As The World Burns

In this episode, we delve into Anne Applebaum's book "Autocracy Inc," exploring how contemporary dictators operate within sophisticated networks that blur traditional ideological lines. We connect these ideas to current global political dynamics, discussing how autocrats maintain power through systemic corruption, propaganda, and international cooperation. Key topics Evolution of autocracies from...

What happens when voting rights protections are weakened - and states move quickly to take advantage of it? In this minisode, Jamie and Mel; connect a recent Supreme Court ruling and Tennessee's redistricting efforts to the themes explored in Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. They discuss how power preserves itself through institutions, why "c...

What if racism isn’t the root problem? What if it’s just the surface of something deeper behind racism in the United States? In this episode, we talk about the ideas from Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson and explore a perspective that shifts how you look at race, power, and inequality. The book argues that beneath racism, there is a hidden caste system - an underlying stru...

The first minisode of As the World Burns provides a follow-up to episode one and discusses the erosion of democracy, Hungary's recent election, Magyar's background, and the challenges of rebuilding democratic norms and institutions. It reflects on the impact of long-term erosion and the potential for democratic recovery, highlighting the need for public trust and accountability in political leader...

Democracy doesn’t usually collapse in a blaze of glory. No tanks in the streets, no dramatic final speech - just a series of small, technical changes that slowly reshape how power works. This week, Jamie and Mel dive into How Democracies Die and ask what it means to live through democratic erosion in real time. From election rules and judicial pressure to rising polarization and attacks on indepen...