The Wright Show Authoritarianism in the US and Abroad (Robert Wright & Almut Rochowanski)
Apr 2, 2025
Almut Rochowanski, a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, shares her insights on the rise of authoritarianism in the U.S. and abroad. She discusses the unsettling parallels between Trump's political maneuvers and oligarchic regimes in post-Soviet nations. The conversation dives into the implications of nationalism and racial identity on political landscapes, while also critiquing the cancellation of dissenting voices in academia. With a focus on advocacy for marginalized communities, the discussion highlights urgent issues surrounding democracy and human rights.
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Human Rights Violations: A Familiar Echo
- Almut Rochowanski's work with human rights reports included stories of masked individuals arresting people.
- These stories, similar to those from Chechnya, now resonate in the US, creating cognitive dissonance.
Beyond Identifying Violations
- Human rights work often focuses on identifying violations without exploring the motivations behind them.
- Rochowanski emphasizes the importance of understanding why norms are broken, not just that they are.
The Taboo of 'Why?'
- Rochowanski points out that within human rights frameworks, questioning the motives behind norm violations is often taboo.
- This is partly to avoid legitimizing justifications and partly due to a focus on upholding established norms.