Anne Applebaum

I mean, you're used to facing them in Russia or China or other countries that are being taken, where there's a hostile regime and you have to make moral choices in your job. But there's another aspect to this, which is Musk is also trying to conceal the names of the people who are working with him, who seem to be some recent high school graduates and college students.

And they were revealed in a Wired article that as well as in, I saw a couple of people, others revealing them, discussing them online. And Musk is trying to shut that down. So not only does he want full access to U.S. government data, he wants secrecy about it.

And they were revealed in a Wired article that as well as in, I saw a couple of people, others revealing them, discussing them online. And Musk is trying to shut that down. So not only does he want full access to U.S. government data, he wants secrecy about it.

And they were revealed in a Wired article that as well as in, I saw a couple of people, others revealing them, discussing them online. And Musk is trying to shut that down. So not only does he want full access to U.S. government data, he wants secrecy about it.

People working inside The U.S. government at USAID or GSA or, you know, the Office of Personnel Management, whichever those offices are, you know, they're going to have to face choices and their choices. And some of them have faced them already this weekend and some have even paid prices for it. You know, do you follow the laws that exist?

People working inside The U.S. government at USAID or GSA or, you know, the Office of Personnel Management, whichever those offices are, you know, they're going to have to face choices and their choices. And some of them have faced them already this weekend and some have even paid prices for it. You know, do you follow the laws that exist?

People working inside The U.S. government at USAID or GSA or, you know, the Office of Personnel Management, whichever those offices are, you know, they're going to have to face choices and their choices. And some of them have faced them already this weekend and some have even paid prices for it. You know, do you follow the laws that exist?

For example, do you hand over classified data to people who don't have security clearances or who don't have legitimate reason to want it? Because when you give someone classified data, it's not just that you're their status. They also have to have a reason why they need it. If you say, no, I won't do that, and then you're fired...

For example, do you hand over classified data to people who don't have security clearances or who don't have legitimate reason to want it? Because when you give someone classified data, it's not just that you're their status. They also have to have a reason why they need it. If you say, no, I won't do that, and then you're fired...

For example, do you hand over classified data to people who don't have security clearances or who don't have legitimate reason to want it? Because when you give someone classified data, it's not just that you're their status. They also have to have a reason why they need it. If you say, no, I won't do that, and then you're fired...

that then creates a kind of cascading psychological effect on everybody else who works at that agency. So then will other people be willing to say, no, I won't break the law for you, or no, I won't break the rules for you, knowing that the price is that they're fired. So it's not only that they're

that then creates a kind of cascading psychological effect on everybody else who works at that agency. So then will other people be willing to say, no, I won't break the law for you, or no, I won't break the rules for you, knowing that the price is that they're fired. So it's not only that they're

that then creates a kind of cascading psychological effect on everybody else who works at that agency. So then will other people be willing to say, no, I won't break the law for you, or no, I won't break the rules for you, knowing that the price is that they're fired. So it's not only that they're

overcoming people, it's also that they're scaring people and they're using tactics of intimidation, you know, as you say, threatening people and with their jobs and so on. I mean, again, I just can't stress enough. I mean, there is no legal basis for what Musk is doing.

overcoming people, it's also that they're scaring people and they're using tactics of intimidation, you know, as you say, threatening people and with their jobs and so on. I mean, again, I just can't stress enough. I mean, there is no legal basis for what Musk is doing.

overcoming people, it's also that they're scaring people and they're using tactics of intimidation, you know, as you say, threatening people and with their jobs and so on. I mean, again, I just can't stress enough. I mean, there is no legal basis for what Musk is doing.

And the fact that the Trump administration has agreed to make it possible in this outside of the law new way means that we're already in a different phase of U.S. government.

And the fact that the Trump administration has agreed to make it possible in this outside of the law new way means that we're already in a different phase of U.S. government.

And the fact that the Trump administration has agreed to make it possible in this outside of the law new way means that we're already in a different phase of U.S. government.

First of all, I wrote a piece that was published in 2020 about complicity and why people conform and do things they know are wrong. And that was based on a lot of reading and experience, but also one of the key moments in understanding that whole topic for me happened when I went to see a woman who was a former East German dissident. Then later on, she was head of the Stasi archive.