Radio Atlantic Live from The Atlantic Festival: ‘2026 Is the Battlefield’
29 snips
Sep 21, 2025 
Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer-finalist staff writer and scholar on authoritarianism, and Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion and democracy advocate, delve into urgent political issues. They discuss the pressing significance of the upcoming midterms, with Kasparov warning that losing the House could make 2028 a mere formality. They also highlight the dangers of modern censorship and the subtle manipulations of electoral processes by autocrats. Furthermore, they explore how U.S. instability impacts global alliances, particularly with authoritarian regimes.
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Censorship Through Corporate Pressure
- Modern censorship works by governments pressuring private companies to change programming rather than overtly banning content.
- Anne Applebaum argues the ABC/Kimmel case mirrors tactics used by Putin to silence satire through corporate pressure.
How Kukli Was Pushed Off Russian TV
- Garry Kasparov recounts Russia's satirical puppet show Kukli and how Putin targeted it after coming to power.
- He explains the takeover used business pressure and debts to silence the program rather than direct state censorship.
Norms, Not Just Law, Protect Democracy
- Constitutional safeguards depend on political spirit and norms, not just text, so erosion can occur via normalization of breaches.
- Kasparov warns Trump's actions exploit legal gray areas and normalize misconduct that undermines institutions.
