OM DENNE EPISODE
Richard Chew is joined by Ami Fields-Meyer, former senior policy adviser at the White House, former senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, and co-author of "On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear" (2026).
The discussion focused on recognizing authoritarian tactics and strengthening civic resistance through collective action. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Fields-Meyer argued that attacks on political opponents, institutions, and media can normalize selective persecution; naming these tactics helps people understand what is happening.
- He said fear and a sense of inevitability are central to authoritarianism, and that public pushback can disrupt both.
- He described four approaches: heed moral concerns, find a community of shared values, avoid conduct that can be used to discredit a movement, and persuade a broader coalition without abandoning core principles.
- Strikes and boycotts can exert economic and reputational pressure, but Fields-Meyer said they have not yet been used at mass scale.
Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).
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