America is seeing a "soft coup" play out before its eyes, and the reality distortions around us have left us confused and unable to see it. But here's what we must do.
Mike, your essays continue to be penetrating, frightening, and illuminating, to say the least. But why would Republicans suddenly give a damn about the appeals you're suggesting constituents put forward? Haven't they done nothing other than surrender en masse, incrementally, one step at a time, over the last eight years? To suggest this crisis is new or the tipping point or a new opportunity to drive a wedge through the their fealty to Trump seems overly optimistic. Thanks for the ongoing impassioned analysis!
I could be mistaken, but I believe what Barret was referencing were your suggestions below:
"In our current crisis, this means focusing particularly on Republican representatives in competitive districts. These representatives need to understand that their political survival depends on choosing constitutional governance over partisan loyalty."
"Instead, citizens should organize continuous presence at their representatives' offices, demanding specific congressional action to defend the agency's statutory authority. The message must be clear: Representatives who fail to defend constitutional governance will face relentless peaceful pressure from constituents."
Folks who have Democratic representatives might be more successful, but for those whose reps are Republicans, the current goings-on would have to piss off enough of their constituents who put them in office.
Trump voters were suckered. Musk and his minions are convinced Americans aren't smart enough or deserving enough to govern themselves. In certain instances he may be right. Sad.
Thank you! This is very helpful in understanding how anyone work to reverse our slide into dictatorship. The examples of how to message effectively are particularly helpful to me.
Great piece! I feel like this could be the manifesto for a protest movement. It could be called “make congress great again”. I think the approach you outlined is the correct one. So far all the criticism I’ve seen has been directed at Trump and musk, as if the people whose jobs it is to check their power have no responsibility. When the issue is framed as congress asserted its legitimate authority and divorced from policy, the message is more likely to succeed. Most Americans would never question the basic premise of our constitutional government. There seems to be a lot of cognitive dissonance around the theoretical function of our government and equivocating about what is actually happening. I hope there is a way to break through that mystification but it seems like it will be difficult
Mike, your essays continue to be penetrating, frightening, and illuminating, to say the least. But why would Republicans suddenly give a damn about the appeals you're suggesting constituents put forward? Haven't they done nothing other than surrender en masse, incrementally, one step at a time, over the last eight years? To suggest this crisis is new or the tipping point or a new opportunity to drive a wedge through the their fealty to Trump seems overly optimistic. Thanks for the ongoing impassioned analysis!
I'm not talking to the Republicans.
I could be mistaken, but I believe what Barret was referencing were your suggestions below:
"In our current crisis, this means focusing particularly on Republican representatives in competitive districts. These representatives need to understand that their political survival depends on choosing constitutional governance over partisan loyalty."
"Instead, citizens should organize continuous presence at their representatives' offices, demanding specific congressional action to defend the agency's statutory authority. The message must be clear: Representatives who fail to defend constitutional governance will face relentless peaceful pressure from constituents."
Folks who have Democratic representatives might be more successful, but for those whose reps are Republicans, the current goings-on would have to piss off enough of their constituents who put them in office.
So far, I'm not seeing that.
Trump voters were suckered. Musk and his minions are convinced Americans aren't smart enough or deserving enough to govern themselves. In certain instances he may be right. Sad.
alternative fact: two times two equals four
O Denise! How did you find me!? 😱
https://www.racket.news/p/nation-shrugs-as-godzilla-eats-washington
Thank you! This is very helpful in understanding how anyone work to reverse our slide into dictatorship. The examples of how to message effectively are particularly helpful to me.
Great piece! I feel like this could be the manifesto for a protest movement. It could be called “make congress great again”. I think the approach you outlined is the correct one. So far all the criticism I’ve seen has been directed at Trump and musk, as if the people whose jobs it is to check their power have no responsibility. When the issue is framed as congress asserted its legitimate authority and divorced from policy, the message is more likely to succeed. Most Americans would never question the basic premise of our constitutional government. There seems to be a lot of cognitive dissonance around the theoretical function of our government and equivocating about what is actually happening. I hope there is a way to break through that mystification but it seems like it will be difficult