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How To Be a Dissident in Trump’s America | Gal Beckerman
Posted
May 27, 2026
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1:13:15Now PlayingWhat does it actually mean to become a dissident?
Not in theory. Not in history books. Right now.
In this episode of On Offense, Kris Goldsmith speaks with Atlantic staff writer and author Gal Beckerman about his new book, How to Be a Dissident, and the deeper psychological questions raised by life under rising authoritarianism.
This conversation explores conformity, moral courage, propaganda, normalization, and the pressures that cause ordinary people to stay silent while democratic institutions erode around them.
But more importantly, we discuss what makes dissidents different, and Beckerman’s ten rules that shape them.
Drawing from dissident movements across history — and from the lived reality of the second Trump administration — Beckerman argues that resistance begins long before politics. It begins with the refusal to normalize cruelty, corruption, fear, and obedience.
Together, Kris and Gal discuss:
* Why authoritarianism depends on adaptation and exhaustion
* How propaganda reshapes identity and social behavior
* The psychological pressure to conform
* Why some people comply while others “sit apart”
* The role of community and “neighborism” in resisting authoritarian politics
* Why “hopeful pessimism” may be necessary for democratic survival
* What integrity looks like in moments of democratic decline
This is a conversation about how human beings behave when institutions fail — and how we choose who we become in the process.
Buy How to Be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman
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On Offense with Kris Goldsmith is a podcast about fighting for democracy and organizing against fascism. Hosted by U.S. Army combat veteran, antifascist investigator, and Veterans Fighting Fascism founder Kris Goldsmith, the show explores authoritarianism, propaganda, political violence, online radicalization, and the growing threats facing democratic societies.
#Trump #Authoritarianism #Democracy #Politics #GalBeckerman #OnOffense
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