Is the United States headed toward autocracy?That's a question prompted by a steady stream of executive orders seeking to consolidate power in the White House and upend long held policies and norms.New York Times Opinion writer M. Gessen lived through much of Russia's slide into autocracy, and wrote a book about it. They argue that one of the ways Vladimir Putin consolidated power... was by making a series of arguments that seemed outrageous at the time — like the idea that the LGBT population was a threat to Russian sovereignty. President Donald Trump's second term has been marked by a string of policy proposals that would have been unthinkable in any other administration.Even if they don't go anywhere, they're reshaping the boundaries of our democracy. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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M. Gessen knows what it feels like when a democracy starts to look like something else. They lived in Russia in the aughts in early 2010s, which was a period of time when Vladimir Putin steadily cracked down on activists, journalists, and opposition leaders. And one of the particularities of Russia, according to Gessen, is that before things became threatening, they often just seemed ridiculous.
It seemed completely absurd when Putin started centering LGBT people as the root of all evil and a threat to Russian sovereignty. Tiny minority, not that visible in Russia.
Guessing as trans and non-binary. But they say they failed to take Putin's words seriously at first.
You know, I thought it was almost quaint. And I certainly didn't realize that it was a personal threat and that within a couple of years I'd have to flee the country.
Gessen left Russia in 2013. They're in the U.S. now, a columnist for The New York Times. In a recent op-ed, they argued that the phenomenon, outlandish ideas taken seriously, It feels a lot like what has happened in the first month of the Trump administration.
We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we'll probably state those opinions now.
Like that press conference where President Trump argued that diversity policies were behind that plane crash at the Washington airport.
It's all under investigation.
I understand that. That's why I'm trying to figure out how you can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash.
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