Berny Belvedere

@bernybelvedere.bsky.social

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Senior Editor @TheUnPopulist.net. Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism (ISMA). Philosophy instructor. Soccer knower.

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Libs of TikTok is currently on a hysterical cancelspree, tracking down randos who expressed disappointment (in an admittedly reprehensible way) that Donald Trump gets to continue to terrorize our politics. Easily one of the most destructive accounts of all time.

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Berny Belvedere

The Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision is a major blow for the notion that the executive exists and operates within, and is subject to, a system of laws. @bernybelvedere.bsky.social and @landryayres.bsky.social

The Roberts Court’s Presidential Immunity Ruling Has Lost Nearly Everyone Except for the Far Rightwww.theunpopulist.net Commentators across the ideological spectrum are puzzled to dismayed at the majority’s indifference to executive accountability

Wow, yeah, for sure, for sure, except … thanks to a little-known resource called “recent history,” we actually don’t have to speculate. How did Democrats respond to Trump winning? By moving on. How did Republicans respond to Biden winning? By trying to overthrow our electoral democracy.

The Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision was bonkers. I did a roundup tracking reactions from across the ideological spectrum. Give it a read:

"What is beginning to emerge is that the right-wing victimization complex isn’t merely wrong—it’s completely backwards. Trump’s allies weren’t even treated the same as everyone else—they were treated quite a bit better." Remarkable essay by @radleybalko.bsky.social

The Criminal Justice System Is Being Positively Kind to Donald Trump and MAGA Insurrectionistswww.theunpopulist.net Yet they are playing victim while showing no concern for the abuse ordinary Americans endure

An absolutely top notch demolition in @theunpopulist.net by @andycraig.bsky.social of the idea that Elon Musk is any kind of free speech hero.

Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," has aggressively deployed government power to kill what he calls the "woke mind virus." Must-read from @andycraig.bsky.social

Elon Musk’s Statist Road to Free Speechwww.theunpopulist.net This self-proclaimed free speech absolutist is aggressively deploying government power to kill the 'woke mind virus'

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Berny Belvedere

"The record of national leaders who attempt a coup, fail, and then get power again is really bad for democracy." —@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social, from his convo with @bernybelvedere.bsky.social

Is Trump a Fascist or Something Else Entirely?: A Conversation with Nicholas Grossmanwww.theunpopulist.net He will defeat American liberal democracy through utter contempt for its institutions, not a revolution

We are 15 sign-ups away from 20K. @theunpopulist.net is completely free and we only send you something every couple of days. That's a really good deal. www.theunpopulist.net/welcome

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This is worth a listen.

Is Donald Trump's MAGA movement continuous with historic fascism—or is it better classified as something else entirely? Don't miss this convo—which you can either listen to or read—between former Arc Digital colleagues @bernybelvedere.bsky.social and @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social

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Berny Belvedere

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Berny Belvedere

Trump v. US Constitutional democracy, what is fascism and what purpose does the word serve, how democratic backsliding works, how the law ultimately rests on norms, and more in this great podcast I recorded with @bernybelvedere.bsky.social for @theunpopulist.net. Listen (or read a transcript) here:

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We are thrilled to announce Liberalism for the 21st Century, an absolute game-changer of a conference convened by our publisher, the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism (ISMA). You won’t want to miss it. Go here to read more and see you in July!

Liberalism for the 21st Century: A Conference by the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianismwww.theunpopulist.net The publisher of The UnPopulist is convening the biggest conclave of global liberals in living memory next month

Brilliant profile in @theunpopulist.net of Germany's far-right AfD ahead of Sunday's European Parliament elections.

How Did Germany Let the Far-Right Genie Out of the Bottle?www.theunpopulist.net The Alternative for Germany is expected to make strong gains in the European parliamentary elections and can no longer be ignored

Join me in remembering a take so thermonuclear that the Chernobyl core reactors bowed in reverence and then enrolled into Prager U

A thunderbolt of a piece from @andycraig.bsky.social that is both prophetically urgent and analytically spot on. Proud of the work @theunpopulist.net is doing to resist all of this.

Trump Killed Not Just the Libertarian Party But Maybe the Libertarian Movement Toowww.theunpopulist.net The principles will live on but his headlining the party convention has thrown into relief deep, longstanding philosophical rifts that can no longer be ignored

Genuinely cannot believe a major political party ignored an antiwoke fanatic's frenzied DMs to "DISASSOCIATE YOURSELVES FROM THE META-MARXISTS AT ONCE, SIRS!"

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According to Bret Weinstein, the World Health Organization is spearheading a “coup” that will lead to the “elimination of our national and our personal sovereignty.”

Bret Weinstein: Conspiracy Theorist in Academic Clothingwww.theunpopulist.net The former biology professor weaves grand narratives of shadowy elites plotting a totalitarian takeover by ‘just asking questions’

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My new piece for the UnPopulist on the intellectual origins of the radical right. www.theunpopulist.net/p/the-rights...

The Right's Reactionary Spirit Predates Trumpwww.theunpopulist.net It is reflexively opposed to equality and drawn to the rule of "superior persons" and "established hierarchies," as F.A. Hayek observed

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Berny Belvedere

In our latest Zooming In, @ianbassin.bsky.social, who heads @protectdemocracy.org, discusses with @shikhadalmia.bsky.social and @bernybelvedere.bsky.social how eroding restraints on presidential authority combined with political violence will make a second Trump term dangerous.

A Conversation with Ian Bassinwww.theunpopulist.net The head of Protect Democracy discusses how eroding restraints on presidential authority combined with political violence will make a second Trump term dangerous

Catturd's new pinned post raises serious questions that I hope Elon addresses soon. This injustice can't stand.

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Berny Belvedere

You do not, under any circumstances, gotta hand it to Ann Coulter.

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🚨 New Video 🚨 Today, an increasing number of people around the world live in nations experiencing democratic backsliding. And yet, there are more elections than ever. That seems contradictory. @landryayres.bsky.social explains.

Why Do Authoritarians Hold Elections?youtu.be 2024 has been dubbed “the year of the election.” Already Taiwan, Russia, El Salvador, South Korea and more have cast votes to choose their leadership with more nations to follow each and every month. Yet, according to V-Dem, 71% of the world’s population now lives in autocracies—up from 48% 10 years ago. This suggests that elections are popular even in authoritarian regimes. But, the question is, why do autocrats bother to hold elections when the outcome is already known in advance? Why do they feel the need to seemingly uphold democracy when they are going to anoint themselves the Supreme Leader anyway?

You do not, under any circumstances, gotta hand it to Ann Coulter.

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Berny Belvedere

Many interesting topics treated in @theunpopulist.net @bernybelvedere.bsky.social interview with @ianbassin.bsky.social, including the value of a cross-ideological movement in fighting authoritarianism, the role of lawyers, and the power-expanding track record of presidents not named Trump.

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Berny Belvedere

According to Bret Weinstein, the World Health Organization is spearheading a “coup” that will lead to the “elimination of our national and our personal sovereignty.”

I really loved this chat with @ianbassin.bsky.social, who is doing phenomenal work at @protectdemocracy.org. Please give it a listen—or a read!

🚨🚨 On the latest Zooming In episode, @shikhadalmia.bsky.social and @bernybelvedere.bsky.social sit down with @ianbassin.bsky.social, former associate Obama White House counsel and head of @protectdemocracy.org, one of our favorite organizations in the entire industry. Don't miss this convo.

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Really good profile on Sam Francis, the populist prophet who anticipated the MAGA movement.

Many of the right-leaning writers who have spent the past eight years remaking their careers in light of the Trumpist revolution of 2016 have ended up inadvertently parroting Sam Francis’ ideas from the early 1990s. Don't miss this profile by Damon Linker.

Sam Francis: The Dangerous Apostle of Right-Wing Populismwww.theunpopulist.net This prescient critic of "the regime" opposed Reaganism and wanted to steer the right toward something resembling Trumpism

Very excited about this series. If you endorse constitutional constraints on power, if you care about the viability of our liberal democracy, you should want the executive to be sufficiently reined in. Read along at @theunpopulist.net as we think through how to do just that.

We just launched a brand new series on fireproofing the American presidency. It's one of the most important projects we've undertaken. Please read the introductory essay about why this matters to us—and why it should matter to you.

Stopping a Rogue Executive from Abusing the Massive Powers of the Presidencywww.theunpopulist.net The UnPopulist launches its 'Fireproofing the Presidency' series