Freedom's just another word...

and we don't agree what it means

In the fifth and final episode of my podcast series, AUTOCRACY IN AMERICA, co-written with my colleague Peter Pomerantsev, we delve into the history of the word “freedom,” a concept that is sometimes confused with “democracy” but can mean different things to different people. At times, “freedom,” to some Americans, has meant the freedom to oppress others, or the freedom to ignore the federal government, or the freedom to break the law. We argue for a different kind of freedom: the freedom to engage in politics, to participate in public life.

This particular episode also stars Jefferson Cowie, a historian who has written about the darker history of the word “freedom” in America (check out his book, Freedom’s Dominion) as well as Timothy Snyder, who also has a new book out, On Freedom, which makes the case for something more positive. Freedom, he argues, is meaningless if you have no power and no rights.

You can listen to this episode (or indeed binge-listen to the whole thing!) on Apple podcasts, on Spotify or via the Atlantic website.