We just talked live with our regular Monday guest, the scholar of authoritarianism Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and 2,400 of you, and she told us about:

* How the new budget turns ICE — the masked, unidentified, plainclothes agents who’ve been taking people off the streets — into something new for America: a secret police force.

* Why masked gangs of enforcers are a “force multiplier of fear,” letting authoritarians exercise power beyond their numbers and popular support.

* How to reclaim patriotism from the far-right and own it — the far-right isn’t the ship, it’s a barnacle.

* Rejecting the idea of a fortress America in favor of the older, better idea of a nation of immigrants, with all of its diverse flavors and tastes.

* How Hungary’s fearless Pride marchers point the way forward for opposing authoritarianism.

You won’t want to miss any of it. Just click on the video player above to watch the entire conversation.

We are opening this video to all. But we’re also asking candidly that you support the work that goes into bringing you The Ink by becoming a paying subscriber.

Your support is how we keep the lights on, pay our writers and editors a fair wage, and build the new media we all deserve. When you subscribe, you help us reach more people.

Join us today, or if you are already a member, give a gift or group subscription.

And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s newsletter, Lucid.

Join us for more Live conversations this week!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 8, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll be joined by former Department of Homeland Security official and Donald Trump critic Miles Taylor and Wesleyan University president Michael S. Roth. Then on Wednesday, July 9, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll meet with The Ink Book Club. And on Thursday, July 10, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll talk again with messaging guru Anat Shenker-Osorio.

To join and watch, download the Substack app (click on the button below) and turn on notifications — you’ll get an alert once we’re live, and you can watch, chat, and even participate in the conversation during our Book Club meetings from your iOS or Android mobile device. If you’re using a computer, you can also watch (and ask questions in the text chat) on our homepage.

Get full access to The.Ink at the.ink/subscribe

Blas Moreno

The AI-powered Podcast Player