Thank you for another critically important essay. Oof, thats depressing.
It makes me think we’re really screwed here. It was one thing when our crazed authoritarians were opposing crazed communist authoritarians in the balance for global power. They perhaps both did much damage but the overall trajectory of the world was positive, in some ways balanced towards a moderate middle ground. But now, Putin and this band of a-holes are essentially on the same page as the dark elements within our society and power structures. The Chinese are not exactly left wingers any more. Britain is as dark as the USA. France and Germany are better but still conflicted and have very little military clout if push comes to shove.
Even with just controlling one house of congress, Republicans can essentially tank the USA and the world order in the process...and they appear poised to do so.
Thank you for speaking up about it. Why is this not the main topic of every news broadcast?
"Why is this not the main topic of every news broadcast?" Finally, people who feel the same way I do. I think of this often. She'd be great on Maddow or Nicolle and it's beyond annoying neither she nor Applebaum aren't on the shows talking about what the hell is going to happen here. (Applebaum appears on Morning Joe but doesn't address what's happening here that I've seen). This is exactly the kind of information I find critical as well as what the heck happens to the banking industry ...
Actually, Ms. Ben-Ghiat has been on several MSNBC shows, particularly in recent weeks and months. But, yes, she should appear even more often, and not just on MSNBC.
I concluded a few years ago that "the Media" is basically in the tank for the authoritarians =// I came to this conclusion over a separate issue, back when the story of havana syndrome broke. I realized that most of what was reported was deliberately misleading and in most instances still is. I don't mean to change the subject, I just wanted to say that that is when I "lost faith" in the media. I hope we can figure a way out of this mess. Participating in Lucids project is definitely a step in the right direction =]
Sarah Kendzior has mentioned on her Gaslit Nation podcast several times about the changes she is seeing in our media environment - she sees what appears a coordinated attempt to clear media of dissenting voices to set the stage for something, what she says reminds her of what occurred in the lead up to 2016.
And with Discovery buying up CNN/HBO, the Musk takeover of Twitter and Sinclair buying up local news properties, it sure looks to me like a very dangerous state of affairs not unlike what occurred with the coordinated tanking of independent media in Hungary by allied right wing players.
Truly scary times. I wish there were some easy way we could boost the impact of Lucid and other decent media outfits trying to bring attention to this mess! Or even a not-so-easy way. If anyone has ideas, please share!!!
Until this is resolved, we have to be brave & get out of our comfort-zone & echo chambers and actually talk to others . . . outside of our circles. It's like the revolutionary times, word-of-mouth persuasion. Difficult, yes but it may be the only way left to message. With skill, work this into conversations everywhere you go. We cannot count on the mainstream media any longer. Compromised.
Tell them what ?, my friend. That the gold bugs will lead to an economic collapse ? They introduced a bill in the House yesterday to return to the gold standard. Rand Paul is pushing for this. If this happens and the economy tanks, due to the debt level, who do you think the public will blame ? This is 1936. The right wing extreme religious crazies will have a field day with Jews. They are already going after the low hanging fruit. We are walking a dangerous line, we don’t want to cross. “They”, will never hear us.
I see what you are saying but I believe we need to keep and re-open communication lines amongst us all, across different stratospheres. Being silent lets them win & only works against us, imho.
Historically, most big business has preferred a more authoritarian nation, as they felt that democracy interferred with capitalism. When big business owns the media, we can see the danger. That danger is propaganda that suits their cause. People are suckers for propaganda, as we saw when 74 million people voted for a sociopath for president in 2020. Attempting to change the minds of those whom have been converted is nearly impossible. I know; most of my in-laws have embraced fascism but feel that fascism is a left wing concept, so they are not affected. The Backfire Effect prevents them form seeing what has happened to them. The Backfire Effect is seen almost entirely in conservatives, so this fact shows why fascism, once started is so hard to stop.
For the most part, I agree. Too much of the media - even self-proclaimed "centrist" media outlets - seem far too "soft" on what is happening, even if they do not openly support the GOP authoritarian wing. And as we all know, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing." In this case, "good men" (and women) also means those in the media. :-(
From Thom Hartmann: the billionaire-funded Heritage Foundation is pulling together fully 20,000 hard-core rightwingers to staff a new Trump administration starting on day one. This time here will be none of the bumbling characterized by Trump’s first three years. We could go from democracy to authoritarianism in a matter of months, much like happened in Germany in 1933, as Trump also fulfills his promises to realign America with Russia and Saudi Arabia and abandon our democratic allies around the world.
In April of 2022 The Heritage Foundation announced the launch of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, a new initiative exclusively focused on preparing the next administration with conservative policy recommendations and the properly vetted and trained personnel needed to take back America.
The 2025 Presidential Transition Project builds off Heritage’s longstanding “Mandate for Leadership,” which has been highly influential for presidential administrations since the Reagan administration. Most recently, the Trump administration relied heavily on Heritage’s “Mandate” for policy guidance, embracing nearly two-thirds of Heritage’s proposals within just one year in office.
Heritage also announced that Paul Dans, former chief of staff of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the Trump administration, will join the organization as director of this initiative.
Trump wants to get rid of the civil servants and here is his well for new employees dedicated to him, not the Constitution. He has also said he wants to get rid of the Constitution.
Former President Donald Trump called for the termination of the Constitution to overturn the 2020 election and reinstate him to power Saturday in a continuation of his election denialism and pushing of fringe conspiracy theories.
Thanks for pointing out The Heritage Foundation’s quiet, clever but insidious consistency to undermine, finance, and control. These are the facts seldom brought to the average reader and I DO believe more are paying attention than ever before 👏🙌
Our drums must be heard , consistent, fact bearing, and encouraging . We can only beat them at the ballot box, right the ship, and continue to elect and promote sensible leadership.
Thanks Sherri and all who ‘liked’. We’re in this for the long haul. 61 years for me and back then was a mess too, though my energy was a bit more accessible! Stay the course!!!! ☮️❤️
I'mma trying, Patricia. I see 70 in my sights but 69 comes first, apparently. We are being bombarded by one fascist thing after another after another. The media should've seen this years ago. I did. I sent a postcard to HRC in 2018 suggesting she get out of the country. I think that was just called releasing stress :) as I knew she'd never see it.
This is sort of related. Apparently vacation and going to sit in a dentist office for an hour allowed me to read a lot more as I was reading Ruth's book, "Strongmen." It remains scary (fear is part of the playbook) but brother, I really understand the term "strongmen" so much better now. I avoided marking it up but gave in today. It's a great book and I should finish it by the end of this year :). I've learned a lot and the patterns of dictators are all very similar.
Also I would add, to talk to fellow Americans outside out our comfort-zone with empathy and persuasion. Especially before the 2024 voting season heats up. It's more relaxed (?) now....?
Thanks, Jan. Absolutely. I want to hear other’s ideas, not an argument. I’m not , we’re not here for an argument. We’re here for solutions. The stark cuts to areas already in trouble, to vast populations on the verge of famine, homelessness,medical disaster and so much more is my concern. The least of us is NO WHERE to begin taking away from , we have lots of sleeves to roll up and engage in conversations that compromise, improve and reduce costs/waste and neglect. I know there are great ideas , the people need to hear these- but ridicule, name calling, and false statements will indeed not get the job done….obviously.
Like protesting CNNs town hall for trump. They only have one person capable of challenging trump, Jim Acosta, and Kaitlan Collins isn't it. They will be giving his lies a platform.
I sent a postcard to the CEO and have been CNN-free since rump was on (I didn't watch it ... we all know he's going to lie and deny just like you said).
What do we do ... In the past, I've been involved in helping campaigns but since my hearing is almost non-existent, I can't really talk to people. Zoom works because I read lips. I did data entry and anything that didn't require hearing for HRC and then our rep (I adore her) Susan Wild.
I temporarily was part of Indivisible but when I saw something else with putin, I had to try something else. I was on a committee to figure out how to make SS better and I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Does anyone know if Indivisible is doing anything? My guess is as my focus had to change, they did as well.
Thanks so much for that valiant track record! Wow! We did our part and now still some when opportunity provides. I saw this coming a LONG time went deep into the woods , self sufficient (thinking we’d HAVE to be) .Raise our own food, built our own homes , yada yada - about 70 of us , came out of recluse and most of us built careers helping ( varied professions) and rocked some boats LOL! Retired now. Plaques on our walls and potatoes in the garden, environmentally proactive. No effort is too little . Not here to rock boats or stand in many protests anymore but subtly we still make marks 😉
The Heritage Foundation has connections to the radical Libertarian movement, the Mont Pelerin Society and people like Ludwig Von Mises, Hayek, James Buchanan and Charles Koch. None of these people or organizations were/ are pro-democracy. What they are looking for is a revolution, a corporate state, run by a fascist cartel economy. They are traitors!
Art--I looked at an old book by Hedges that has some similarities to "Shadow Network", called "American Fascists". Hedges mentions the CNP in that work. The CNP seems to be just as dangerous today as they were in 2006 when Hedges wrote about them.
Well this is for the both sides crowd! There is no both sides to any of this un democratic, anti freedom horseshit going in American politics today. There is only one sorry ass fascist party today, right now, this very second in America, they call that party the GOP!
Regarding the debt limit: I would ask Nancy Pelosi to identify enough level-headed Republican House members, enough to join with the Democratic minority--I think the number is five--and find a way to pay the bills.
Last week I was labeled “paranoid” on this site, funny shit. After this article, you probably will be so labeled as well. Those who warn, get ignorant comments. I was in Chile in 1971. That was some wild stuff. Don’t forget the banks, Ruth, they are a part of it. Nixon and Company, removed us from the gold standard in 1971. Todays banks are no accident. JP Morgan, is becoming the “Mother” of all banks. History is our teacher, or, it isn’t. Thanks Ruth, exceptional article.
I remember. It was the end of Brenton Woods. My father used to go there (he was a known economist) and meet up with Bobby Mundell (a lifelong friend) who won the Nobel Peace Prize in economics circa 1999.
JP Morgan, Chase, Bank One and I don't remember all the other banks they sucked up. They are too damn big and Chase went from being a decent bank to being so big that they really screwed things up and I closed our accounts with them. Now, I guess it doesn't matter.
Agree. I worked in the savings & loan industry during deregulation (1980s) and it was equivalent to blowing off the saloon doors in the wild west. Regulation has a place.
In the not-too-distant past, a mere threat by the GOP not to raise the debt ceiling led to a major stock market slide and some attendant economic strife here in the U.S. If the GOP doesn't "pull back" quickly from its current threat, we could see a similar situation - except this time on a global scale.
And while it may be true that many in the GOP would be willing to crash both the U.S. and world economies in order to "set the stage for right-wing rule," history also shows us that the GOP never learns from its mistakes.
The GOP THINKS that if the economy crashes, "the people" will blame Biden and the current Administration, since they are the ones in power, and that this will help the GOP. But, unable to learn, the GOP forgets that every single time they have tried this in the past, with either the debt ceiling or "shutting down the government" (which many of them seem to be conflating), it has backfired - bigly.
Most famously, the Newt Gingrich-led government shutdown of 1995-96 actually helped get Clinton re-elected. And while the GOP held both houses of Congress, they lost seats in the House. In the 1998 midterms, they again maintained control, but lost more House seats - the first time this had happened in a midterm in decades. The GOP tried it again in 2013, shutting down the government over the passage of the ACA. And while it did not hurt them electorally in 2014, the majority of the public nevertheless blamed the GOP for the temporary economic misery.
There were a few other times in the past several decades that the GOP "shut down the government" or threatened not to raise the debt ceiling - and although they hoped to blame the Democrats (who held the White House at those times), it was THEY who got blamed.
Of course, past is not always prologue, so vigilance and action are always important. But I'm not so sure that "the gang that couldn't shoot straight" - i.e., a GOP that has shown itself to be a modern version of the Keystone Kops, for whom it took 15 votes to elect a Speaker, and whose House caucus is run by certifiable loonies like MTG, Boebert, Gaetz and the rest of the clown car - won't shoot itself in the foot yet again. If that happens, the GOP may actually continue to self-destruct.
Finally! When I saw the obvious shift to some form of a dictatorship, I went looking for answers. Few websites out of Hungary have been active since 2018. It was a weird and sudden drop-off that made sense. I read Applebaum's, "Twilight of Democracy - The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism," and bought "Strongmen" last year but was sort of afraid of reading it. I've started it and intend to get through most of it in the next week. The only thing I see in umpf is a very weak organic being. I haven't forgotten his Mussolini imitation, though.
In the meantime, I have no trust in magas. I can't call them "republicans" because they aren't recognizable as that old party. Someone wrote a book called, "Cruelty is the Point," and it's an appropriate saying because magas do want to crash and burn us to get rid of Biden. They made that clear some years ago.
I'm glad to finally land in Ruth Ben-Ghiat's land of reality so at least I see where I'm going. Many thanks.
One of the goals of the magas is to make you believe you are powerless in the face of their bullying and unpredictable violence. Keep hanging out here and the weekly Lucid zoom gatherings, and you’ll become empowered for democracy
I am reading Applebaum's book right now. And if people here really want to see how the current GOP and its anti-democracy bent can succeed, I HIGHLY recommend that everyone read the book - or at least go to a bookstore and read the chapter called "The Future of Nostalgia." Using Brexit as an example, she lays out the step-by-step manner in which England moved from its post-WWII roots to its current ultra-conservative largely anti-democratic position in Europe, via people like Johnson, Farage, Cummings and others, as well as Russian interference in the Brexit campaign. She also delves deeply into how otherwise pro-democratic governments came to support the Orban regime in Hungary. Along with Ruth's own book, Applebaum's book is a must-read.
I do enjoy your work, and I thank you for it. I’m sure will wind up on the GOP list of people to be rounded up, then to be disappeared, when they go full Fascist on everyone. So we have that in common. Maybe we can have discussions while being forced to clean up our torture chamber. I guess we better learn know how to get dried blood stains out of the concrete now, that way we won’t be beaten harder. I’m personally am looking to see if I can buy cyanide capsules over the counter, or do I need a prescription to purchase them. Anyhow thank you for all you do.
It’s not time to give up the ship, but it does require a never before used tactic by every Media organization and PACs , who support Democracy.
They must clearly show the horrors that Fascist led governments have inflicted on their populations. This must be a campaign that starts now and goes to the day of the 2024 election.
Our aerial view, imho, is a "Democracy Capitalism" where our democracy leads our economy to guarantee "liberty and justice for all." This vision can be enhanced with 1) theological teachings on love and justice, and
2) secular frameworks such as civil and women's rights, and
3) sustainability (scientific) truths for our Mother Earth, and
4) freedom struggles through history.
The democracy vision is our North Star. It MUST guide our economics.
ALL of our problems, such as attacks on individual liberties, our climate chaos, an unjust economy, etc, can be aerial viewed as the struggle between global capitalism (our economic order) against democracy (our form of governance to maintain our liberties).
Democracy Capitalism is simply a strong approach to ensuring liberty and justice for all. Pres. Biden is hedging toward an economy influenced by the promises of democracy.
But progressives MUST find a moral course to reign in the violence of our unsustainable global abuse of humans and our Mother Earth.
31% of Americans don’t believe the reality of the Holocaust. 41% of millennials, 25% of those under age 25. If they don’t believe that horror, they won’t believe anything. They want to believe the lie. They want to believe propaganda. They want to reminisce about the good ole days. Everyone who took an oath, is Antifa. To those I just mentioned, we (Antifa) are the enemy.
Thanks for the answer. Danny Pearl and Jamal Khashoggi didn’t change anyone’s fence position. National politics have been running in the 40s being separated by 3-5% pts. We are no longer dealing with 50, 60 or 70%. I agree with the battleground states, although, Ohio electing Peter Thiels puppy, JD Vance, doesn’t build confidence.
I understand your despair. Fascist spread fear. We must encourage courage and nourish hope.
An effective antidote for despair is action. A good defense against fascism is a strong nonviolent offense. Some are advocating pledging to boycott states led by the fascist and utterly corrupt GOP; action that supports democracy and helps mitigate the climate crisis. Travel exacerbates global warming. Fascist. apartheid So Africa was defeated by a well organized BDS movement. India gained its independence from the mighty British Empire, with a well organized boycott. Above all, help get out the vote for the Democratic Party. In all candor, anyone supporting the fascist GOP or a third party is betraying democracy. Lastly, for now, we need to study the the requisite elements of fascism and judiciously refer to fascists as fascist. The 2024 elections offer a stark choice between democracy and fascism.
No you really do not understand my fear, that is your problem you have no fear of these people, you think it is all going work out in the end, writing the Editor, or you senator or congressman, you are wrong dead wrong. You cannot even protest at the capitol in Florida now, it is against the law. Yeah, I remember South Africa on the the news everyday, the SAP, South African Police going in and shooting everybody when the blacks got uppity in say Soweto because nobody or at least the blacks, had a right to own a firearm to defend themselves, that is the South Africa I remember. I’m sure not buying from South Africa put stop to it. I do not remember one damn thing we bought that came from South Africa other Diamonds? Gold? Never slowed down one bit. We might have quit selling to them, fat chance because Nixon, Ford, and Regan loved South Africa , Apartheid, and F.W. de Klerk, he was a conservative, just like they were.
Absolutely thank you for superb essay with so many angles to develop and enhance for our important discussions........and it is Final Exam Week with so much end of semester grading and presentations!!! AND my youngest son wants to take his mother to the theater on Saturday..........oh....
Irresponsible extremist actors in the MAGA congress hope to knock the US economy into economic armageddon ahead of the 24 election in order pave the way for a Trump come back. In addition to a weaponized debt ceiling crisis, I also am looking for other actors and powers from around the world to assist them in their efforts to bring about a Trump led autocracy right here in the good old USA. .
In the next year, should we be surprised if the Saudis led by Trump ally MBS sharply decrease oil production just in time for the election? After all a little pain at the pump is always good for an incumbent isn't it? Should we be surprised if other authoritarian actors like Putin instigate tension by creating an international military crisis's to make the American President look weak? Maybe that could involve missiles and jets flying into sovereign airspace of its European allies along certain borders? Is it a given social media will once again be rife with Russian propaganda spreading lies and disinformation just ahead of the election? Are the Chinese going to just sit idly by without meddling in some behind the scenes way? They're all looking for ways to hurt Biden and the economy any way they can. Ultimately, this is a contest between the West and its system of liberal, rules based democratic order and a system of global autocracies led by Validiir Piutin and his oligarchs.
Gary, your last sentence is award-winning summary of the whole sha-bang for those we need to summary this to -- friends, neighbors, people on the bus & at the marketplace...., gas pump....
Hi! I do a current events presentation once a month at the Wilkes Barre, PA JCC. My presentation today referred to George Soros. I presented that "Soros-backed" used by the Republicans today is an anti semitic trope. I referrenced the character of Emanual Goldstein in "1984". Do you agree and do you see the reference to Goldstein as legit? Most of my audience agreed that "Soros-backed" is antisemitic and said, "well that's just the way the republicans do business today." I expressed that we should be outraged! Then they repeated the same quote again. A. Frank
The debt limit imposed in 1917 was not a Constitutional amendment. Congress can't ignore the fourteenth amendment section 4.. Biden should by executive order have Yellen pay the bills. If the Republicans object, the DOJ should argue the debt limit is unconstitutional in the SCOTUS and get rid of the debt limit so the Republicans can't be used to force their economic agenda or tank the economy.
You have elucidated the current and pending events that require every organization of any kind to start a marketing campaign that vividly shows the horrors that a fascist government will bring.
Moderate Republicans and independents need to be “awakened “ now, non stop, until the 2024 election. Every minority in our country should be shown the actual footage of how the Jewish community, in Germany, was used as a scapegoat for repression of the country as a whole. No minority should feel escape-proof if MAGA gains more control than they currently have in the federal as well as in many state governments. This effort will require the use of fear against the fear that MAGA has and will continue to use.
Agree. A fellow Lucidian several weeks ago suggested a 'Commitment to Democracy Statement' to work on and distribute. Every organization needs to self-reflect. Fascism kills innovation, and that is what capitalism is built upon. Are we only to stagnate now as a civilization with medieval castles (oligarchs) and moats (pheasants)?
Thank you again, Ruth, for another truth-filled and insightful recounting of how the desire for power and greed has led to the destruction of a democracy! It’s shocking that there are groups of people that love chaos, discord, and division. For those of us that are peace loving and are devoted to the common good, we ask this question: When we see autocracy on the rise, what are the most effective ways to ban together and attempt to stop it?
'We are the middle-class' (Duh) ---- tell everyone you know. The majority of people in America are not oligarchs. People need to quit drooling over money & wealth. They are shooting themselves in the foot. Vote/ support the democratic party 100% to save our country. Talk to every one you meet.
"The massive domestic and international damage that a default on U.S. debt would bring might lead some to think that the GOP can't possibly be so vindictive or irresponsible. That would underestimate the Republican party's appetite for chaos and destruction."
The GOP has now moved in to the realm of Machiavellianism, where any means necessary will be used to accomplish their end goal. Their pleasure in hurting others is evident also. This is sadism. So the GOP now has two characteristics of the Dark Tetrad. But their leader, Trump has all four characteristics (Machiavellianism, sadism, narcissism and psychopathy). Trump's darkness is flowing down hill to his followers. Authoritarianism and psychopathy/sociopathy go hand in hand.
It's no coincidence that both Kissinger and Pinochet are/were sociopaths. People with no conscience, empathy or remorse, hate democracy. Their grandiose self image leads them to prefer feudalism, fascism or any form of authoritarianism.
Our GOP has become a party that is emulating the sickness of its sociopathic hero. They are suffering from collective delusion and I consider them to be radioactive in their destruction of our society.
I was being lighthearted, Steve. However, since you insist: It is unethical to diagnosis without an in person interview and full evaluation. It’s part of the oath. I doubt you treated or interviewed Kissinger. I offered a friendly reminder, it didn’t work. Now, I offer ethics.
I am familiar with the Goldwater Rule Art-- The Goldwater Rule is a statement of ethics first issued by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 restraining psychiatrists from speculating about the mental state of public figures. The rule enjoins psychiatrists from professionally diagnosing someone they have not personally evaluated.
1. I am not a psychiatrist nor a PsyD.
2. It is an established fact that Kissinger and Pinochet are/were sociopaths.
Thank you for another critically important essay. Oof, thats depressing.
It makes me think we’re really screwed here. It was one thing when our crazed authoritarians were opposing crazed communist authoritarians in the balance for global power. They perhaps both did much damage but the overall trajectory of the world was positive, in some ways balanced towards a moderate middle ground. But now, Putin and this band of a-holes are essentially on the same page as the dark elements within our society and power structures. The Chinese are not exactly left wingers any more. Britain is as dark as the USA. France and Germany are better but still conflicted and have very little military clout if push comes to shove.
Even with just controlling one house of congress, Republicans can essentially tank the USA and the world order in the process...and they appear poised to do so.
Thank you for speaking up about it. Why is this not the main topic of every news broadcast?
"Why is this not the main topic of every news broadcast?" Finally, people who feel the same way I do. I think of this often. She'd be great on Maddow or Nicolle and it's beyond annoying neither she nor Applebaum aren't on the shows talking about what the hell is going to happen here. (Applebaum appears on Morning Joe but doesn't address what's happening here that I've seen). This is exactly the kind of information I find critical as well as what the heck happens to the banking industry ...
Actually, Ms. Ben-Ghiat has been on several MSNBC shows, particularly in recent weeks and months. But, yes, she should appear even more often, and not just on MSNBC.
Dr. Ben-Ghiat, my friend. Brandeis no less. We are being led by brilliance.
I concluded a few years ago that "the Media" is basically in the tank for the authoritarians =// I came to this conclusion over a separate issue, back when the story of havana syndrome broke. I realized that most of what was reported was deliberately misleading and in most instances still is. I don't mean to change the subject, I just wanted to say that that is when I "lost faith" in the media. I hope we can figure a way out of this mess. Participating in Lucids project is definitely a step in the right direction =]
100% and it seems like its getting worse.
Sarah Kendzior has mentioned on her Gaslit Nation podcast several times about the changes she is seeing in our media environment - she sees what appears a coordinated attempt to clear media of dissenting voices to set the stage for something, what she says reminds her of what occurred in the lead up to 2016.
And with Discovery buying up CNN/HBO, the Musk takeover of Twitter and Sinclair buying up local news properties, it sure looks to me like a very dangerous state of affairs not unlike what occurred with the coordinated tanking of independent media in Hungary by allied right wing players.
Truly scary times. I wish there were some easy way we could boost the impact of Lucid and other decent media outfits trying to bring attention to this mess! Or even a not-so-easy way. If anyone has ideas, please share!!!
.... is getting worse......
Until this is resolved, we have to be brave & get out of our comfort-zone & echo chambers and actually talk to others . . . outside of our circles. It's like the revolutionary times, word-of-mouth persuasion. Difficult, yes but it may be the only way left to message. With skill, work this into conversations everywhere you go. We cannot count on the mainstream media any longer. Compromised.
Tell them what ?, my friend. That the gold bugs will lead to an economic collapse ? They introduced a bill in the House yesterday to return to the gold standard. Rand Paul is pushing for this. If this happens and the economy tanks, due to the debt level, who do you think the public will blame ? This is 1936. The right wing extreme religious crazies will have a field day with Jews. They are already going after the low hanging fruit. We are walking a dangerous line, we don’t want to cross. “They”, will never hear us.
I see what you are saying but I believe we need to keep and re-open communication lines amongst us all, across different stratospheres. Being silent lets them win & only works against us, imho.
Historically, most big business has preferred a more authoritarian nation, as they felt that democracy interferred with capitalism. When big business owns the media, we can see the danger. That danger is propaganda that suits their cause. People are suckers for propaganda, as we saw when 74 million people voted for a sociopath for president in 2020. Attempting to change the minds of those whom have been converted is nearly impossible. I know; most of my in-laws have embraced fascism but feel that fascism is a left wing concept, so they are not affected. The Backfire Effect prevents them form seeing what has happened to them. The Backfire Effect is seen almost entirely in conservatives, so this fact shows why fascism, once started is so hard to stop.
For the most part, I agree. Too much of the media - even self-proclaimed "centrist" media outlets - seem far too "soft" on what is happening, even if they do not openly support the GOP authoritarian wing. And as we all know, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing." In this case, "good men" (and women) also means those in the media. :-(
From Thom Hartmann: the billionaire-funded Heritage Foundation is pulling together fully 20,000 hard-core rightwingers to staff a new Trump administration starting on day one. This time here will be none of the bumbling characterized by Trump’s first three years. We could go from democracy to authoritarianism in a matter of months, much like happened in Germany in 1933, as Trump also fulfills his promises to realign America with Russia and Saudi Arabia and abandon our democratic allies around the world.
In April of 2022 The Heritage Foundation announced the launch of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, a new initiative exclusively focused on preparing the next administration with conservative policy recommendations and the properly vetted and trained personnel needed to take back America.
The 2025 Presidential Transition Project builds off Heritage’s longstanding “Mandate for Leadership,” which has been highly influential for presidential administrations since the Reagan administration. Most recently, the Trump administration relied heavily on Heritage’s “Mandate” for policy guidance, embracing nearly two-thirds of Heritage’s proposals within just one year in office.
Heritage also announced that Paul Dans, former chief of staff of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the Trump administration, will join the organization as director of this initiative.
Trump wants to get rid of the civil servants and here is his well for new employees dedicated to him, not the Constitution. He has also said he wants to get rid of the Constitution.
Former President Donald Trump called for the termination of the Constitution to overturn the 2020 election and reinstate him to power Saturday in a continuation of his election denialism and pushing of fringe conspiracy theories.
Thanks for pointing out The Heritage Foundation’s quiet, clever but insidious consistency to undermine, finance, and control. These are the facts seldom brought to the average reader and I DO believe more are paying attention than ever before 👏🙌
Our drums must be heard , consistent, fact bearing, and encouraging . We can only beat them at the ballot box, right the ship, and continue to elect and promote sensible leadership.
I’m glad to be aboard.
💙VOTE💙
We're voting and god only knows how long that will continue. Sorry, it's what I'm seeing.
Thanks Sherri and all who ‘liked’. We’re in this for the long haul. 61 years for me and back then was a mess too, though my energy was a bit more accessible! Stay the course!!!! ☮️❤️
love and peace to you too!
I'mma trying, Patricia. I see 70 in my sights but 69 comes first, apparently. We are being bombarded by one fascist thing after another after another. The media should've seen this years ago. I did. I sent a postcard to HRC in 2018 suggesting she get out of the country. I think that was just called releasing stress :) as I knew she'd never see it.
This is sort of related. Apparently vacation and going to sit in a dentist office for an hour allowed me to read a lot more as I was reading Ruth's book, "Strongmen." It remains scary (fear is part of the playbook) but brother, I really understand the term "strongmen" so much better now. I avoided marking it up but gave in today. It's a great book and I should finish it by the end of this year :). I've learned a lot and the patterns of dictators are all very similar.
Vote and influence others in your network to vote too!
Let’s go! 🍻 💕
Liked "Let's go!"
Also I would add, to talk to fellow Americans outside out our comfort-zone with empathy and persuasion. Especially before the 2024 voting season heats up. It's more relaxed (?) now....?
Thanks, Jan. Absolutely. I want to hear other’s ideas, not an argument. I’m not , we’re not here for an argument. We’re here for solutions. The stark cuts to areas already in trouble, to vast populations on the verge of famine, homelessness,medical disaster and so much more is my concern. The least of us is NO WHERE to begin taking away from , we have lots of sleeves to roll up and engage in conversations that compromise, improve and reduce costs/waste and neglect. I know there are great ideas , the people need to hear these- but ridicule, name calling, and false statements will indeed not get the job done….obviously.
I agree. Let's share all ideas & solutions. We can do this!
Like protesting CNNs town hall for trump. They only have one person capable of challenging trump, Jim Acosta, and Kaitlan Collins isn't it. They will be giving his lies a platform.
I sent a postcard to the CEO and have been CNN-free since rump was on (I didn't watch it ... we all know he's going to lie and deny just like you said).
What do we do ... In the past, I've been involved in helping campaigns but since my hearing is almost non-existent, I can't really talk to people. Zoom works because I read lips. I did data entry and anything that didn't require hearing for HRC and then our rep (I adore her) Susan Wild.
I temporarily was part of Indivisible but when I saw something else with putin, I had to try something else. I was on a committee to figure out how to make SS better and I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Does anyone know if Indivisible is doing anything? My guess is as my focus had to change, they did as well.
Thanks so much for that valiant track record! Wow! We did our part and now still some when opportunity provides. I saw this coming a LONG time went deep into the woods , self sufficient (thinking we’d HAVE to be) .Raise our own food, built our own homes , yada yada - about 70 of us , came out of recluse and most of us built careers helping ( varied professions) and rocked some boats LOL! Retired now. Plaques on our walls and potatoes in the garden, environmentally proactive. No effort is too little . Not here to rock boats or stand in many protests anymore but subtly we still make marks 😉
Thanks again sister❤️
How’d that get on double ? 🤷♀️
The Heritage Foundation has connections to the radical Libertarian movement, the Mont Pelerin Society and people like Ludwig Von Mises, Hayek, James Buchanan and Charles Koch. None of these people or organizations were/ are pro-democracy. What they are looking for is a revolution, a corporate state, run by a fascist cartel economy. They are traitors!
CNP.
CNP?
Council for National Policy. Right wing front for Fascists. “Shadow Network”, Anne Nelson
Yeah, there seems to be a number of these organizations-- Cato, Heritage, Mont Pelerin etc. Not a good sign.
Art--I looked at an old book by Hedges that has some similarities to "Shadow Network", called "American Fascists". Hedges mentions the CNP in that work. The CNP seems to be just as dangerous today as they were in 2006 when Hedges wrote about them.
Well this is for the both sides crowd! There is no both sides to any of this un democratic, anti freedom horseshit going in American politics today. There is only one sorry ass fascist party today, right now, this very second in America, they call that party the GOP!
Regarding the debt limit: I would ask Nancy Pelosi to identify enough level-headed Republican House members, enough to join with the Democratic minority--I think the number is five--and find a way to pay the bills.
I agree. Prayers we can find 5-6.
Last week I was labeled “paranoid” on this site, funny shit. After this article, you probably will be so labeled as well. Those who warn, get ignorant comments. I was in Chile in 1971. That was some wild stuff. Don’t forget the banks, Ruth, they are a part of it. Nixon and Company, removed us from the gold standard in 1971. Todays banks are no accident. JP Morgan, is becoming the “Mother” of all banks. History is our teacher, or, it isn’t. Thanks Ruth, exceptional article.
I remember. It was the end of Brenton Woods. My father used to go there (he was a known economist) and meet up with Bobby Mundell (a lifelong friend) who won the Nobel Peace Prize in economics circa 1999.
JP Morgan, Chase, Bank One and I don't remember all the other banks they sucked up. They are too damn big and Chase went from being a decent bank to being so big that they really screwed things up and I closed our accounts with them. Now, I guess it doesn't matter.
Agree. I worked in the savings & loan industry during deregulation (1980s) and it was equivalent to blowing off the saloon doors in the wild west. Regulation has a place.
Thank you Art, I always appreciate your insight.
In the not-too-distant past, a mere threat by the GOP not to raise the debt ceiling led to a major stock market slide and some attendant economic strife here in the U.S. If the GOP doesn't "pull back" quickly from its current threat, we could see a similar situation - except this time on a global scale.
And while it may be true that many in the GOP would be willing to crash both the U.S. and world economies in order to "set the stage for right-wing rule," history also shows us that the GOP never learns from its mistakes.
The GOP THINKS that if the economy crashes, "the people" will blame Biden and the current Administration, since they are the ones in power, and that this will help the GOP. But, unable to learn, the GOP forgets that every single time they have tried this in the past, with either the debt ceiling or "shutting down the government" (which many of them seem to be conflating), it has backfired - bigly.
Most famously, the Newt Gingrich-led government shutdown of 1995-96 actually helped get Clinton re-elected. And while the GOP held both houses of Congress, they lost seats in the House. In the 1998 midterms, they again maintained control, but lost more House seats - the first time this had happened in a midterm in decades. The GOP tried it again in 2013, shutting down the government over the passage of the ACA. And while it did not hurt them electorally in 2014, the majority of the public nevertheless blamed the GOP for the temporary economic misery.
There were a few other times in the past several decades that the GOP "shut down the government" or threatened not to raise the debt ceiling - and although they hoped to blame the Democrats (who held the White House at those times), it was THEY who got blamed.
Of course, past is not always prologue, so vigilance and action are always important. But I'm not so sure that "the gang that couldn't shoot straight" - i.e., a GOP that has shown itself to be a modern version of the Keystone Kops, for whom it took 15 votes to elect a Speaker, and whose House caucus is run by certifiable loonies like MTG, Boebert, Gaetz and the rest of the clown car - won't shoot itself in the foot yet again. If that happens, the GOP may actually continue to self-destruct.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Finally! When I saw the obvious shift to some form of a dictatorship, I went looking for answers. Few websites out of Hungary have been active since 2018. It was a weird and sudden drop-off that made sense. I read Applebaum's, "Twilight of Democracy - The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism," and bought "Strongmen" last year but was sort of afraid of reading it. I've started it and intend to get through most of it in the next week. The only thing I see in umpf is a very weak organic being. I haven't forgotten his Mussolini imitation, though.
In the meantime, I have no trust in magas. I can't call them "republicans" because they aren't recognizable as that old party. Someone wrote a book called, "Cruelty is the Point," and it's an appropriate saying because magas do want to crash and burn us to get rid of Biden. They made that clear some years ago.
I'm glad to finally land in Ruth Ben-Ghiat's land of reality so at least I see where I'm going. Many thanks.
A land of reality ... and a land of realistic hope
I'm not sure where the "realistic hope" is though.
One of the goals of the magas is to make you believe you are powerless in the face of their bullying and unpredictable violence. Keep hanging out here and the weekly Lucid zoom gatherings, and you’ll become empowered for democracy
Thanks Randolph!!!
I am reading Applebaum's book right now. And if people here really want to see how the current GOP and its anti-democracy bent can succeed, I HIGHLY recommend that everyone read the book - or at least go to a bookstore and read the chapter called "The Future of Nostalgia." Using Brexit as an example, she lays out the step-by-step manner in which England moved from its post-WWII roots to its current ultra-conservative largely anti-democratic position in Europe, via people like Johnson, Farage, Cummings and others, as well as Russian interference in the Brexit campaign. She also delves deeply into how otherwise pro-democratic governments came to support the Orban regime in Hungary. Along with Ruth's own book, Applebaum's book is a must-read.
"I can't call them "republicans" because they aren't recognizable as that old party."
They have assimilated the characteristics of their hero, Trump. So they have assimilated his sociopathy and all the vile toxins that go with it.
I call them FIBs - Fascists in Behavior - they're also Republicans in name only, but that acronym (RINO) is already taken for a different purpose
I call fascism the politics of vices, because that's what they sell.
“Shadow Network” Anne Nelson. I would guess 75% of folks on this site have read it.
I do enjoy your work, and I thank you for it. I’m sure will wind up on the GOP list of people to be rounded up, then to be disappeared, when they go full Fascist on everyone. So we have that in common. Maybe we can have discussions while being forced to clean up our torture chamber. I guess we better learn know how to get dried blood stains out of the concrete now, that way we won’t be beaten harder. I’m personally am looking to see if I can buy cyanide capsules over the counter, or do I need a prescription to purchase them. Anyhow thank you for all you do.
It’s not time to give up the ship, but it does require a never before used tactic by every Media organization and PACs , who support Democracy.
They must clearly show the horrors that Fascist led governments have inflicted on their populations. This must be a campaign that starts now and goes to the day of the 2024 election.
We must be strategic . . . they work at their chessboards nightly from an aerial view, so must we.
Our aerial view, imho, is a "Democracy Capitalism" where our democracy leads our economy to guarantee "liberty and justice for all." This vision can be enhanced with 1) theological teachings on love and justice, and
2) secular frameworks such as civil and women's rights, and
3) sustainability (scientific) truths for our Mother Earth, and
4) freedom struggles through history.
The democracy vision is our North Star. It MUST guide our economics.
ALL of our problems, such as attacks on individual liberties, our climate chaos, an unjust economy, etc, can be aerial viewed as the struggle between global capitalism (our economic order) against democracy (our form of governance to maintain our liberties).
Democracy Capitalism is simply a strong approach to ensuring liberty and justice for all. Pres. Biden is hedging toward an economy influenced by the promises of democracy.
But progressives MUST find a moral course to reign in the violence of our unsustainable global abuse of humans and our Mother Earth.
imho
31% of Americans don’t believe the reality of the Holocaust. 41% of millennials, 25% of those under age 25. If they don’t believe that horror, they won’t believe anything. They want to believe the lie. They want to believe propaganda. They want to reminisce about the good ole days. Everyone who took an oath, is Antifa. To those I just mentioned, we (Antifa) are the enemy.
I’m not wasting time and money on the 31%, I want to target the 69% especially in the battleground states.
Images of journalists being arrested or murdered in the autocratic countries of the world might ring a bell with those voters sitting on the fence.
Thanks for the answer. Danny Pearl and Jamal Khashoggi didn’t change anyone’s fence position. National politics have been running in the 40s being separated by 3-5% pts. We are no longer dealing with 50, 60 or 70%. I agree with the battleground states, although, Ohio electing Peter Thiels puppy, JD Vance, doesn’t build confidence.
I understand your despair. Fascist spread fear. We must encourage courage and nourish hope.
An effective antidote for despair is action. A good defense against fascism is a strong nonviolent offense. Some are advocating pledging to boycott states led by the fascist and utterly corrupt GOP; action that supports democracy and helps mitigate the climate crisis. Travel exacerbates global warming. Fascist. apartheid So Africa was defeated by a well organized BDS movement. India gained its independence from the mighty British Empire, with a well organized boycott. Above all, help get out the vote for the Democratic Party. In all candor, anyone supporting the fascist GOP or a third party is betraying democracy. Lastly, for now, we need to study the the requisite elements of fascism and judiciously refer to fascists as fascist. The 2024 elections offer a stark choice between democracy and fascism.
No you really do not understand my fear, that is your problem you have no fear of these people, you think it is all going work out in the end, writing the Editor, or you senator or congressman, you are wrong dead wrong. You cannot even protest at the capitol in Florida now, it is against the law. Yeah, I remember South Africa on the the news everyday, the SAP, South African Police going in and shooting everybody when the blacks got uppity in say Soweto because nobody or at least the blacks, had a right to own a firearm to defend themselves, that is the South Africa I remember. I’m sure not buying from South Africa put stop to it. I do not remember one damn thing we bought that came from South Africa other Diamonds? Gold? Never slowed down one bit. We might have quit selling to them, fat chance because Nixon, Ford, and Regan loved South Africa , Apartheid, and F.W. de Klerk, he was a conservative, just like they were.
Absolutely thank you for superb essay with so many angles to develop and enhance for our important discussions........and it is Final Exam Week with so much end of semester grading and presentations!!! AND my youngest son wants to take his mother to the theater on Saturday..........oh....
Agree, and with kind regards,
Irresponsible extremist actors in the MAGA congress hope to knock the US economy into economic armageddon ahead of the 24 election in order pave the way for a Trump come back. In addition to a weaponized debt ceiling crisis, I also am looking for other actors and powers from around the world to assist them in their efforts to bring about a Trump led autocracy right here in the good old USA. .
In the next year, should we be surprised if the Saudis led by Trump ally MBS sharply decrease oil production just in time for the election? After all a little pain at the pump is always good for an incumbent isn't it? Should we be surprised if other authoritarian actors like Putin instigate tension by creating an international military crisis's to make the American President look weak? Maybe that could involve missiles and jets flying into sovereign airspace of its European allies along certain borders? Is it a given social media will once again be rife with Russian propaganda spreading lies and disinformation just ahead of the election? Are the Chinese going to just sit idly by without meddling in some behind the scenes way? They're all looking for ways to hurt Biden and the economy any way they can. Ultimately, this is a contest between the West and its system of liberal, rules based democratic order and a system of global autocracies led by Validiir Piutin and his oligarchs.
Gary, your last sentence is award-winning summary of the whole sha-bang for those we need to summary this to -- friends, neighbors, people on the bus & at the marketplace...., gas pump....
led
Gotcha
Hi! I do a current events presentation once a month at the Wilkes Barre, PA JCC. My presentation today referred to George Soros. I presented that "Soros-backed" used by the Republicans today is an anti semitic trope. I referrenced the character of Emanual Goldstein in "1984". Do you agree and do you see the reference to Goldstein as legit? Most of my audience agreed that "Soros-backed" is antisemitic and said, "well that's just the way the republicans do business today." I expressed that we should be outraged! Then they repeated the same quote again. A. Frank
Happily loving and supporting, with gratitude the Jewish community every day, am I.
Soros-backed is 100% an antisemitic trope - thanks for saying this - I have been too, but I don't see it called out anywhere else.
The debt limit imposed in 1917 was not a Constitutional amendment. Congress can't ignore the fourteenth amendment section 4.. Biden should by executive order have Yellen pay the bills. If the Republicans object, the DOJ should argue the debt limit is unconstitutional in the SCOTUS and get rid of the debt limit so the Republicans can't be used to force their economic agenda or tank the economy.
Gloria, I agree. 14th Amendment; enough of this non-sense. The GOP is like a bad marriage with control issues.
Good point.
You have elucidated the current and pending events that require every organization of any kind to start a marketing campaign that vividly shows the horrors that a fascist government will bring.
Moderate Republicans and independents need to be “awakened “ now, non stop, until the 2024 election. Every minority in our country should be shown the actual footage of how the Jewish community, in Germany, was used as a scapegoat for repression of the country as a whole. No minority should feel escape-proof if MAGA gains more control than they currently have in the federal as well as in many state governments. This effort will require the use of fear against the fear that MAGA has and will continue to use.
Agree. A fellow Lucidian several weeks ago suggested a 'Commitment to Democracy Statement' to work on and distribute. Every organization needs to self-reflect. Fascism kills innovation, and that is what capitalism is built upon. Are we only to stagnate now as a civilization with medieval castles (oligarchs) and moats (pheasants)?
"Artists are the gatekeepers of truth." -- Paul Robeson (a hero of Harry Belafonte's)
Speaking of medieval, Hitler was a big fan of feudalism.
To be successful, fascism must disparage democracy in order to replace it.
Agree, we need to sell democracy, while criticizing fascism.
Thanks, Jan - I was that Lucidite and I'm still up for drafting the statement with help from others here.
me too
"We hold these truths to be self-evident..." (with some critically important changes) might be the rhetorical start.
Thank you again, Ruth, for another truth-filled and insightful recounting of how the desire for power and greed has led to the destruction of a democracy! It’s shocking that there are groups of people that love chaos, discord, and division. For those of us that are peace loving and are devoted to the common good, we ask this question: When we see autocracy on the rise, what are the most effective ways to ban together and attempt to stop it?
'We are the middle-class' (Duh) ---- tell everyone you know. The majority of people in America are not oligarchs. People need to quit drooling over money & wealth. They are shooting themselves in the foot. Vote/ support the democratic party 100% to save our country. Talk to every one you meet.
"The massive domestic and international damage that a default on U.S. debt would bring might lead some to think that the GOP can't possibly be so vindictive or irresponsible. That would underestimate the Republican party's appetite for chaos and destruction."
The GOP has now moved in to the realm of Machiavellianism, where any means necessary will be used to accomplish their end goal. Their pleasure in hurting others is evident also. This is sadism. So the GOP now has two characteristics of the Dark Tetrad. But their leader, Trump has all four characteristics (Machiavellianism, sadism, narcissism and psychopathy). Trump's darkness is flowing down hill to his followers. Authoritarianism and psychopathy/sociopathy go hand in hand.
It's no coincidence that both Kissinger and Pinochet are/were sociopaths. People with no conscience, empathy or remorse, hate democracy. Their grandiose self image leads them to prefer feudalism, fascism or any form of authoritarianism.
Our GOP has become a party that is emulating the sickness of its sociopathic hero. They are suffering from collective delusion and I consider them to be radioactive in their destruction of our society.
Agreed, now it’s time to fight fire with fire!
Are you diagnosing online 🤣🤣🤣
Diagnosing based on education.
I was being lighthearted, Steve. However, since you insist: It is unethical to diagnosis without an in person interview and full evaluation. It’s part of the oath. I doubt you treated or interviewed Kissinger. I offered a friendly reminder, it didn’t work. Now, I offer ethics.
I am familiar with the Goldwater Rule Art-- The Goldwater Rule is a statement of ethics first issued by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 restraining psychiatrists from speculating about the mental state of public figures. The rule enjoins psychiatrists from professionally diagnosing someone they have not personally evaluated.
1. I am not a psychiatrist nor a PsyD.
2. It is an established fact that Kissinger and Pinochet are/were sociopaths.
3. I'm not affected by the Goldwater Rule.
Just a friendly reminder Art.