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Autocracy in America

The Advocate

Autocracy in America

The Atlantic

News, Society & Culture, Politics

4.8999 Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When democracy and civil society are all you’ve known, they are easy to take for granted. However, for some autocracy is not just a word but a way of life.  Host Garry Kasparov is joined by Oleksandra Matviichuk. She leads the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and has become a leading figure in documenting the occupation of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Having both been born in unfree states, Garry and Oleksandra discuss Russia’s failure to resist Putin’s takeover and Ukraine’s success in fighting back.  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/listener.Garry chairs the Renew Democracy Initiative, publisher of The Next Move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:10.7

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0:15.2

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0:48.7

It's easy to take democracy and civil society for granted, when it's all you have known.

0:57.8

Americans are aware of the repression and brutality in faraway lands, but for most, autocracy is

1:03.3

a word, not a threat, not a way of life. If you are born in an unfree state, like my guest

1:10.0

Alexander Matveitouk and I were, it is a different story. We were born in an unfree state, like my guest, Alexander Matveyichuk and I were, it is a

1:12.7

different story.

1:14.6

We were both born in the Soyuz, Soviet Socialistic Republic, known to you as the USSR,

1:21.6

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

1:24.5

But our past diverged when the Soviet Union collapsed and disintegrated.

1:29.1

My nation became Russia again, and after less than a decade of fragile democracy,

1:34.4

it was dragged back into authoritarian darkness by dictator Vladimir Putin.

1:39.0

In contrast, my guest's newly independent homeland of Ukraine,

1:43.4

despite predictable struggles, has had a long

...

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