The Rachman Review Lea Ypi on parallels between the 1930s and today
54 snips
Sep 4, 2025 
Lea Ypi, an Albanian academic and political theory professor at the London School of Economics, dives deep into her book 'Indignity'. She fascinatingly draws parallels between today's political landscape and the crises of the 1930s, touching on nationalism and economic disparities. Ypi shares poignant stories from her grandparents' experiences under oppressive regimes, linking these personal histories to contemporary issues like migration and the right's rising narratives. Her insights challenge listeners to reflect on dignity, morality, and the lessons history can teach us.
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Threefold Crisis Mirrors Interwar Era
- Lea Ypi sees current politics as eerily similar to the 1920s–30s due to crises in representation, economics, and international solidarity.
- She links these to globalization's crisis and the 2008 financial shock as catalysts for nationalist resurgence.
Nationalism Could Escalate Again
- Lea Ypi warns that current nationalist and protectionist trends could escalate as in the 1930s, culminating in interstate conflict.
- She stresses history doesn't repeat exactly but offers worrying parallels that warrant vigilance.
Grandmother From Multicultural Salonika
- Lea Ypi recounts her grandmother's birth in Salonika when it was a cosmopolitan Ottoman center with many intermingled groups.
- She explains how collapse of empires made nation-states pursue homogenization, prompting exclusionary policies.
