Freedom, Fascism, and Donald Trump
Talking Feds
Harry Litman
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 5 December 2024
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Harry talks with Professor Tim Snyder, Levin Professor of History at Yale, who is both one of our leading political scientists and one of the most trenchant critics of Trump’s moves in the everyday. Snyder first discusses some of the organizing ideas in his scholarly work, especially the recent “On Freedom.” He explains his particular notion of freedom and how it differs from the common conception held by most people in the United States. They then talk about fascism and the degree to which the political program it employs depends on a radical devaluing of the idea of truth and fact. The two then move to the current American landscape, and the degree to which Trump’s return to power, viewed especially in the light of history, represents a genuine threat of an irreversible decline in democratic, constitutional rule. Professor Snyder closes with some bases for optimism and a constructive agenda moving forward.
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Transcript
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| 0:37.0 | Welcome to Talking Fed's one-on-one, deep-dive discussions with national figures about the most fascinating and consequential issues defining our culture and shaping our lives. I'm your host, Harry Littman. |
| 0:53.3 | Since the election, we've struggled to Cabin our disappointment, but we have tried to remain |
| 0:59.4 | both clear-eyed about the serious threats that Trump's upcoming tenure presents, threats |
| 1:05.5 | that the past few weeks since the election have done nothing to diminish and yet constructive in a path ahead |
| 1:12.5 | through and around daunting obstacles. I think of my guest today as much as anyone in American |
| 1:19.0 | academic and public intellectual life as someone who combines the conceptualization of broad |
| 1:26.1 | ideas in political science, ideas like tyranny, freedom, nationalism, |
| 1:32.4 | with to the minute trenchant analysis of what is to be done now and throughout the seemingly endless |
| 1:41.4 | 215 weeks until the end of Trump's second term. |
| 1:45.5 | Tim Snyder is the 11th professor of history at Yale University, |
| 1:49.0 | the author of many books of history and political science, |
| 1:52.8 | including Our Malady, on tyranny, the Road to Unfreedom, Bloodlands, and his latest, |
| 1:59.7 | On Freedom. |
| 2:02.9 | His work has received multiple awards, |
| 2:07.8 | including the Literature Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He also is the author of a hugely popular substack, which I reviewed the last few months of and can't recommend |
| 2:14.5 | highly enough called Thinking About. Thanks very much for being with us, |
| 2:19.4 | Professor Snyder, or may I call you Tim? |
| 2:22.5 | Please, please. Yeah. |
... |
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