This is the Reason interview with Nikolesemi.

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So the Soviet Union collapsed at the end of 1991, taking down with it the threat of international communism, right?

My guest today says no.

Writing far from dead, communism as a governing template seems only to be getting started.

He's Sean McMeekin, a historian at Bard College, an author of the mesmerizing new book

to overthrow the world the rise and fall

and rise of communism. I talked with him about the history of communism, how its focus on

forced equality is inherently violent, and how Stalin, Mao, Castro, and others each brought

particular flourishes and horrors to its practice.

We also talk about why McMeekin believes that the control and suppression of speech during

COVID and the rise of social media oligarchies in America bear uncomfortable resemblances

to China's social credit system.

We dodged a certain bullet with the election of Trump, he says,

warning that whatever party is in power in Washington,

I think we always have to jealously guard our civil liberties,

and we have to just constantly remind ourselves of what our values are

and are supposed to be.

Here is the reason interview with Sean McMeakin.

Sean McMeekin, thanks for talking to reason. Well, thanks for having me on, Nick. It's a pleasure

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