Andy Serkis on Animal Farm, Authoritarianism, and Humanizing Monsters
"If Orwell were writing that story now, what would his targets be?" the Animal Farm director asks Reason's Nick Gillespie.
Authoritarianism
After 250 Years, Are America's Best Days Still Ahead?
We should heed Alexis de Tocqueville's warning: "A man's admiration for absolute government is proportionate to the contempt he feels for those around him."
María Corina Machado Says Venezuela Is Blocking Her Return as Earthquake Rescue Efforts Stall
The exiled opposition leader is claiming the regime wants “to bury the truth when Venezuelans want to bury our dead with dignity."
A Venezuelan Mother's Desperate Search for Her Dead Son Is Representative of Ongoing Human Rights Violations
Meanwhile, Trump claims Venezuelans are “dancing in the streets.”
Andy Serkis: What Orwell Understood About Tyranny
Andy Serkis discusses the corrupting nature of power, what Animal Farm says about modern authoritarianism, and whether technology expands or diminishes human creativity.
This Big Tech Firm Wants To Reinstate the Draft
A look at Palantir’s bootlicking new manifesto.
Unless People Support Me, Trump Habitually Warns, 'We Won't Have a Country Anymore'
The president's predictions of the nation's imminent demise reflect his narcissistic authoritarianism.
Judges and Justices Should Be Independent, Trump Says, As Long As They Side With Him
The president says federal courts should not make decisions based on partisan considerations unless it benefits him.
Tony Gilroy on Andor, the Force, and Authoritarianism
"The concept of the show was to talk about what happens when authoritarianism and fascism comes kicking down your door," the creator of the Disney+ series tells Reason.
Trump's Tantrum Over the Tariff Decision Highlights His Narcissistic Authoritarianism
The president neither understands nor appreciates the vital role of judicial independence in upholding the rule of law.
Jimmy Lai Got a 20-Year Sentence for Saying Things the Chinese Government Didn't Like
China's "national security law" was perfectly tailored to zero in on someone like Lai, who vigorously pushed for democracy, freedom of speech, and government reform in Hong Kong.
Why So Many Venezuelans Support Trump's Capture of Maduro
Venezuelan opposition leader Freddy Guevara explains support for U.S. intervention, how socialism destroyed Venezuela, and what a democratic transition would require.
Andor Creator Tony Gilroy on Bureaucracy and the Surveillance State
Tony Gilroy examines how Andor portrays authoritarian power as a bureaucratic system, the moral compromises of life under surveillance, and the role ordinary people play in enforcing oppressive systems.
Jimmy Lai Is a Martyr for Freedom
The self-made tycoon was convicted this week of violating Hong Kong's "national security" law. But he could have escaped it.
Trump Claims He's Turning America Around. He's Really Doubling Down on Executive Overreach.
From immigration crackdowns to trade policy, the Trump administration is increasingly centralizing power in Washington, D.C.
The Far Right Is Powered by Left-Wing Illiberalism and Hypocrisy
The left has to accept that it shares blame for our current political mess.
Bill of Rights Day: How Your Rights Keep Authoritarianism in Check
The document remains remarkably resilient, even as Republicans and Democrats keep launching assaults on liberty.
Mamdani and Trump Getting Chummy Is America's 'Horseshoe Theory' Nightmare
When the so-called "communist lunatic" and the so-called "fascist" find common ground, it means the country needs an intervention.
The 'Free' World Is Coming for Your Private Messages
Nobody expects China or Iran to protect privacy. But as seen in the European debate over chat control, even nominally free countries are becoming intrusive when it comes to the digital world.
Uncle Sam Makes Thanksgiving Worse
We have many things to be grateful for this time of year. The government isn't one of them.
The Pentagon and the FBI Are Investigating 6 Legislators for Exercising Their First Amendment Rights
The Trump administration is desperately trying to criminalize a video noting that service members have no obligation to follow unlawful orders.
Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump Prove That There Are Two Paths Toward Socialism
As fans of horseshoe theory point out, the political extremes might differ on details, but they have a lot in common.
Trump's Habitual Charges of 'Treason' Reflect His Authoritarian Impulses
The president’s reaction to a supposedly "seditious" video illustrates his tendency to portray criticism of him as a crime.
Trump Says Legislators Committed Treason by Noting That Soldiers Are Not Obligated To Obey Unlawful Orders
The president's authoritarian response to a video posted by six members of Congress, who he says "should be arrested and put on trial," validates their concerns.
A Nostalgic Read for Foreign Policy Elites
Michael McFaul's new book feels like it was written in 2015, not 2025.
Merkley's Marathon Address Decried Trump's 'Authoritarian Grip'—But Executive Overreach Didn't Start With Him
Trump’s presidency may have amplified executive power, but unless lawmakers roll back those powers—and the bloated government behind them—the next administration will do the same.
Economic Freedom Begins Recovery From COVID-Era Government Meddling
Authoritarian pandemic policy made the world poorer and less free.
The American New Right Looks Like the European Old Right
When conservatives reject constitutional limits on executive power and foment civil conflict, what exactly are they conserving?
The Long Walk Is a Harrowing Take on State Power
It’s about an authoritarian government, not the demands of capitalism.
Americans Don't Actually Like Trump's Bad Guy Posturing on Immigration and the Military
Shows of force and mass deportations play well to the base, but they’re falling flat with the public.
Trump Keeps Casting Himself as the Bad Guy
From Apocalypse Now memes to a re-named War Department, the second Trump administration is in love with authoritarian aesthetics.
The Anti-Lockdown Imposters of the New Right
Today’s MAGA intellectuals rail against COVID restrictions, but in 2020 many cheered them on—or demanded even harsher crackdowns.
Trump Is Embracing the Same Economic Populism That Destroyed Argentina
Perónism: the one import that Trump likes.
Firing BLS Director Over Weak Jobs Report Is 'Banana Republic' Behavior
If a Democratic president tried to so directly politicize an independent agency, Republicans would be screaming about the coming tyranny.
Review: What the Hell Is a 'Libertarian Authoritarian'?
Offended Freedom categorizes perfectly understandable anger at government overreach as inherently "authoritarian."
More Than 1,800 'No Kings' Protests Aim for Nonviolent Pushback Against Trump Policies
The coalition’s national press coordinator says, “We’re all dedicated to championing the cause of nonviolence—not just because it’s moral, but because it’s more effective.”
Trump's Threats Against Musk and Newsom Reflect an Authoritarian Intolerance of Dissent
Even if the president was joking in both cases, he already has used his powers to punish people whose views offend him.
The Taliban Banned Chess
Since retaking power, the Taliban has banned certain music, barred women from parks, and now outlawed chess. Authoritarians don’t just crush dissent—they criminalize joy.
J.D. Vance Wants a Free Market for Crypto. What About Everything Else?
Vance says "you've gotta let these people make decisions on their own." He should try that approach more generally.
He Escaped North Korea—Twice. Now He Warns People About Socialism.
"Just go to North Korea for 10 days and you'll know how bad it is," says Charles Ryu.
Michael Beckley: China Is Dangerously Weak
The Danger Zone co-author joins the show to discuss China's peaking power, and why that actually makes them more dangerous.
Review: Authoritarianism Backfires in the Latest Dune Installment
In Max's Dune: Prophecy, even the power to predict others' actions can't tame the chaos of free will.
Ksenia Karelina, Imprisoned in Russia for Donating $51 to a Pro-Ukraine Charity, Is Freed
The American citizen had been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for treason.
Brazil Sentenced a Woman to 14 Years for Lipstick Graffiti
Débora Albuquerque scrawled “You lost, dude” on a statue. Now she’s being treated like a national security threat.
Rise of the 'Constitutional Sheriffs'
Two new books dissect the "constitutional sheriffs" movement, which seeks to nullify laws adherents see as unconstitutional.
Covering for Their Own Failures, U.K. Officials Blame Violent Crime on Access to Knives
Politicians who’ve dropped the ball inevitably see the solution as reducing people's freedom.
Nicaragua's Regime Wages War on Religious Freedom
President Daniel Ortega's crackdown on religion is part of a broader attack on civil liberties.
