The Flag Belongs to the Republic, Not the Autocrats

A Personal Statement

I wasn't born an American—I chose to become one. When I took my oath of citizenship, pledging to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” those weren't just words to me. They represented a sacred commitment to the most radical experiment in human history: the idea that ordinary citizens could govern themselves through democratic institutions rather than submit to rule by force or fortune.

That's why watching tech billionaires and their neo-reactionary allies wrap themselves in our flag while dismantling constitutional governance fills me with a special kind of rage. As someone who actively chose this republic, who studied its principles and swore to defend them, I understand something that Elon Musk and his band of authoritarians seem to have forgotten: The American flag doesn't represent wealth or power or technical competence. It represents the triumph of law over personal authority, of democratic institutions over individual whim.

As someone who chose this nation and its principles, I feel physical pain watching what's happening now. When private citizens seize control of Treasury systems while running companies affected by those very systems, they're not just violating federal law—they're attacking the constitutional principles I swore to defend. I took an oath to protect these principles against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That oath means something. It binds me to speak the truth in this moment: What we're witnessing isn't reform or innovation—it's the systematic dismantling of democratic governance by people who think their wealth puts them above the law.

To my fellow Americans, both born and naturalized: This flag belongs to the republic. Not to billionaires who think their wealth puts them above the law. Not to neo-reactionaries who dream of replacing democracy with corporate feudalism. It belongs to every citizen who understands that self-governance requires constant defense against those who would convert public institutions into instruments of private power.

The past few weeks have shattered any illusions about what we face. We've watched a ketamine-using billionaire gain control of Treasury systems while running companies affected by those very systems. We've seen career officials removed for following security protocols. We've witnessed congressionally established agencies illegally shuttered. Each of these acts represents a direct assault on the constitutional principles I chose to defend when I became an American.

This is why pro-democracy protesters must carry the American flag proudly in the streets. Not as a symbol of blind nationalism, but as a declaration that we understand what this republic means and what it requires of us. When I see the Stars and Stripes, I don't see a mere emblem of state power—I see the embodiment of an idea that drew me to citizenship: that human beings can govern themselves through law rather than submit to the rule of wealth or force.

To those who say I'm being alarmist or partisan: I've studied what this republic means precisely because I chose it. I understand the difference between political disagreement and constitutional crisis because I had to learn these principles to earn my citizenship. When I tell you that what's happening now represents a fundamental threat to democratic governance, I speak from the perspective of someone who knows exactly what we stand to lose.

The flag I saluted when I became a citizen represents something precious and precarious: the triumph of democratic self-governance over personal rule. Today, that triumph is being threatened not by foreign armies but by domestic enemies who would replace constitutional principles with corporate feudalism. We who understand what's at stake have a duty to defend it.

Call your representatives daily—not with polite requests, but with clear demands that they defend their constitutional authority. Make them understand that their political survival depends on standing up to this assault on democratic governance. Show up at their offices. Make them face their constituents who still believe in the rule of law.

Take to the streets carrying the American flag. Show the world that true patriots defend constitutional principles, not billionaire autocrats. When you protest, make it clear that you stand for the republic itself—for a government of laws, not the whims of wealthy individuals who think their technical competence puts them above the Constitution.

Most importantly, help others understand what's really happening. Break through the manufactured confusion with simple truths: Laws mean what they say. Federal conflict-of-interest statutes can't be ignored. Private citizens cannot legally seize control of government functions while maintaining their business interests.

The oath I took when I became a citizen binds me to this fight. It demands that I defend constitutional governance against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Today, that means standing up to those who would convert our democratic institutions into instruments of private power. Join me in this defense of the republic. The flag—and all it represents—belongs to us. The People.