Can democracy be saved from totalitarianism? 

In this episode, the co-hosts are joined by political theorist Dr. Peg Birmingham (DePaul University) for an urgent discussion on the topic of totalitarianism. Starting with a critique of what counts as “the people” in democratic systems, our conversation unpacks the entanglement of nationalism and racism, the dangerous erosion of the rule of law, and the troubling resurgence of executive overreach in the United States.

Drawing from theorists like Hannah Arendt and Carl Schmitt, we unpack how nationalistic democracies easily pivot toward authoritarian structures—and why naming, resisting, and reimagining democracy remains critical in this moment of global precarity.

We also detail the signs of creeping totalitarianism, including terror tactics, de-nationalization, and the centralization of political power, while also reflecting on possibilities for resistance. What can be salvaged from democracy when the demos itself is fractured? What role can listening, ridicule, and justice-oriented solidarity play in resisting fascist creep?

Birmingham emphasizes the need for collective action rooted in material justice and care for the most vulnerable, while co-hosts Leigh, Rick, and Devonya wrestle with how to reignite meaningful political opposition and build new coalitions of resistance. This powerful conversation challenges listeners to reckon with our political present and what might still be possible within it.

References:

• Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)

• Hannah Arendt, On Revolution (1963)

• Peg Birmingham, Hannah Arendt and Human Rights: The Predicament of Common Responsibility (2006)

• Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution (2015)

• Judith Butler, Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence (2004)

• Frantz Fanon, Toward the African Revolution (1967)

• Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (1651)

• Immanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch (1795)

• Karl Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program (1875)

• Achille Mbembe, “Necropolitics”, Public Culture, vol. 15, no. 1 (2003), pp. 11–40

• John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859)

• Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political (2007)

• Carl Schmitt, Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty (2005)

• United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

• Jesmyn Ward, Let Us Descend (2023)

News Articles (Mahmoud Khalil):

• Mahmoud Khalil hid ties to UNRWA on green card application, feds say – New York Post (March 24, 2025)

• US alleges Columbia student covered up his work for UNRWA – Reuters (March 24, 2025)

• What We Know About the Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil – New York Magazine (March 24, 2025)

• DOJ alleges key omissions on Mahmoud Khalil’s green card application – Axios (March 24, 2025)

• A Letter From Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil – ACLU (March 20, 2025)

• Trump administration cites new grounds for deportation in Khalil case – CBS News (March 24, 2025)

• Detained Columbia activist Khalil’s wife slams claims he is Hamas supporter – Al Jazeera (March 23, 2025)

• Feds lob new allegations against Mahmoud Khalil – NBC New York (March 24, 2025)

• There can be no ‘Israel exception’ for free speech – The Guardian (March 14, 2025)

• The arrest of a pro-Palestinian immigrant should worry every American – Vox (March 17, 2025)

• Trump border czar warns Columbia agitator is ‘first of many’ to be targeted – New York Post (March 11, 2025)

News Articles (Trump’s Executive Orders and Authoritarianism):

• ‘The authoritarian playbook’: Trump targets judges, lawyers … and law itself – The Guardian (March 24, 2025)

• The Judiciary’s Last Stand – The Atlantic (March 24, 2025)

• Trump’s authoritarian drift pushes the US towards a constitutional crisis – El País (March 24, 2025)

• The Trump administration is descending into authoritarianism – The Guardian (March 22, 2025)

• Trump’s moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy – Associated Press (March 3, 2025)

• The Path to American Authoritarianism – Foreign Affairs (February 11, 2025)

• Trump’s assault on the rule of law: ‘the speed and intent is remarkable’ – Financial Times (March 21, 2025)

• Congressional GOP’s Submission to Trump Seems to Have No Limit – New York Magazine (March 18, 2025)

• There’s a pattern in Trump’s power grabs – Vox (March 24, 2025)

• Editorial: An attack on education – Times Union (March 23, 2025)

• Former assistant US attorney put on leave over federal DEI policies compares Trump’s tactics to communist Czechoslovakia – Business Insider (March 24, 2025)

• A Skadden associate quits — and calls out Big Law for bowing to Trump – Business Insider (March 21, 2025)