Bulwark Takes Stop Waiting for a Happy Ending—This Is the Fight! (w. Richard Rushfield)
Sep 19, 2025
Join Richard Rushfield, Editor of The Ankler and media veteran, as he dives into the turbulent intersection of politics and culture. He discusses the current state of late-night TV and the pressure from the FCC on network choices. The conversation shifts to the power of protests and boycotts, revealing how some institutions are capitulating to authoritarianism. Rushfield draws chilling historical parallels from post-WWI radicalization while suggesting structural reforms to mitigate future risks. An enlightening and urgent discourse on today's media landscape!
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Public Coercion Signals Regime Strength
- Authoritarian actors now operate publicly because they feel powerful enough to enforce consequences out in the open.
- Richard Rushfield warns that the public nature of threats shows the regime's strength and normalizes coercion.
Don’t Capitulate—Make Them Fight
- Do not surrender in advance; fighting preserves leverage and forces opponents to pay costs.
- Rushfield recommends mass mobilizations and targeted economic pressure like boycotts or protests at theme parks.
Why Public Dissent Has Shrunk
- Dissent declines when speaking out risks livelihoods or freedom, unlike past eras where criticism was cost-free.
- Rushfield links reduced public dissent to the real stakes now facing journalists and entertainers.
