Are We Sliding Toward Autocracy?

Are We Sliding Toward Autocracy?
A Talk from the Perspective of a Centenarian

Born one hundred years ago, W. Michael Blumenthal has had a storied career at the
top echelons of national and international institutions, including three Presidential
administrations. He fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1939, coming to the US
after World War II. Here, he  embarked on a remarkable career that included
academia, business and public service. Highlights include serving as Chairman and
CEO of two Fortune 100 companies, senior economic advisor and trade negotiator
in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and Secretary of the Treasury in the
Carter administration.
Mr. Blumenthal draws from personal experience as a victim of an autocratic
government, a refugee and immigrant, and first-hand knowledge of other
authoritarian regimes. He played a major role in the negotiations for the re-
establishment of US-China relations and was the last Cabinet-level officer to meet
with the Shah of Iran before his government fell.
In 1997 Mr. Blumenthal became the founding director of the Jewish Museum of
Berlin where he served until 2014. His opinion piece on the threat to democracy
recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026
5:00 – 6:00 PM
Ojai Retreat
160 Besant Road, Ojai
Sponsored by Indivisible Ojai Valley, a volunteer-led, grassroots group dedicated to
promoting civic participation and for justice, sustainability, and equality.
Link to event details on website
Admission is free, but donations to Indivisible Ojai Valley are welcome.