Around the world, antidemocratic movements are gaining traction and power. At the heart of this is a poisonous combination of toxic masculinity, white supremacist paranoia, and weaponized conspiracy theories that prey on inherent insecurities. This talk by Jared Sexton, Associate Professor of Writing at Georgia Southern University and author of American Rule: How a Nation Conquered The World But Failed Its People (2020), will trace the socioeconomic history of this problem, its historical precedents, and possible solutions.