Invited Guest Suggestion/Requests: Timothy Snyder, Ph.D.: on the topic of fascism

General Discussion
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Hi:

I have requested this at least once before:

Snyder continues to be a voice of reason from what little I’ve heard, including with respect to the issue of diagnosing if or to what extent we are moving specifically toward fascism.

This is not recent, but I really like what he had to say here, 8 years ago:

Historian Timothy Snyder: “It’s pretty much inevitable” that Trump will try to stage a coup and overthrow democracy
Yale historian and author of the new book “On Tyranny” says we may have one year left to save American democracy
By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published May 1, 2017 12:00PM (EDT)

The question that was asked of him:

“… In my writing and interviews, I have consistently referred to Donald Trump as a fascist. I have received a great deal of resistance to that claim. Do you think this description is correct? If not, then what language should we use to describe Donald Trump?…”

his response in 2017:

"…I don’t want to dodge your question about whether Trump is a fascist or not. As I see it, there are certainly elements of his approach which are fascistic. The straight-on confrontation with the truth is at the center of the fascist worldview. The attempt to undo the Enlightenment as a way to undo institutions, that is fascism.

"Whether he realizes it or not is a different question, but that’s what fascists did. They said, “Don’t worry about the facts; don’t worry about logic. Think instead in terms of mystical unities and direct connections between the mystical leader and the people.” That’s fascism. Whether we see it or not, whether we like it or not, whether we forget, that is fascism.

"Another thing that’s clearly fascist about Trump were the rallies. The way that he used the language, the blunt repetitions, the naming of the enemies, the physical removal of opponents from rallies, that was really, without exaggeration, just like the 1920s and the 1930s.

“And Mr. [Steve] Bannon’s preoccupation with the 1930s and his kind of wishful reclamation of Italian and other fascists speaks for itself.”

I don’t mind if Ana or Cenk wants to disagree with Snyder, but if they avoid having him on (whether because they are trying to preserve an environment where the President is not called a Fascist or other statist, or for other reasons) then this will reduce my interest in TYT. Maybe John Iadarola or another host could do it, if Ana and Cenk don’t, or if he hasn’t already been on.

Also, I suggest we have a category set up for coming up with ideas for invited guests.

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Glaze, I think it’s great to invite Timothy Snyder to TYT for an interview or town hall Contact Kara. I have Snyder’s book on my nightstand. Unfortunately, I think he is 1 of 3 Yale professors going to work in Canada because of threats. Good idea though. Jack

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Thanks Jackc380. I was confused last month by how it said “glaze” and I didn’t realize the level of helpful response you were stating back to me. Thanks for your support of this idea.

A followup comment to TYT in general on this topic:

On May 14, there seems to have been a NYT story about the three Yale professors jackc380 mentions leaving for Canada:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/opinion/yale-canada-fascism.html
I can’t access the story, but found what appears to be a related video posted here that anyone can access:

6 minutes 53 seconds
These Yale Professors Study Fascism
10 views·4 days ago
First Amendment Documentaries
The decision by these three Yale professors to move to Canada is both a warning and a call to action.
Uploaded on May 14, 2025 at 7:42 am
Categories: Educational, Documentary
License: Attribution

I am disappointed that (as far as I know) there has been no on-air interviewing of true experts on fascism (and I don’t mean wannabe-experts but actual proper no-doubt-about-it reputable experts such as those featured in the video). I really hope that I have just missed this because I only have time to watch TYT about an hour or less per week. But if TYT has not featured such an expert and worked with them to help the audience understand where the signs are quite clear that we are moving toward fascism, then I would like a direct answer as to why not.

Also, I have seen Cenk reading feedback on air from people. Does anyone know where we can leave our feedback so it will be read on air? My top feedback of the moment is please let’s hear a proper interview with Snyder or one of the other true experts. If Ana or Cenk isn’t up to it, then how about one of the other hosts? As long as they ask some good questions and let Snyder speak, I think it would be a great segment.

a few days ago I saw Ana doing extremely well with some opinions about an unrelated topic (sorry I can’t remember what it was, offhand). This was a healthy reminder to me that although there are times when I disagree or (very occasionally) just flat-out do not think much of her views, it is more often the case that I think we are in good hands with her takes, and once in awhile I think she is just about the best in the business. This was one of those times where I thought she was the best. I mention in part because I seem to remember her not agreeing that “fascism” is a relevant diagnosis for what we see happening under the Trump administration. Maybe I am wrong. If that is about right, even if she disagrees, I’d like to challenge her to take this on, and interview the expert.

Also, in light of Ana’s excellent performance on other topics, and in light of other matters such as good segments often done by Cenk, John and other hosts, I will donate more (or join) today. This is despite the lack of discussion of the meaning of fascism and not because I think you’ve done a good job of addressing my concerns in this area.

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Ok, I was a little out of touch with the status of my account. It is where I want it, so I just made a modest one-time donation. As I said there are things I don’t love about the channel, but they’ve done really well on some other fronts and sometimes I think it rises to the level of whatever modest support I can give.

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