You have touched on three points little old me from a very red state has been making. 1) Reform now not later for pluralistic opposition and governance, as a New Big Tent party of progressives, moderates of both parties and independents like me. 2) yes, many strong pro-democracy podcasts, substacks, etc but right now we need an organized national opposition that is clear, cutting, concise and COVERED as news - humor me, delivered by Pete Buttigieg and Liz Cheney. 3) start turning several elected legislators currently aligned with MAGA into the fold of this New Big Tent. They need a place to land so they can better lead and oppose our tyrannical government. I wonder how many were moderates in a different decade but had to align far-right, and would welcome a return to moderation.
I think if the Trump Admin and its illegitimate Departments and special consultants think the laws don’t apply to them, and they can ignore court orders, then they don’t apply to any of us. Do not obey. They say leave, you say stay. They say lie down, you stand up. Do not obey illegal, illegitimate orders. Resist! Make their schemes impossible.
Thank you for this useful summary and structure to help us think about ‘reverse engineering autocracy’.
One of my reactions to reading this is: how to find a way to get writers/commentators to move further than the recitation of the problems and how to think about them . We need you to help all of us - your readers, citizens who care, activists, leaders of resistance- by spending more time figuring out actual ways and mechanisms for how to successfully resist. The “ways need to be found” section, typically at the end and much shorter than the ‘what’s the problem’ description. Please - we need to reverse that! For example, near the bottom of your section “ other power centers refuse to be cowed” are elections - “the ultimate competing power center in our democracy “. I’d welcome your looking at the worst case scenario- no free and fair elections starting now and especially 2026- and contributing concrete ideas of how we work backward from there. It’s beyond doubt in my mind that we’re already on a path - if not perilously close - to that outcome. Does anyone think musk/trump/maga is making all these moves only to risk losing control in 2026? Musk is already trying to buy the WI Supreme Court seat - and look how much he put into 2024 elections. That is not the only way they will take over our elections.
This is an outstanding rundown of how authoritarianism wins and how to defeat it. It won't be easy to keep our republic. It's going to be a long road. But it starts with each of us, as you ended. We need to brave to stand up for our freedom. So many died so we could have the precious freedom. Now, it's our turn to fight for it.
Agree with all of this but it's a lot. And the simple thing I think people could easily focus on is not mentioned. The office of president clearly has far too much power in your system. Executive orders should not even be a thing. The president should not also control law enforcement, the judiciary and the military. Citizens should stand up and demand Congress take back its power and draft laws and constitutional amendments returning the authority of the president to where the Founders actually envisioned it - a head administrator confined to enacting the will of Congress and representing the US abroad.
I love ProtectDemocracy's reverse engineering perspective. Regarding Congress, and really all other pillars of power (Power analysis), two other disciplines need to be applied disciplines that can remove or at least sufficiently mitigate the fears that prevent morally courageous behavior (eg that can make it lots easier for conflicted GOP Reps and Senators to standup to Trump, to break their loyalty). We can already ID potential candidates. I am referring to the discipline of behavioral economics and the techniques used to help people leave cults. To continue the example from Congress, and apply behavioral economics, we therefore probably need a large well funded PAC ($200M?) to provide sufficient funds for 3 GOP Reps and 3 GOP Senators to address the two main fears that keep them afraid of following their conscience, in particular to be able to no longer feel afraid of Musk-funded Trump loyalists primarying them, plus adequate 24/7 protection against the very real threat of assassination for 1-2years. As for techniques that help people leave cults, from what I heard on TeamHuman of Douglas Rushkoff's preface to Mara Einstein's ingenious book "HoodWinked," i am thinking many of the techniques are there. Want to help me create that PAC? @GaryGetCourageNowKrane on IG and Gary Lowell Krane on FB.
Great piece—thank you. Education is key. Organization is key. A unity coalition specifically devoted to the preservation of democracy is absolutely critical. All hands on deck.
This is a really solid post. I particularly like the idea of rallying our allies around other centers of power building.
We should also be unifying as much as possible the places that we are building that power, for example, getting all our allies for the next several months to provide exclusives to Associated Press. To encourage the Associated Press to continue to do White House coverage, but from the outside, and to tell everyone what their themes and stories are on schedule ahead of time so that we can amplify their stories voice as they are under attack. I don’t understand enough about the ownership and business model at AP, but I’m trying to figure that out if they are best insulated to be the firewall for protecting the media.
In each of the non-executive and non-congressional centers of power, we also need to work heavily to prevent further erosion, for example, preventing the further GOP right corrosion of religious institutions and channels. We also need some unity around supporting the businesses/ tech and otherwise that are standing up and really willing to go toe-to-toe with the administration.
Fighting in Congress or from executive agencies feels inadequate because it is. We have lost that arena for the time being.
We don’t understand well how to build the power in these other places.
We better get that straight so that we can take back Congress as well. Or the dominoes will continue to fall.
You noted that states rights must be maintained, and I agree wholeheartedly. I recently read about a republic senator (I can’t remember who/where) had proposed a bill that would increase the legal authority of National Park Rangers.
The language of the bill was sort of convoluted, but essentially (I think) it proposes that Park Rangers be authorized to enforce not only federal laws on federal park land, but Rangers will ALSO be given the authority to enforce state laws. (Forgive my really poorly worded attempt to sum up what I believe the bill says!).
I read today that after firing a bunch of national park employees, Trump turned around and is now actively hiring thousands (?) of park rangers. If I read the proposed bill correctly, is this the Trump loophole to get his very own nationwide law enforcement army? Park rangers who loyal to Trump, spread across the country, are able to enforcement state laws and cross state lines?!
You have touched on three points little old me from a very red state has been making. 1) Reform now not later for pluralistic opposition and governance, as a New Big Tent party of progressives, moderates of both parties and independents like me. 2) yes, many strong pro-democracy podcasts, substacks, etc but right now we need an organized national opposition that is clear, cutting, concise and COVERED as news - humor me, delivered by Pete Buttigieg and Liz Cheney. 3) start turning several elected legislators currently aligned with MAGA into the fold of this New Big Tent. They need a place to land so they can better lead and oppose our tyrannical government. I wonder how many were moderates in a different decade but had to align far-right, and would welcome a return to moderation.
I think if the Trump Admin and its illegitimate Departments and special consultants think the laws don’t apply to them, and they can ignore court orders, then they don’t apply to any of us. Do not obey. They say leave, you say stay. They say lie down, you stand up. Do not obey illegal, illegitimate orders. Resist! Make their schemes impossible.
Thank you for this useful summary and structure to help us think about ‘reverse engineering autocracy’.
One of my reactions to reading this is: how to find a way to get writers/commentators to move further than the recitation of the problems and how to think about them . We need you to help all of us - your readers, citizens who care, activists, leaders of resistance- by spending more time figuring out actual ways and mechanisms for how to successfully resist. The “ways need to be found” section, typically at the end and much shorter than the ‘what’s the problem’ description. Please - we need to reverse that! For example, near the bottom of your section “ other power centers refuse to be cowed” are elections - “the ultimate competing power center in our democracy “. I’d welcome your looking at the worst case scenario- no free and fair elections starting now and especially 2026- and contributing concrete ideas of how we work backward from there. It’s beyond doubt in my mind that we’re already on a path - if not perilously close - to that outcome. Does anyone think musk/trump/maga is making all these moves only to risk losing control in 2026? Musk is already trying to buy the WI Supreme Court seat - and look how much he put into 2024 elections. That is not the only way they will take over our elections.
There's only one thing the ENEMY will understand - #HitTheMoney
Boycott. Strike.
This is an outstanding rundown of how authoritarianism wins and how to defeat it. It won't be easy to keep our republic. It's going to be a long road. But it starts with each of us, as you ended. We need to brave to stand up for our freedom. So many died so we could have the precious freedom. Now, it's our turn to fight for it.
Agree with all of this but it's a lot. And the simple thing I think people could easily focus on is not mentioned. The office of president clearly has far too much power in your system. Executive orders should not even be a thing. The president should not also control law enforcement, the judiciary and the military. Citizens should stand up and demand Congress take back its power and draft laws and constitutional amendments returning the authority of the president to where the Founders actually envisioned it - a head administrator confined to enacting the will of Congress and representing the US abroad.
There is some light... Wales is introducing some quietly radical legislation to counter autocracy... https://justhinkin.substack.com/p/has-wales-found-the-solution-to-autocracy?r=3cs2wr
I love ProtectDemocracy's reverse engineering perspective. Regarding Congress, and really all other pillars of power (Power analysis), two other disciplines need to be applied disciplines that can remove or at least sufficiently mitigate the fears that prevent morally courageous behavior (eg that can make it lots easier for conflicted GOP Reps and Senators to standup to Trump, to break their loyalty). We can already ID potential candidates. I am referring to the discipline of behavioral economics and the techniques used to help people leave cults. To continue the example from Congress, and apply behavioral economics, we therefore probably need a large well funded PAC ($200M?) to provide sufficient funds for 3 GOP Reps and 3 GOP Senators to address the two main fears that keep them afraid of following their conscience, in particular to be able to no longer feel afraid of Musk-funded Trump loyalists primarying them, plus adequate 24/7 protection against the very real threat of assassination for 1-2years. As for techniques that help people leave cults, from what I heard on TeamHuman of Douglas Rushkoff's preface to Mara Einstein's ingenious book "HoodWinked," i am thinking many of the techniques are there. Want to help me create that PAC? @GaryGetCourageNowKrane on IG and Gary Lowell Krane on FB.
Great piece—thank you. Education is key. Organization is key. A unity coalition specifically devoted to the preservation of democracy is absolutely critical. All hands on deck.
This is a really solid post. I particularly like the idea of rallying our allies around other centers of power building.
We should also be unifying as much as possible the places that we are building that power, for example, getting all our allies for the next several months to provide exclusives to Associated Press. To encourage the Associated Press to continue to do White House coverage, but from the outside, and to tell everyone what their themes and stories are on schedule ahead of time so that we can amplify their stories voice as they are under attack. I don’t understand enough about the ownership and business model at AP, but I’m trying to figure that out if they are best insulated to be the firewall for protecting the media.
In each of the non-executive and non-congressional centers of power, we also need to work heavily to prevent further erosion, for example, preventing the further GOP right corrosion of religious institutions and channels. We also need some unity around supporting the businesses/ tech and otherwise that are standing up and really willing to go toe-to-toe with the administration.
Fighting in Congress or from executive agencies feels inadequate because it is. We have lost that arena for the time being.
We don’t understand well how to build the power in these other places.
We better get that straight so that we can take back Congress as well. Or the dominoes will continue to fall.
You noted that states rights must be maintained, and I agree wholeheartedly. I recently read about a republic senator (I can’t remember who/where) had proposed a bill that would increase the legal authority of National Park Rangers.
The language of the bill was sort of convoluted, but essentially (I think) it proposes that Park Rangers be authorized to enforce not only federal laws on federal park land, but Rangers will ALSO be given the authority to enforce state laws. (Forgive my really poorly worded attempt to sum up what I believe the bill says!).
I read today that after firing a bunch of national park employees, Trump turned around and is now actively hiring thousands (?) of park rangers. If I read the proposed bill correctly, is this the Trump loophole to get his very own nationwide law enforcement army? Park rangers who loyal to Trump, spread across the country, are able to enforcement state laws and cross state lines?!
Not good!