The Making of an Autocrat: manufacture a crisis

The Making of an Autocrat: manufacture a crisis

Donald Trump has sounded the alarm, over and over again, that the United States is facing an “invasion” by dangerous gang members. He blames immigrants for the country’s economic problems and claims protesters are destroying US cities.

Trump is not the first would-be autocrat to manufacture a crisis to seize extraordinary powers.

As Natasha Lindstaedt, an expert in authoritarian regimes at the University of Essex, says in episode 3 of The Making of an Autocrat, a strongman “loves a crisis”.

"A crisis is the way that they mobilise their base, the way that they can depict themselves as the saviour, as this messianic type of figure that is going to save people from this chaotic world."

So, is the United States really facing a national emergency? Or is this just a tactic on Trump’s part to amass more power?

This episode was written by Justin Bergman and produced and edited by Isabella Podwinski and Ashlynne McGhee. Sound design by Michelle Macklem.

Episoder(275)

Trump v Leo: the war of words over a just war

Trump v Leo: the war of words over a just war

After Donald Trump took to social media to lambast Pope Leo's criticism of the Iran war, the pontiff told journalists "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration". Part of the war of words between Tru...

30 Apr 27min

Israel’s history shapes how it wages war

Israel’s history shapes how it wages war

In around ten minutes on April 8, the Israeli military hit more than 100 targets across Lebanon. Israel called the attack Operation Eternal Darkness and said it struck Hezbollah command and control ce...

23 Apr 29min

How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

For 16 years, Viktor Orbán built an illiberal democracy in Hungary. Orbán and his Fidesz party managed to take control of many of Hungary's levers of power, from the judiciary to state-owned media, an...

16 Apr 31min

The pseudoscientific scale looksmaxxers use to rate each other

The pseudoscientific scale looksmaxxers use to rate each other

If you have teenagers in your life, they’ll probably have heard of the PSL scale. Or at least the language associated with it. Chad. Stacy. Normie. Subhuman.The PSL scale is a pseudoscientific attract...

9 Apr 30min

The Making of One Nation: the unlikely rise of Australia’s Pauline Hanson

The Making of One Nation: the unlikely rise of Australia’s Pauline Hanson

From a fish and chip shop in regional Queensland to the heart of Australian politics: this is the unlikely story of One Nation, Australia's most controversial minor party.For thirty years, One Nation ...

2 Apr 26min

Artemis II: NASA’s long road back to the Moon

Artemis II: NASA’s long road back to the Moon

Final preparations are underway for NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission around the Moon for more than 50 years. Four astronauts, three men and one woman, will spend 10 days aboard the ...

26 Mar 27min

How the US cloned Iran's drones

How the US cloned Iran's drones

The day after the US began bombing Iran, US Central Command confirmed it had used a new, cheap type of kamikaze drone called a Lucas for the first time in a combat operation. These drones were made in...

19 Mar 28min

Mystery covid methane spike solved

Mystery covid methane spike solved

Six years ago, as countries around the world went into COVID lockdowns, the air got cleaner. Factories slowed down, roads emptied and aeroplanes were grounded. As people stayed home, the world burned ...

12 Mar 23min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
fotballpodden-2
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
e24-podden
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
frokostshowet-pa-p5