Rachel Maddow, host of "The Rachel Maddow Show" and a best-selling author, dives deep into America's turbulent political landscape. She discusses the urgent calls for President Biden's resignation and the looming Trump threat. Maddow highlights her latest podcast, "Ultra," which uncovers far-right extremism and its historical roots. The conversation draws parallels between the past and present, emphasizing the need to safeguard democracy against authoritarianism and conspiracy theories, offering a thought-provoking perspective on America’s current crises.
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insights INSIGHT
Current American Struggle
America faces a struggle with authoritarian intentions, threatening its democracy.
This struggle has historical precedents, echoing past fights against anti-democratic forces.
insights INSIGHT
Recurring Authoritarianism
Anti-democratic forces in America never truly disappear; they go dormant and resurface.
Forgetting these forces allows them to return without public understanding of their past defeats.
insights INSIGHT
Biden's Dilemma
The existential threat is Donald Trump winning, especially with a landslide, potentially ending future elections.
Democrats face a difficult decision on Biden, balancing his recent wins against current poll predictions.
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In 'Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism,' Rachel Maddow explores the clandestine network that flooded the U.S. with disinformation aimed at undermining the war effort and promoting antisemitism and authoritarian rule during World War II. The book details the sophisticated and well-funded campaign to destroy citizens' confidence in their elected leaders and the heroic efforts of activists, journalists, and prosecutors who exposed and countered this plot. Maddow draws parallels between these historical events and the present day, emphasizing the recurring tactics of fascist and authoritarian movements[2][4][5].
Takeover
The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy
Charlie Savage
This book is a detailed investigation into how a group of true believers, led by Dick Cheney, seized vast powers for the presidency, defanging Congress and the courts. It reveals the secret machinations behind the headlines, including links between warrantless wiretapping, Supreme Court nominees, the torture debate, and the use of presidential signing statements. The book highlights the systematic effort to expand executive power and its implications for the checks and balances of American democracy.
As unlikely as it may seem, until this episode was recorded, Kara Swisher and Rachel Maddow had never met. The two sat down for a riveting conversation that connects America’s unsavory and under-told authoritarian history with the unprecedented political peril we find ourselves in today.
After addressing the increasingly desperate calls for President Biden to step down from members of the media and his own party, Kara and Maddow turn to her latest project: the podcast Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra. It focuses on far-right extremism and Nazi propagandists in American politics during the 1930s to 1950s. It’s a story that she connects to the country’s present existential crisis — and one she looks to for guidance, as well. We ask her to explain.
Please note — this interview was recorded prior the the assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13th.
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