We have reached the stage in the devolution of our democracy where people have become afraid. Not in the overt, trembling with fear way, but in the semi-conscious, easily suppressed, but no less potent one. If I say something now, what happens if Trump stays in power? Will my company (or portfolio companies) face repercussions, such as losing government contracts? Will the IRS turn over my finances? Will I be called out publicly and have an angry mob show up at my door? The more you have to lose, the easier it is for these fears, however fleeting they may be, to result in silence and inaction.
I am sure I will have some commenters show up here and blame “the left” for cancel culture and suggest that I have this all backwards, that it is Trump supporters who are afraid. Except that the evidence is in the other direction: Trump support is getting more vocal and brazen, at the same time that Trump’s statements are becoming more outrageous. And more importantly, it is of course the Trump side that controls government power and has done so for the last four years (to deflect from these we get ongoing deep state conspiracy theories).
I am writing this post to admit openly that I have had the above fears pop into my mind. I don’t think these fears are at all crazy, given the cruelty and vindictiveness Trump and his administration have displayed time and time again. But it is exactly the experience of those fears that makes me redouble my efforts. So let me state it clearly again:
Trump is undermining core institutions of democracy and there is a clear and present danger of a Trump dictatorship.
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