Authoritarianism's Blueprint: From Theory to American Experimentation

Resources

Books

• "Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power" by Harvey Mansfield - Discussed in relation to the nature of the presidency and its potential for monarchical power.
• "The Stakes" by Michael Anton - Mentioned as a book that coined the term "red caesar" and discusses authoritarian rule.

Articles & Papers

• "America's Fragile Constitution" by Yoni Applebaum (The Atlantic, October 25th, a decade ago) - Summarizes the findings of Juan Linz on the breakdown of presidential systems and their instability, particularly in the US context.
• "Here's What Trump Could Unleash by Invoking the Insurrection Act" by Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith (The New York Times) - Analyzes the dangerous potential of the Insurrection Act and the broad powers it grants the president for domestic deployment of the military.
• "Donald Trump's Plan to Subvert the Midterms Is Already Underway" by David Graham (The Atlantic) - Details how Trump is allegedly working to undermine elections through various tactics, including the potential use of federal agents.

People Mentioned

• Abraham Lincoln - Referenced for his use of extraordinary executive powers during the Civil War, particularly in suspending habeas corpus, and his "Address to Congress" explaining his actions.
• Julius Caesar - Used as a historical example of a leader who seized power and restored a republic, discussed in the context of modern caesarism.
• James Burnham - Mentioned for his writings on caesarism, particularly in "The Machiavellians" and "The Managerial Revolution."
• Juan Linz - A Yale political scientist whose research on presidential vs. parliamentary democracies is cited to explain the inherent instability of presidential systems.
• Harvey Mansfield - Author of "Taming the Prince," discussed in relation to the inherent monarchical aspect of the presidency.
• Andrew S. N. Mellon - Grandfather of Timothy Mellon, former U.S. Treasury Secretary.
• Richard Mellon Scaife - Heir to the Mellon fortune, known for funding political "hit jobs" and owning the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
• Timothy Mellon - Reclusive billionaire who made a large donation to pay the military during a government shutdown.
• Mike Johnson - Speaker of the House, described as a "Jerry Lundegaard from Fargo impersonator," and criticized for refusing to swear in Adelita Grijalva.
• Adelita Grijalva - Democrat from Arizona who won a special election but had not yet been sworn in by Mike Johnson.
• Hakeem Jeffries - Democratic House Minority Leader, who was threatened by an arrested January 6th rioter.
• Chris Moinahan - Arrested individual who threatened to kill Hakeem Jeffries and was a January 6th rioter.
• Abraham Lincoln - Referenced again for his 1838 "Address to the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield" discussing ambition and political glory.
• Matthew Peterson - Claremont Institute figure, host of a roundtable discussion on caesarism.
• Michael Anton - Claremont product, former Trump official, author of "The Stakes," discussed for his views on "red caesarism."
• Daryl Cooper - Blogger ("Martyr Made"), discussed for his extreme views on political violence and his participation in a roundtable on caesarism.
• Charles Haywood - Associated with the Claremont Institute, discussed for his views on "red caesarism" and "successor monarchy."
• Dave Reboy - Claremont guy, discussed for his participation in a roundtable on caesarism.
• Adrian Vermeule - Mentioned in relation to the right's focus on minority rule and seizing the administrative state.
• Harry Jaffa - A key figure in the Claremont school of thought, discussed for his interpretations of Lincoln and executive power.
• Curtis Yarvin - Monarchist whose ideas were approved of by JD Vance.
• Dick Cheney - Former Vice President, quoted on the president's sole authority over nuclear codes.
• JD Vance - Current Vice President, quoted approvingly of Curtis Yarvin and discussing "extra constitutional remedies."
• Jack Goldsmith - Former legal counsel to George W. Bush, co-author of an op-ed on the Insurrection Act.
• Bob Bauer - Former legal counsel to Obama, co-author of an op-ed on the Insurrection Act.
• Damon Linker - Newsletter writer, compared the Insurrection Act to Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution.
• Ginni Thomas - Wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, mentioned for her suggestion to send the "Biden crime family" to barges outside Gitmo.
• Bill Barr - Former Attorney General, mentioned as having resigned during the period after the 2020 election.
• John Kelly - Former White House Chief of Staff, mentioned as having resigned.
• Eugene Scalia - Former Secretary of Labor, mentioned as having resigned.
• Reince Priebus - Former White House Chief of Staff, mentioned as no longer being around Trump.
• Clarence Thomas - Supreme Court Justice, mentioned in relation to his wife Ginni Thomas.
• Mavis Staples - Singer, mentioned for her new album and a song called "This Is My Country."
• Levon Helm - Musician, mentioned for his recording of "This Is My Country" with Mavis Staples.

Organizations & Institutions

• Descent - Publication mentioned as a partner of the podcast, with upcoming issues on "sewer socialism."
• Claremont Institute - An organization whose intellectual milieu is discussed in relation to the right's embrace of Trump and theories of caesarism.
• The Economist - Publication where Steve Bannon made comments about Trump's 2028 presidential prospects.
• The Atlantic - Publication where Yoni Applebaum's and David Graham's articles were published.
• The New York Times - Publication where Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith's op-ed on the Insurrection Act was published.
• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Mentioned in the context of Trump's alleged coercion of various entities.
• Department of Justice (DOJ) - Mentioned in the context of monitoring elections and potential actions related to the 2020 election.
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Mentioned in relation to potential plans to seize voting machines.
• The Defense Department - Mentioned in relation to potential plans to seize voting machines.
• The Supreme Court - Mentioned in relation to its deference to the president regarding the Insurrection Act.
• The White House - Mentioned in relation to Trump's actions and plans.
• The State Department - Michael Anton served in this department during Trump's first term.
• The U.S. Treasury Secretary - Andrew Mellon held this position.
• The House of Representatives - Discussed in relation to Speaker Mike Johnson's actions.
• The Senate - Mentioned in relation to the January 6th breach.

Tools & Software

• AI-generated images and videos - Used by Trump to depict himself in monarchical attire.

Websites & Online Resources

• Patreon (patreon.com/no_your_enemy) - Platform for subscribing to the podcast for bonus episodes and a digital subscription to Descent.
• Discord - Platform accessible to Patreon subscribers for bonus episodes.
• The First Draft Newsletter for Zeteo - Peter Rothblatts's newsletter where he summarized developments regarding Trump's potential 2028 run.
• The Worthy House blog - Charles Haywood's blog, mentioned in the context of his views on caesarism.
• Blaze Media - Media company where Matthew Peterson is a figure, hosting a conversation on caesarism.

Other Resources

• January 6th Report - Mentioned as a document that details many of Trump's proposed actions.
• The Insurrection Act - A law granting the president broad powers to use the military domestically, discussed as a potential tool for authoritarian actions.
• Posse Comitatus Act - A law that generally bars the use of federal military for domestic law enforcement purposes, which the Insurrection Act can override.
• Habeas Corpus - Mentioned in relation to Abraham Lincoln's suspension of it during the Civil War.
• The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - Prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice.
• The 2020 Election - Discussed as a pivotal event fueling conspiracy theories and justifying drastic measures for those who believe it was stolen.
• CPAC - Conference where a flyer outlining strategies for a third Trump term was distributed.
• The January 6th Rioters - Mentioned as a group of people pardoned by Trump who may be called upon to act violently.
• The Summer of 2020 - Described as a period of civil unrest that some believe Trump should have used to seize power dictatorially.
• The Late Roman Republic - Used as a historical parallel for current political crises and the potential rise of caesarism.
• The Weimar Constitution (Article 48) - Compared to the Insurrection Act as a tool for a leader to gain dictatorial powers during emergencies.
• No Kings Protest - Mentioned as an example of potential resistance to authoritarianism.
• The "football" (containing nuclear codes) - Mentioned in relation to the president's sole authority over nuclear launch.
• "Bomb Power" - A concept discussed in relation to how national security concerns are used to justify presidential power.
• "Turn Key Tyranny" - A concept used to describe the expanded powers of the presidency.
• "Red Caesar" - A term coined by Michael Anton to describe a potential authoritarian leader on the right.
• "Blue Caesar" - A term used in contrast to "red caesar."
• "Christian Nationalism" - Discussed in relation to the potential role of a "Christian Prince."
• "Denazification" and "Debathification" - Terms used by JD Vance to describe purging political opponents.
• "Unitary Executive Theory" - A legal theory that significantly expanded presidential power, particularly during the Bush administration.
• "The Managerial Revolution" - A thesis by James Burnham discussing the role of a powerful managerial state.
• "The Machiavellians" - A book by James Burnham discussing political power.
• "The Presidential System" - A type of government discussed as being prone to stalemate and authoritarianism.
• "Parliamentary Systems" - Contrasted with presidential systems as being more stable.
• "The Jan 6th Commission Report" - A document referenced in the podcast.
• "The Civil War" - Mentioned as a period when the U.S. system literally fell apart.
• "The Impeachment of Donald Trump" - Implied in the context of legal consequences and Trump's desire to avoid them.
• "The Biden Crime Family" - A term used by Ginni Thomas.
• "Gitmo" (Guantanamo Bay) - Mentioned as a potential location for exiling political opponents.