Academic Essays
Trump’s praise of dictators tells us all we need to know
CNN, March 4, 2024
Republicans Clapped When ‘Coolest Dictator’ Defended Trump. Somehow That Makes Sense.
USA Today, February 25, 2024
When Rule of Law Becomes Rule of the Lawless
With ongoing legal developments in mind, this week I focus on a case study of the horrors that ensue when the rule of law is replaced by rule by the lawless.
Authoritarians and their Sons-In-Law from Mussolini to Trump: Partners in Corruption
“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
“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.”
Ruth Ben-Ghiat has been recognized for her groundbreaking interdisciplinary work throughout her career. Her scholarship on fascism, World War Two, and visual propaganda has introduced new approaches, broken with prevailing orthodoxies, and integrated new sources, from forgotten Fascist-era films and novels to documents from the United Nations War Crimes Commission.