anything which starts from somebody else is going to make me free is going to end you up with authoritarianism.

But the bright side of that is you can see through that.

You can understand that as soon as somebody puts that abstraction or that leader in front of you,

you're being guided towards an authoritarian situation.

And it's a very simple, like if you seriously believe in freedom, it's very simple to say,

what do I actually care about, what is actually good for me me and then move on from there.

Hello and welcome to the Politics Girl podcast. I'm your host Lee McGowan. Let's get into it.

As today's guest Timothy Snyder argues, freedom is the great American commitment, but we've lost sight of what it means.

In his new book, On Freedom, the New York Times best-selling author and Yale historian digs

into the concept of freedom, what it is, how it's been

misunderstood, and why upholding it is our only chance for survival. I'm having this

conversation with Mr. Snyder today for obvious reasons because clearly American democracy is in crisis and as we

watch the rise of authoritarianists around the world and the rise of authoritarianism wannabees here

at home, it's very important we reflect on what is truly happening and what it is we need to protect.

So without further ado, please welcome my guest, World's Leading Historian, Yale Professor,

and Award-winning author Timothy Snyder.

Welcome, Tim.

Glad to be with you.

Well, thank you for coming.

I have been referencing your work for years.

In fact, I referenced you in my new book, A Return to Common Sense,

which just joined your book on

...