Joseph Gerson on Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Militarism. October 23, 2025 speech for Centre Delas annual conference in Barcelona, Spain.

A cracked U.S. Capitol dome or faded Constitution overlaid with dark storm clouds

The rise of Trump and MAGA echoes past totalitarianisms, where fear and ideology erode truth and democracy. As militarism and inequality deepen, freedom itself is at risk. Our task is to defend dignity and revive a spirit of empathy, justice, and common security before it’s too late.

New Sheriff Astride the Globe: Trump’s Sovereigntist Imperialism

New Sheriff Astride the Globe Trump’s Sovereigntist Imperialism

By Joseph Gerson Days after November’s Trump/MAGA election victory, a senior Russian diplomat asked how great a historical transformation it signaled. Was it the equivalent of the Civil War, or the Depression era New Deal? Soon it was clear. Jamille Bouie wrote in the New York Times that Trump and his cronies were “waging war … Read more

The Would-Be Dictator’s Foreign and Military Commitments

The Would-Be Dictator’s Foreign and Military Commitments

In this period of tectonic geopolitical and political changes, we do well to heed Antonio Gramsci’s wisdom about interregnums: “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.”  Trump’s rule will certainly hasten the U.S.  decline and that of its empire with Beijing looking to be the greatest beneficiary.

What to Expect From Trump’s Foreign and Military Policies: Old and New Dangers

White House Washingtom

By Joseph Gerson What do we really know about Trump’s foreign and military commitments, about his acolytes who are jostling for position and influence, and what do we think the tyrant will actually do? On the morning of November 6, many of us woke to the reality that what we thought of as our nation … Read more