunder for Others
December 11, 2023
“I said I wanted to be a dictator for one day. You know why I wanted to be a dictator? Because I want a wall, and I want to drill, drill, drill.”
Trump’s Latest Speech Echoes Fascist Rhetoric
November 13, 2023
Mussolini and Hitler dehumanized their enemies in the same way. Here is a rare Monday post on an important subject: Trump’s use of dehumanizing language that echoes Fascist speech.
MEDIA INTERVIEWS | LIVECASTS
“On the importance of prosecuting authoritarians and winning the information war“, MSNBC, Feb 11, 2024
“What is Authoritarianism?”
CBS News, Dec 4, 2023
“What is Authoritarianism?” CBS News, Dec 4, 2023
The Republican Party has no identity anymore beyond Donald Trump,
MSNBC, January 3, 2024
Trump needs lawless people for his planned autocracy.
MSNBC, Nov. 19, 2023
Chris Hayes, on Trump’s authoritarian language,
MSNBC, November 14, 2023
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
KCRW, November 22, 2023
“Trump’s Cultivation of Violence,”
MSNBC, Sept. 26, 2023
“The GOP as an Authoritarian Party”
MSNBC GOP Primary Debate, Aug 20, 2023
“Culture of Threat:
Judges and Jurors Under Attack”
MSNBC, Aug 19, 2023
Jonathan Capehart, MSNBC, 07/30/23
“Holding Trump Accountable”
Ali Velshi, MSNBC, 07/20/23
Featured Articles
What the Authoritarian Playbook Tells Us About Netanyahu, Israel’s Strongman
Haaretz, August 14, 2023
Trump’s plans for 2025 sound like a vengeful disaster
MSNBC, July 19, 2023
Why Erdogan’s win isn’t all it seems
CNN.com, May 29, 2023
Upcoming Events
- February 27, 2024
A Conversation with Barb McQuade on her book on disinformation, “Attack from Within”
NYU, D’Agostino Hall / The Lipton Hall Room
108 West Third St., NY, NY 10012
6:30 pm
More Info here.
Past Events
Past Events Recordings – Click here.