I’m a longtime admirer of your quest to create awareness in the world about authoritarianism, particularly in the U.S.! We’re in a critical time and sleepwalking isn’t an option!
Thank you Ruth. Sobering if not downright frightening! I am so glad you publish your observations, assessments and evaluations to help us coalesce. We need prudent action at this point. I suggested to remember J621. Was J621 our Reichstag? The Senate and House are as irrelevant as if they were forced out. Is not that what happened on J621? And just a fortnight into Connie's Reign of Terror the looting of our treasury has begun. We have to mind what is to come not only in the next two years, but today. J621 is my point, and all are welcomed to...air...it...out!
Look at that photo of Trump and Xi. Who’s the confident one and who’s perplexed? Who’s the statesman and who’s the conman? America used to lead the world … now Trump wants to hide and dive into his silo of gold coins like Uncle Scrooge.
Thank you, Ruth, for another important column. I encourage everyone to check out the January 29th 1-hour interview with historian Nancy MacLean about the radical right's long-term plan to turn America into an autocracy, even to rewrite the US Constitution. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuS9vJHPzs.
Professor Ben-Ghiat's NYT essay also made the incisive point that authoritarian regimes seek to gut democracies by replacing knowledgeable and experienced agency officials with inexperienced appointees who become even more beholden and dependent upon the autocrat. As she noted, Orban's Hungary is a prime example.
I have long thought that i’s very difficult for the masses ( I know that sounds arrogant) to handle freedom, most people it seems want to be told what to do, as democracies have flourished in the 20th century, so have personal freedoms, to the point that we are seeing a huge backlash by those that can’t handle it, I am talking about liberal democracies favoring open borders, sexual freedom, pro-choice, gender affirming freedom, etc, hence the appeal of the strongmen/autocrat to bring things back to “normal”
Commercialism dumbs people down. Every democracy can flourish if the body politic take seriously three pillars: health, wealth and rectitude. We have the wealth, but the cost is classism. We had the health, but the cost leads to penury. We once had the joy of being correct in procedure until the Connies gained fame...and POWER. I agree with everything you said. Thank you for the inspiration.
I just listened to Richard Wolff the economist for an hour and he made the most interesting point that neither Biden’s nor Trump’s policies will have that big of an impact bc the U.S. is already a declining empire and that it’s up to all the other countries on earth to figure out how to deal with us going forward. And if leaders like Claudia Scheinbaum are any indicator, then maybe the world has a fighting chance
Well yes, Mike, except most days I feel as though we're back in 1930's Germany. Which keeps me going w/ Indivisible, writing LTEs, calling my Members of Congress, etc. And being grateful for the growing opposition to Trump and his goons.
The "normalization" is already HERE. I take heart in the front line career bureaucrats saying NO to quitting. I believe that General Milley has a security detail, and I hope he faces hechsech in public. We only need to look at history to find that the normalization of politics of fear, brutality, anger, and revenge will not leave without literal push back. What was the push back against Al Qaeda? I have not seen ANY pushback against Trump, Stone and Bannon for masterminding J621. We are here and now with what is and what can be.
I’m a longtime admirer of your quest to create awareness in the world about authoritarianism, particularly in the U.S.! We’re in a critical time and sleepwalking isn’t an option!
Thank you Ruth. Sobering if not downright frightening! I am so glad you publish your observations, assessments and evaluations to help us coalesce. We need prudent action at this point. I suggested to remember J621. Was J621 our Reichstag? The Senate and House are as irrelevant as if they were forced out. Is not that what happened on J621? And just a fortnight into Connie's Reign of Terror the looting of our treasury has begun. We have to mind what is to come not only in the next two years, but today. J621 is my point, and all are welcomed to...air...it...out!
Look at that photo of Trump and Xi. Who’s the confident one and who’s perplexed? Who’s the statesman and who’s the conman? America used to lead the world … now Trump wants to hide and dive into his silo of gold coins like Uncle Scrooge.
Trump courts autocrats; he mistakes brutality for power and greed for success; he wants admiration from people who despise him.
This is the face of MAGA—petty not powerful; whiny not bold. Shameless … and shameful.
Thank you, Ruth, for another important column. I encourage everyone to check out the January 29th 1-hour interview with historian Nancy MacLean about the radical right's long-term plan to turn America into an autocracy, even to rewrite the US Constitution. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuS9vJHPzs.
Thank you. You explain this well. IT gives me good info to share with my reps.
I also feel dictatorships cooperating to defeat democracy. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Democracy works better and we must advocate for it.
Chilling and a sharp reminder of the past history of authoritarian flirtation in America. This is all on steroids and so terrifying for our democracy
Professor Ben-Ghiat's NYT essay also made the incisive point that authoritarian regimes seek to gut democracies by replacing knowledgeable and experienced agency officials with inexperienced appointees who become even more beholden and dependent upon the autocrat. As she noted, Orban's Hungary is a prime example.
I have long thought that i’s very difficult for the masses ( I know that sounds arrogant) to handle freedom, most people it seems want to be told what to do, as democracies have flourished in the 20th century, so have personal freedoms, to the point that we are seeing a huge backlash by those that can’t handle it, I am talking about liberal democracies favoring open borders, sexual freedom, pro-choice, gender affirming freedom, etc, hence the appeal of the strongmen/autocrat to bring things back to “normal”
Commercialism dumbs people down. Every democracy can flourish if the body politic take seriously three pillars: health, wealth and rectitude. We have the wealth, but the cost is classism. We had the health, but the cost leads to penury. We once had the joy of being correct in procedure until the Connies gained fame...and POWER. I agree with everything you said. Thank you for the inspiration.
That essay raised my blood pressure.
Yeah! Breathe...
I just listened to Richard Wolff the economist for an hour and he made the most interesting point that neither Biden’s nor Trump’s policies will have that big of an impact bc the U.S. is already a declining empire and that it’s up to all the other countries on earth to figure out how to deal with us going forward. And if leaders like Claudia Scheinbaum are any indicator, then maybe the world has a fighting chance
Thank you for this piece Ruth. My thank you is sincere, even though reading this so close to bedtime, I may have nightmares!
I guess the term Reich would explain it but the constant Nazi fetishism is terrifying. We can’t allow normalization of this behavior.
Well yes, Mike, except most days I feel as though we're back in 1930's Germany. Which keeps me going w/ Indivisible, writing LTEs, calling my Members of Congress, etc. And being grateful for the growing opposition to Trump and his goons.
The "normalization" is already HERE. I take heart in the front line career bureaucrats saying NO to quitting. I believe that General Milley has a security detail, and I hope he faces hechsech in public. We only need to look at history to find that the normalization of politics of fear, brutality, anger, and revenge will not leave without literal push back. What was the push back against Al Qaeda? I have not seen ANY pushback against Trump, Stone and Bannon for masterminding J621. We are here and now with what is and what can be.