A Russian Phrasebook for Surviving Authoritarianism
5/27/202629 min
Russian language has a rich vocabulary for describing life under tyranny. Like the plain-clothed ICE officers snatching people off the streets? In Russian, they would be called "siloviki." Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's requirement that she personally approve of contracts over $100,000? That's a phenomenon that Russians would call "manual control." Government workers being required to perform a military parade for the president's birthday? They would be called "budget people" in Russian. Brooke speaks with Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev, the authors of the upcoming book How to Survive Authoritarianism: A Russian Phrasebook for Everyday Life in America, about how Russian words and phrases can help Americans understand what's happening in their country today. The book comes out in September.
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Brooke Gladstone· Host0:39
This is On The Media's midweek podcast. I'm Brooke Gladstone. Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has moved quickly to consolidate his power and punish his enemies. Over the weekend, President Trump continued his flurry of executive moves. He fired at least 15 inspectors general.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:59
President Donald Trump vowing to send National Guard troops to more US cities.
Speaker 5· Soundbite1:03
The head of the Federal Communications Commission has warned that some broadcasters risk losing their licenses over their news coverage of the Iran war.
Speaker 6· Soundbite1:13
Breaking news with former FBI director, James Comey. He has been indicted by a federal grand jury in North Carolina. This is over this controversial Instagram post from last year which- Democrats are worried that the president might try to influence voter turnout in the midterms by doing things like sending in the National Guard