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The Authoritarian Playbook, Drones in Poland & a Gen-Z Revolt in Nepal

The Authoritarian Playbook, Drones in Poland & a Gen-Z Revolt in Nepal

Update: 2025-09-16
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Deploying the military against US citizens, intimidating universities, and bullying the media into silence are just a few of the techniques that Trump and countless other dictators have used to maintain their grip on power.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, one of the foremost experts on authoritarianism and fascism, and Jen Rubin discuss how Trump is normalizing the military’s presence in domestic spaces, why authoritarians strike bargains with our nation’s institutions, and that change is possible.

Also, two major international events happened last week but received less coverage than they deserved. First, Russia sent over 19 drones into Poland’s airspace, which Poland shot down. Romania experienced a similar breach of their borders.

And second, Nepal saw massive protests denouncing corruption in government. After only a week of violent demonstrations, the government collapsed and an interim Prime Minister was appointed.

Tim Mak, investigative journalist based in Ukraine, [16:45 ] broke down Russia’s probe into NATO territory and how Gen-Z is harnessing their power across the globe.

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The Authoritarian Playbook, Drones in Poland & a Gen-Z Revolt in Nepal

The Authoritarian Playbook, Drones in Poland & a Gen-Z Revolt in Nepal

The Contrarian and Tim Mak