Countering the Threat of Wannabe Fascists with Federico Finchelstein
Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Federico Finchelstein about the history of fascism and the growing threat authoritarian politics pose to democracy today. Drawing on his latest book, The Wannabe Fascists, Finchelstein examines the pillars of fascism while exploring how elements of these movements continue to shape contemporary political leaders around the world. Their conversation traces the relationship between fascism and populism, the erosion of democratic norms, and why modern "wannabe fascists" represent a serious challenge to democratic values in the 21st century.
Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Guest: Federico Finchelstein is the University in Exile Research Professor at The New School, where he teaches History and directs the Janey Program in Latin American Studies. He is the author of numerous books on fascism, populism, and authoritarianism, including his latest: The Wannabe Fascists: A Guide to Understanding the Greatest Threat to Democracy.
24 Apr 2026
Building Democratic Resilience and International Solidarity with Bob Rae
Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with The Honourable Bob Rae, in a special live recording at DemocracyXchange 2026, about the state of global order, Canadian democracy, and the country's role in a shifting international landscape. Their conversation explores how today's moment of geopolitical uncertainty has been shaped by overlapping crises, from war and inequality to rising populism, alongside the growing strain on multilateral institutions, while also examining the strengths and vulnerabilities of Canada's democratic system and the challenges it faces at home. The two reflect on how Canada can navigate an increasingly fragmented world and what these intersecting pressures reveal about the future of democracy today.
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Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Guest: The Hon. Bob Rae is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, and politician who has served both provincial and federal governments. He was Premier of Ontario (NDP) and later served as interim leader of the federal Liberal Party. He has also served as Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Throughout his career, Mr. Rae has worked as a lawyer, activist and author.
Links:
DemocracyXChange
On The Frontlines of Democracy - Lecture series and podcast
6 Apr 2026
The Struggles for Black Freedom in the US and Africa with Howard French
Host Sanjay Ruparelia speaks with Howard French, professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of The Second Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation and the Modern Black Freedom Struggle, about Kwame Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and the global movement for Black liberation in the twentieth century. Their conversation explores how Nkrumah's political vision was shaped by his experiences in the United States and Britain, the deep connections between African independence movements and the civil rights struggle in the United States, and the promise and limits of postcolonial leadership. They also reflect on the unfinished project of emancipation and what these intertwined histories of freedom, empire, and solidarity can teach us about democracy today.
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Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Guest:. Howard French, Professor of Journalism at Columbia University and a widely acclaimed journalist who spent decades reporting for The New York Times. Over the course of his career, he served as bureau chief in Central America and the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, Japan and the Koreas, and China, and was one of the paper's first Black foreign correspondents. He is the author of several prize-winning books on Africa and China. His latest book, The Second Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation and the Modern Black Freedom Struggle, revisits the global movement for Black liberation that linked struggles across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States.
Background Reading:
The Second Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation and the Modern Black Freedom Struggle
Born In Blackness: Africa And The Making Of The Modern World
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
47
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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