Caffeine and Chaos

The Anatomy of a Takeover


Listen Later

History doesn’t repeat — it just upgrades its operating system. In this first chapter of Caffeine & Chaos: History of Authoritarianism, Paula unpacks two centuries of warning signs — from Napoleon’s “order” to the rise of populist strongmen today. It’s a crash course in how democracies fall apart politely: through elections, paperwork, and people too tired to notice. No coups, no marching tanks — just fear, nostalgia, and fine print. Featuring: The birth of modern authoritarianism in the 19th century The “Four Indicators” every democracy should watch How fascism first learned to dress like reform And the uncomfortable mirror reflecting back at us ☕ Lesson: Authoritarians don’t seize power — they’re invited in.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pauladonovan03.substack.com
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Caffeine and ChaosBy Paula Donovan