I hear and read a lot of whining and complaining; telling “us” we need to do “something”. What I don’t see is a plan or strategy for forming an effective resistance movement!
Agreed. They say, ‘Don’t be fooled’ etcetc - I’m not fooled. I’m desperate for one of the Contrarians to tell us what effective opposition looks like. Which opposition strategies have worked historically; who has the power to create a counter-force; why wasn’t a plan in place? Projects 2025 was hardly a secret.
My idea is to have the DNC, or congressional Democrats form a Shadow Cabinet. The Shadow Cabinet officer would have more gravitas when quoted, and they would know the facts. e.g. how many federal workers around the country are now without paychecks.
I, too, am baffled by the unpreparedness of the Congressional Democrats. We all knew this might happen. You can hear a bullhorn. Yet, I see no evidence of any united plan to counter this attack. That, for me, is the disaster. I want to throw a shoe at the screen every time I hear a Democrat describe the present administration as “scary”. That’s the best we got?
A good way to prepare was to read Project 2025. I slogged through 2/3 of it with a political action book club group. Now we are on to reading things about sustaining democracy, and making a group plan of action which we are working on implementing. We meet weekly.
I heard people talk about Project 2025 at the DNC, but I was thinking it should have been the substance of much more teaching than it was. Also, people who are thinking democracy, should be reading books on Autocracy to see how it works. The Democrats are still caught up in modeling how someone behaves in a democracy but they are no longer in a democracy, they are in an illiberal country. That requires different tactics.
This has not hit, i.e. that we are in regime change (or serious attempt at it). You may say the Democrats, and even those here in the resistance are in denial depending on the system to work. That we are no longer in a Democracy or still expecting the democracy to work, to snap back seems like a precipice we are on now (four weeks in). There comes a point though where it's not working as a democracy with checks and balances; it has changed and beginning to harden before cementing into autocracy. I don't know if we are there yet, but we need more action so far... and alarm. Different tactics are forming..
Potter, you might appreciate this talk of Timothy Snyder and Ivan Krastev of Sophia, Bulgaria in Vienna on Thursday. It is intelligent, and gives us a sense of the situation in the US in a bigger context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc6hZqBEb4Y
Listening... 1 hour plus into this Snyder gets to the nitty gritty about Ukraine. Ceasefire (not peace treaty because that is not really possible between Putin and Trump). This will be an opportunity for the Europeans and they MUST take it. No more wait and see and depending on the US!! We are not going to come to the rescue.Trump/Musk does not believe in international law.
And there is a lot more that Snyder says ( he's terrific).. for digesting and discussion. Ivan has some insight, but there are spots where I can't get fully what he is saying (even using CC ). But enough of what he is saying comes through and he gives plenty to think about.
Big point is that our government is being taken apart (at the moment) here. It's early though and it is ( and I am afraid will be) taking long for this "news" to get around to enough people who would resist. We may rally and form a formidable resistance and succeed (I hope) before this cements. It's hard now to get some people to believe. They will when it hits. Rationalizing won't work. (Tim said as much about the Europeans too: complacency, denial, disbelief) So it's "it can't happen here" (for us) "it won't or CAN'T happen here again" for the Europeans.
I am hoping that a strong committed alliance outside of NATO forms OR the US (of Trump) leaves NATO (the former more likely). The Euros need to deal with existential problems.
Here, we are on a precipice.. it's only a month but we should not waste time to build opposition.. ongoing rolling marches including all sorts of other resistance tactics. It is happening.
What can congressional Democrats do right now? If they propose legislation it will not get out of committee. When the budget bill comes up then the Dems can start making their case.
Many are speaking out right now but they get little media attention. As was said here, the drumph is throwing spaghetti at the wall, and keeping the media tied up with his outrageous behaviori.
Meantime, appropriately, it is legal entities that are showing up to challenge his illegal edicts. (never call them executive orders!)
These are early days. Have confidence. The price of eggs ain't going down
I think reading a book like Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, or On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder can be helpful. I like the Shadow cabinet, but I think it would be more effective if it were not DNC members per say, but experts in the various areas of government which Project 2025 attempted to do.
I can also point out that according to Marc Elias of Democracy Docket, there is a freeze on the pay freeze by the courts until Monday, so getting informed on that is important. Ruth Ben-Ghiat has some recommendations as well.
Linda, I have written in comments several times about the type of org structure one might build at the DNC, and I have written to Senator Whitehouse about the same. A central coordination/Intelligence team is critical. It could be formed like a central project management office which takes on new issues as they arise (Offensive and defensive) from their intelligence reporting arm. Feeding and coaching (guiding) members of the houses. Very similar to global business transformation projects which I and others like me put in place for critical business projects. I am too old, but I could inform you further on how this looks, if helpful.
Bruce, I agree that a Central team would be great. I was envisioning a democratic version of Project 2025, along with things like cultivating young progressives in the way that the Right wing has been doing for a long time. They have been very single minded, but they meet at CPAP and have all these youth organizations that they fund. The same with media that they fund so that there is no paywall.
Is Senator Whitehouse your Senator? I am not familiar with him. Have you heard back from him?
I was thinking that What Fascism expert Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat and writer Anand Giridharadas discuss here is something we should be thinking about.
I am member of Democrats Abroad Germany, so I am in a community that not only has regular meetings online but also in person in my city. The mood I am picking up on is that people do not want the Democratic establishment to remake our party, but people who have fresh ideas. They also do not want tainted oligarchic monies to fund the party. Obviously this is just the people I am around. I am sure there are many points of view.
The Senator has not responded, nor has the past co-chair Ms. Whitmer done so. They are all seemingly caught up in the day to day (or think I know bupkess). Anyways it will take an outsider in my opinion to get to work on just this. I am also a DEAB Germany member (Muenster), but I am not active for health reasons.
Well, I’m sorry to say that the Shadow Cabinet is not your idea. This was an idea put out by Tim Snyder and I would appreciate your acknowledgment of this.
I think we all know it came from Tim Snyder, I just think that he was talking about experts, not the DNC politicians. A lot of them don't know good governance either.
Thank you you might want to check him out. He’s a renowned scholar, who wrote a lengthy post regarding this very idea.- he has a site on Substack that you can easily find
Exactly. I respect Sheppele's scholarship, but this post is more demoralizing than mobilizing. What should we be doing right now to counter Trump's cruelty in an effective way?
I find it helpful because it explains what is going on. Now, one has to decide what one wants to do to resist, if that is the path you choose. Right now you are funding non-legacy journalism which is critical to documenting what is going on and providing people with information. There are also indivisible groups, or women's march groups.
All the things that local groups that exist to help people will probably need a lot of volunteers. Pick an issue that you care to work on. My group is working on health care. I have friends who are working on keeping sane and healthy.
I would love to "do" something. Where are the Democratic leaders? Why are they not Leading the charge, helping us DO something? Personally I would love it if the Blue State could somehow just form their own Union. I am not sure there is any way to repair the huge divide between what my values are and those of MAGA. We are in 2 different Universes!
Since the leaders are not leading, We the People will have to. Here is what the Women of Iceland did in 1975, and it took them years to organize it, but it has led to monumental change.
Love this! Thank you for posting. I highly recommend others to watch this if feeling helpless, AND take it to heart and possibly the streets! I plan on sharing....
Professor Tim Snyder and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse when taken together in their writings and interviews of late have made proposals which task the DNC with restructuring to establish Shadow Cabinet Teams and Strategic Advisory Teams (Coordinators) to constitute the Opposition Structure we need going forward.
I hope someone at the DNC is listening, because time is running out quickly. Parliaments all around the world do this, so it's not as if Democrats have to invent it. Copy it! For our sake, do it NOW! With the right kind of people.
Membership has surged at our local Indivisible group and over 2000 new Indivisible groups have formed across the country. Indivisible groups are working together with allied organizations to share the work and so each individual can take effective action with issues that most concern them.
Liebe Linda, Ich bin zu alt und krank um so Etwas aktiv umzusetzen. Aber mein Hirn und Gedächtnis funktionieren noch gut. Wie gesagt ich kann vielleicht mit meinen Erfahrungen mithelfen, aber sonst geht es nicht mehr.
For everyone wondering what they can do.... there is a meeting on Jan 30th called Bracing for Impact from 3:00-4:00.EST. A ground roots movement is beginning. It's with Indivisible's co-founders Ezra and Leah. (suggested by Linda Weide, who I also don't know but we're all grappling here right?!? There may be some solid advice on actions to take. . https://indivisible.org/groups
If you’re looking for suggestions on what to do next, I might suggest picking up a copy of Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage and Emily Amick. Amick is a former attorney for Chuck Schumer when he was Senate Majority Leader. Both Sage and Amick are Democratic leaders in the social media space and have been screaming for forever that Dems need to do SO MUCH MORE on the socials. Amick also has a substack that I find helpful.
I read "Those of us concerned about the future of our democracy need to regroup and prepare for a long hard fight. We cannot let ourselves be divided and conquered—or distracted by everything that is flooding the zone right now." What's missing for me is WHAT TO DO so things don't get so bad we won't be able to recover.
Well, that's what we've got to get to work and figure out. Sign up with Indivisible if you haven't already. And be alert to many the many other activist organizations that are already working or that will soon pop up and get going. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We've got to figure this out and get this done because the alternative is unacceptable.
Thank you, Kim. This article was extremely illuminating. I am not-all-that slowly & surely figuring out where my small bit of power lies. And I intend to thoughtfully act on it.
I see the flood waters rising but am offered very few (if any) life rafts. For my small part, I now subscribe to independent journalism much more than I did before. I think the Contrarian is a great start. But how do we fight people with guns and deep loyalty to a madman?
Look, I agree with most of what's in this essay, but what the heck are we supposed to do about it? Trump won the election, fair and square, and he won it for a reason--America isn't buying what the anti-Trump resistance is selling. Most people just don't care, they are too worried about the price of eggs. Trump has been saying what he planned to do if reelected literally for years; we had ample experience of his governing style and personal inclinations last time around. The American people looked at this with their eyes wide open and they picked the autocrat, and also gave him a supine majority in both houses of Congress. Not only that, Trump got the highest rate of Black and Latino support of any Republican candidate in a generation, and a majority of White women. I can't see any evidence that anyone who voted for him regrets that choice, at least not yet. So we can hold all the marches and write all the op-eds we want, but that didn't work out so great last time. Until his popular support starts to sour, I'm afraid resistance is futile, and may in fact make things worse.
You have a point. Perhaps the best thing to do is wait until he does something clearly at odds with the preferences of his supporters - like cutting medicare, medicaid, or social security - and then hit him hard.
But if we wait passively for his approval to erode, it would be a sign of approval. Remember, although he won, it was with less than 50%. And the democrats do have a chance to win back the house in three special elections. And the pushback to the illegal “executive orders” and other things will make news and one doesn’t need that many people to wake up. There’s a lot of illegal actions to fight. No time to roll over. In the meantime, we can only hope the people that might wake up, will wake up, when it hits them personally.
Very good synopsis and reminder, along with hard, accurate information of how dictatorships get started. Some this may be new and fresh to those of us who have opposed Trumpism for some time. I wonder, though, if others of us don't already know most of this. Knowing a thing, and doing something about it, are not exactly the same thing, even though knowing what you're dealing with is crucial - in our personal lives too, and in much less dire times than we face right now.
So, to speak to one issue, and "micro-focus" as many have now recommended: immigration. Yes, as some suggest, the deportations have been going on a long time, under presidents of both parties. That doesn't make it right. But let's go further back than that - further than Barack. How about the original Natives? Aren't we all illegal if we look at that part of this continent and its history? Does California, for instance, really rightfully belong to Mexico? How about Texas?
But that's another battle altogether. As I and others have recommended: micro-focus.
This is an outstanding essay. The cruelty and loyalty have been obvious to those paying attention, but Prof. Schepple's analysis helpfully exposes the details and dangers. What I find crucially illuminating is Scheppele's discussion of the Dual State — the symbiosis of the Normative and Prerogative states in generating autocracy. And her warning not to let ourselves be distracted by the apparent normalcy of the Normative state while democracy withers through the cruelty and loyalty practices of the Prerogative state. Wow. The light bulb goes on. Those notions will frame what I see and think from now on. And help me work more effectively to save democracy in America, if indeed it can be. Thank you, Prof. Scheppele.
Indivisible, for example. And working to thwart the "Nonprofit Killer bill" that will probably be reintroduced in this Congress (H.R. 9495 in previous Congress). This bill is a tool of totalitarianism, an existential threat to the broad range of liberal-progressive nonprofits because it allows the Treasury Secretary to cancel their nonprofit status by fiat with no justification needed other than to claim that they "support terrorism" in some unspecified way. Working with many partners on that. Also working with some networks to promote sanctuary. And sharing lots of information and encouragement in many communications with multiple friends and partners. We've got to build communities of resistance and networks of allies. I'm doing it. You can, too.
Americans committed Hari-Kari to their Country by electing Trump…..AGAIN!
WHY?
It’s as if they were presented with a choice of chocolate cake or a s**t sandwich…..and…..they chose the sandwich! Even after eating one before! Does not make sense! Mind-boggling!
And…….humans have done this before(e.g. Hitler). What is wrong with them? I sure don’t understand it. Very….shockingly…..appallingly…..disappointing.
Recently, I’ve been reading histories and testimonies of German-occupied France (June 1940-August 1944), and the Vichy regime in the Southern 40% of the country (June 1940-November 1942). The lawless decisions, the arbitrary regulations and the piling on of cruelty characteristic of the Trump regime is starting to remind me of that dark period of French history. With the exception that there is no foreign occupier enforcing these actions. The regime is doing it to its own country.
The orange blowhard has violated his oath of office. With his vast and documented criminal history, what more do our legislators need to dispose of this criminal? Must we remind them of their oaths to office as well? Clue: Words alone won't work.
I started but can't finish reading this. Here is a man - if you can call him that - who is himself deserving of the worst punishment possible, callously doling it out to people who did nothing but criticize him, legitimately, or seek to escape terror in their home countries. He's frothing at the mouth to see people executed (good thing he wasn't president when the Central Park five were in jail). He's promoting drunkards and perverts.
He himself is nothing more than a disgusting pig, an ignoramus, an embarrassment to this country.
Where is the Democratic Party? Clearly they are not going to save us. So what should we do to unite around a common theme, purpose…? Last year I spent a lot of time, energy, and money supporting this party that now seems spineless. I will not do that this year.
I hear and read a lot of whining and complaining; telling “us” we need to do “something”. What I don’t see is a plan or strategy for forming an effective resistance movement!
Agreed. They say, ‘Don’t be fooled’ etcetc - I’m not fooled. I’m desperate for one of the Contrarians to tell us what effective opposition looks like. Which opposition strategies have worked historically; who has the power to create a counter-force; why wasn’t a plan in place? Projects 2025 was hardly a secret.
My idea is to have the DNC, or congressional Democrats form a Shadow Cabinet. The Shadow Cabinet officer would have more gravitas when quoted, and they would know the facts. e.g. how many federal workers around the country are now without paychecks.
I, too, am baffled by the unpreparedness of the Congressional Democrats. We all knew this might happen. You can hear a bullhorn. Yet, I see no evidence of any united plan to counter this attack. That, for me, is the disaster. I want to throw a shoe at the screen every time I hear a Democrat describe the present administration as “scary”. That’s the best we got?
A good way to prepare was to read Project 2025. I slogged through 2/3 of it with a political action book club group. Now we are on to reading things about sustaining democracy, and making a group plan of action which we are working on implementing. We meet weekly.
I heard people talk about Project 2025 at the DNC, but I was thinking it should have been the substance of much more teaching than it was. Also, people who are thinking democracy, should be reading books on Autocracy to see how it works. The Democrats are still caught up in modeling how someone behaves in a democracy but they are no longer in a democracy, they are in an illiberal country. That requires different tactics.
This has not hit, i.e. that we are in regime change (or serious attempt at it). You may say the Democrats, and even those here in the resistance are in denial depending on the system to work. That we are no longer in a Democracy or still expecting the democracy to work, to snap back seems like a precipice we are on now (four weeks in). There comes a point though where it's not working as a democracy with checks and balances; it has changed and beginning to harden before cementing into autocracy. I don't know if we are there yet, but we need more action so far... and alarm. Different tactics are forming..
Potter, you might appreciate this talk of Timothy Snyder and Ivan Krastev of Sophia, Bulgaria in Vienna on Thursday. It is intelligent, and gives us a sense of the situation in the US in a bigger context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc6hZqBEb4Y
Listening... 1 hour plus into this Snyder gets to the nitty gritty about Ukraine. Ceasefire (not peace treaty because that is not really possible between Putin and Trump). This will be an opportunity for the Europeans and they MUST take it. No more wait and see and depending on the US!! We are not going to come to the rescue.Trump/Musk does not believe in international law.
And there is a lot more that Snyder says ( he's terrific).. for digesting and discussion. Ivan has some insight, but there are spots where I can't get fully what he is saying (even using CC ). But enough of what he is saying comes through and he gives plenty to think about.
Big point is that our government is being taken apart (at the moment) here. It's early though and it is ( and I am afraid will be) taking long for this "news" to get around to enough people who would resist. We may rally and form a formidable resistance and succeed (I hope) before this cements. It's hard now to get some people to believe. They will when it hits. Rationalizing won't work. (Tim said as much about the Europeans too: complacency, denial, disbelief) So it's "it can't happen here" (for us) "it won't or CAN'T happen here again" for the Europeans.
I am hoping that a strong committed alliance outside of NATO forms OR the US (of Trump) leaves NATO (the former more likely). The Euros need to deal with existential problems.
Here, we are on a precipice.. it's only a month but we should not waste time to build opposition.. ongoing rolling marches including all sorts of other resistance tactics. It is happening.
PS... I actually heard the first one in 2023 between these two, I am remembering! Thx.
Thank you... will listen
What can congressional Democrats do right now? If they propose legislation it will not get out of committee. When the budget bill comes up then the Dems can start making their case.
Many are speaking out right now but they get little media attention. As was said here, the drumph is throwing spaghetti at the wall, and keeping the media tied up with his outrageous behaviori.
Meantime, appropriately, it is legal entities that are showing up to challenge his illegal edicts. (never call them executive orders!)
These are early days. Have confidence. The price of eggs ain't going down
I think reading a book like Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, or On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder can be helpful. I like the Shadow cabinet, but I think it would be more effective if it were not DNC members per say, but experts in the various areas of government which Project 2025 attempted to do.
I can also point out that according to Marc Elias of Democracy Docket, there is a freeze on the pay freeze by the courts until Monday, so getting informed on that is important. Ruth Ben-Ghiat has some recommendations as well.
https://lucid.substack.com/p/keeping-it-together-as-everything
Robert Reich is asking for people to share what they know that is going on.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/please-share-what-you-know
I am recommending picking one thing to work on, and give yourself breaks, but try to keep generally informed.
Linda, I have written in comments several times about the type of org structure one might build at the DNC, and I have written to Senator Whitehouse about the same. A central coordination/Intelligence team is critical. It could be formed like a central project management office which takes on new issues as they arise (Offensive and defensive) from their intelligence reporting arm. Feeding and coaching (guiding) members of the houses. Very similar to global business transformation projects which I and others like me put in place for critical business projects. I am too old, but I could inform you further on how this looks, if helpful.
Bruce, I agree that a Central team would be great. I was envisioning a democratic version of Project 2025, along with things like cultivating young progressives in the way that the Right wing has been doing for a long time. They have been very single minded, but they meet at CPAP and have all these youth organizations that they fund. The same with media that they fund so that there is no paywall.
Is Senator Whitehouse your Senator? I am not familiar with him. Have you heard back from him?
I was thinking that What Fascism expert Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat and writer Anand Giridharadas discuss here is something we should be thinking about.
https://youtu.be/p2DEU9Wi6OA
I am member of Democrats Abroad Germany, so I am in a community that not only has regular meetings online but also in person in my city. The mood I am picking up on is that people do not want the Democratic establishment to remake our party, but people who have fresh ideas. They also do not want tainted oligarchic monies to fund the party. Obviously this is just the people I am around. I am sure there are many points of view.
The Senator has not responded, nor has the past co-chair Ms. Whitmer done so. They are all seemingly caught up in the day to day (or think I know bupkess). Anyways it will take an outsider in my opinion to get to work on just this. I am also a DEAB Germany member (Muenster), but I am not active for health reasons.
Well, I’m sorry to say that the Shadow Cabinet is not your idea. This was an idea put out by Tim Snyder and I would appreciate your acknowledgment of this.
I think we all know it came from Tim Snyder, I just think that he was talking about experts, not the DNC politicians. A lot of them don't know good governance either.
Hi JMcKay - I don’t know Tim Snyder, but you apparently do. Please give him a thumbs up and let’s get to work making it happen!!!!
Thank you you might want to check him out. He’s a renowned scholar, who wrote a lengthy post regarding this very idea.- he has a site on Substack that you can easily find
Exactly. I respect Sheppele's scholarship, but this post is more demoralizing than mobilizing. What should we be doing right now to counter Trump's cruelty in an effective way?
I find it helpful because it explains what is going on. Now, one has to decide what one wants to do to resist, if that is the path you choose. Right now you are funding non-legacy journalism which is critical to documenting what is going on and providing people with information. There are also indivisible groups, or women's march groups.
https://indivisible.org/groups
All the things that local groups that exist to help people will probably need a lot of volunteers. Pick an issue that you care to work on. My group is working on health care. I have friends who are working on keeping sane and healthy.
I would love to "do" something. Where are the Democratic leaders? Why are they not Leading the charge, helping us DO something? Personally I would love it if the Blue State could somehow just form their own Union. I am not sure there is any way to repair the huge divide between what my values are and those of MAGA. We are in 2 different Universes!
Since the leaders are not leading, We the People will have to. Here is what the Women of Iceland did in 1975, and it took them years to organize it, but it has led to monumental change.
https://youtu.be/e9OsIj32w7U?si=HUpRi0_2eKfPCdjn
We can be seeking out resistance movements.
One way I am resisting is I got my child bearing years daughter out of the US for university. This plan was formed for a while, but I carried it out.
Love this! Thank you for posting. I highly recommend others to watch this if feeling helpless, AND take it to heart and possibly the streets! I plan on sharing....
Solidarity!
Right on!
Professor Tim Snyder and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse when taken together in their writings and interviews of late have made proposals which task the DNC with restructuring to establish Shadow Cabinet Teams and Strategic Advisory Teams (Coordinators) to constitute the Opposition Structure we need going forward.
I hope someone at the DNC is listening, because time is running out quickly. Parliaments all around the world do this, so it's not as if Democrats have to invent it. Copy it! For our sake, do it NOW! With the right kind of people.
The DNC is in the midst of deciding who the new chair will be as well as leadership for the states. Need to move up the timelines, DNC!
Thanks Bruce. Can you point me to information on how this can be done.
There is at least one plan that everyday citizens are following. Here's the new Indivisible Guide for Democracy on the Brink.
https://indivisible.org/resource/guide
Membership has surged at our local Indivisible group and over 2000 new Indivisible groups have formed across the country. Indivisible groups are working together with allied organizations to share the work and so each individual can take effective action with issues that most concern them.
You can join an Indivisible group. https://indivisible.org/groups
Or, if you have something you would like to work on, you could start your own.
Liebe Linda, Ich bin zu alt und krank um so Etwas aktiv umzusetzen. Aber mein Hirn und Gedächtnis funktionieren noch gut. Wie gesagt ich kann vielleicht mit meinen Erfahrungen mithelfen, aber sonst geht es nicht mehr.
Bruce, we all contribute as it suits us. What is important that we feel engaged in the process of saving and reestablishing our democracy.
Absolutely right.
Again thanks for the pro active posts!
For everyone wondering what they can do.... there is a meeting on Jan 30th called Bracing for Impact from 3:00-4:00.EST. A ground roots movement is beginning. It's with Indivisible's co-founders Ezra and Leah. (suggested by Linda Weide, who I also don't know but we're all grappling here right?!? There may be some solid advice on actions to take. . https://indivisible.org/groups
If you’re looking for suggestions on what to do next, I might suggest picking up a copy of Democracy in Retrograde by Sami Sage and Emily Amick. Amick is a former attorney for Chuck Schumer when he was Senate Majority Leader. Both Sage and Amick are Democratic leaders in the social media space and have been screaming for forever that Dems need to do SO MUCH MORE on the socials. Amick also has a substack that I find helpful.
I read "Those of us concerned about the future of our democracy need to regroup and prepare for a long hard fight. We cannot let ourselves be divided and conquered—or distracted by everything that is flooding the zone right now." What's missing for me is WHAT TO DO so things don't get so bad we won't be able to recover.
Well, that's what we've got to get to work and figure out. Sign up with Indivisible if you haven't already. And be alert to many the many other activist organizations that are already working or that will soon pop up and get going. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We've got to figure this out and get this done because the alternative is unacceptable.
Exactly. We can see what is going on easily. How do we get all of us united, when we seem to be wanting 100% of different objectives?
Thank you, Kim. This article was extremely illuminating. I am not-all-that slowly & surely figuring out where my small bit of power lies. And I intend to thoughtfully act on it.
I see the flood waters rising but am offered very few (if any) life rafts. For my small part, I now subscribe to independent journalism much more than I did before. I think the Contrarian is a great start. But how do we fight people with guns and deep loyalty to a madman?
Look, I agree with most of what's in this essay, but what the heck are we supposed to do about it? Trump won the election, fair and square, and he won it for a reason--America isn't buying what the anti-Trump resistance is selling. Most people just don't care, they are too worried about the price of eggs. Trump has been saying what he planned to do if reelected literally for years; we had ample experience of his governing style and personal inclinations last time around. The American people looked at this with their eyes wide open and they picked the autocrat, and also gave him a supine majority in both houses of Congress. Not only that, Trump got the highest rate of Black and Latino support of any Republican candidate in a generation, and a majority of White women. I can't see any evidence that anyone who voted for him regrets that choice, at least not yet. So we can hold all the marches and write all the op-eds we want, but that didn't work out so great last time. Until his popular support starts to sour, I'm afraid resistance is futile, and may in fact make things worse.
You have a point. Perhaps the best thing to do is wait until he does something clearly at odds with the preferences of his supporters - like cutting medicare, medicaid, or social security - and then hit him hard.
At the rate he's going with (probably illegal) freezes in federal spending, this strategy may not take as long to play out as we think...
But if we wait passively for his approval to erode, it would be a sign of approval. Remember, although he won, it was with less than 50%. And the democrats do have a chance to win back the house in three special elections. And the pushback to the illegal “executive orders” and other things will make news and one doesn’t need that many people to wake up. There’s a lot of illegal actions to fight. No time to roll over. In the meantime, we can only hope the people that might wake up, will wake up, when it hits them personally.
Very good synopsis and reminder, along with hard, accurate information of how dictatorships get started. Some this may be new and fresh to those of us who have opposed Trumpism for some time. I wonder, though, if others of us don't already know most of this. Knowing a thing, and doing something about it, are not exactly the same thing, even though knowing what you're dealing with is crucial - in our personal lives too, and in much less dire times than we face right now.
So, to speak to one issue, and "micro-focus" as many have now recommended: immigration. Yes, as some suggest, the deportations have been going on a long time, under presidents of both parties. That doesn't make it right. But let's go further back than that - further than Barack. How about the original Natives? Aren't we all illegal if we look at that part of this continent and its history? Does California, for instance, really rightfully belong to Mexico? How about Texas?
But that's another battle altogether. As I and others have recommended: micro-focus.
Also, "divide and conquer" on our own. "You fight him on Immigration, you deal with DEI issues, you handle cuts to federal aid...."
None of us can deal with it all, so spread the work out so we DON'T get overwhelmed.
Today on Bluesky, from Rachel Bitecofer (@rachelbitecofer.bsky.social):
Rs plan to completely nuke the government at 5pm today.
Home closures, construction projects, fema relief, food assistance, research that might save your life, and so much more just shut down.
It’s not the type of thing you do when you care about popular will anymore.
Thank you for illuminating the Duel State...Normative State vs. Prerogative State.
Ditto
This is an outstanding essay. The cruelty and loyalty have been obvious to those paying attention, but Prof. Schepple's analysis helpfully exposes the details and dangers. What I find crucially illuminating is Scheppele's discussion of the Dual State — the symbiosis of the Normative and Prerogative states in generating autocracy. And her warning not to let ourselves be distracted by the apparent normalcy of the Normative state while democracy withers through the cruelty and loyalty practices of the Prerogative state. Wow. The light bulb goes on. Those notions will frame what I see and think from now on. And help me work more effectively to save democracy in America, if indeed it can be. Thank you, Prof. Scheppele.
"help me work more effectively to save democracy in America" - how are you doing that?
Indivisible, for example. And working to thwart the "Nonprofit Killer bill" that will probably be reintroduced in this Congress (H.R. 9495 in previous Congress). This bill is a tool of totalitarianism, an existential threat to the broad range of liberal-progressive nonprofits because it allows the Treasury Secretary to cancel their nonprofit status by fiat with no justification needed other than to claim that they "support terrorism" in some unspecified way. Working with many partners on that. Also working with some networks to promote sanctuary. And sharing lots of information and encouragement in many communications with multiple friends and partners. We've got to build communities of resistance and networks of allies. I'm doing it. You can, too.
Great article! So true! So, sadly true.
Americans committed Hari-Kari to their Country by electing Trump…..AGAIN!
WHY?
It’s as if they were presented with a choice of chocolate cake or a s**t sandwich…..and…..they chose the sandwich! Even after eating one before! Does not make sense! Mind-boggling!
And…….humans have done this before(e.g. Hitler). What is wrong with them? I sure don’t understand it. Very….shockingly…..appallingly…..disappointing.
Recently, I’ve been reading histories and testimonies of German-occupied France (June 1940-August 1944), and the Vichy regime in the Southern 40% of the country (June 1940-November 1942). The lawless decisions, the arbitrary regulations and the piling on of cruelty characteristic of the Trump regime is starting to remind me of that dark period of French history. With the exception that there is no foreign occupier enforcing these actions. The regime is doing it to its own country.
Freakin scary. I can’t yet rap my head around the happenings but no denial here, just how and what can I do.
The orange blowhard has violated his oath of office. With his vast and documented criminal history, what more do our legislators need to dispose of this criminal? Must we remind them of their oaths to office as well? Clue: Words alone won't work.
I started but can't finish reading this. Here is a man - if you can call him that - who is himself deserving of the worst punishment possible, callously doling it out to people who did nothing but criticize him, legitimately, or seek to escape terror in their home countries. He's frothing at the mouth to see people executed (good thing he wasn't president when the Central Park five were in jail). He's promoting drunkards and perverts.
He himself is nothing more than a disgusting pig, an ignoramus, an embarrassment to this country.
Loyalty generally is a positive trait. Here, I would describe the required trait as unquestioning fealty or subservience.
Where is the Democratic Party? Clearly they are not going to save us. So what should we do to unite around a common theme, purpose…? Last year I spent a lot of time, energy, and money supporting this party that now seems spineless. I will not do that this year.