The.Ink

The.Ink

ESSAY: What are you waiting for?

Twenty-first-century American authoritarianism is here. Too many Americans are waiting for irrelevant, outdated red lines

Anand Giridharadas's avatar
Anand Giridharadas
Sep 18, 2025
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The other day, someone I know said to me, I don’t read the newspaper anymore, because it’s too depressing. This is an otherwise well-informed, morally committed person, someone with a deep belief in values of free expression, democracy, and human rights. I thought to myself, My, what a perfect authoritarian subject you are.

In the end, this is all they r…

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