All topics / authoritarianism
Topic
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Authoritarianism
2
episodes
2
thinkers
4h
of conversation
11
books & papers
5
terms defined
The neighbourhood: authoritarianism and the ideas it travels with. Drag to roam, click a star for the episode, click a neighbour to travel.
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The lexicon
Every term the guests lean on, in plain language. Read one in full, or filter to find it.
What the corpus says
The throughline across every conversation that touches this idea.
53% of the global population, about 4.3 billion people, live under authoritarian regimes lacking free speech.
Alex Gladstein · Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights
Bitcoin is a decentralized financial tool that offers a hedge against inflation and authoritarian control.
Alex Gladstein · Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights
Technology, including Bitcoin, can both empower individuals and be used by authoritarian regimes for control.
Alex Gladstein · Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights
Only 13% of humans live in liberal democracies with stable reserve currencies, exposing many to economic instability.
Alex Gladstein · Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights
The Lightning Network enhances Bitcoin by enabling faster, cheaper transactions with improved privacy.
Alex Gladstein · Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights
Stalin's power was facilitated by Lenin's creation of the general secretary position, tailored for Stalin's skills.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Putin's popularity in Russia is partly due to a lack of viable alternatives and economic growth during his early terms.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
The American system's constraints on executive power prevent the kind of unchecked authority seen in authoritarian regimes.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Stalin's appeal was driven by his commitment to communism and Russian state interests, not just personal power.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
The potential casualties in a hypothetical World War III could reach 555 million, far surpassing World War II's toll.
Stephen Kotkin · Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power
Voices on authoritarianism
10 standout quotes from across the corpus.
Go read
11 books and papers cited across these episodes.
For the specialist
What experts find new
4 expert-level takeaways for a specialist reader.
At the frontier
Still unresolved
3 open questions flagged across these conversations.
The thinkers
Who takes this idea on, by how often they return to it.
