I spend a fair amount of time on social media and since the election, people have been asking, ‘what can we do?’ A lot of us acknowledge just how deeply we are into totalitarian rule and the undercurrents that flow on the socials often combine bewilderment with despair. In fact, if you aren’t feeling that from time to time, I’m wondering about you as a person.
To the extent that I can, I try to remind people to show up for the protests. Those non-violent protests where 3.5 percent of the population take to the streets ALWAYS leads to change.* But I always add— eventually. I recommend joining the ACLU and doing all their email campaigns. They make it easy, and they have had major wins. But what else???
Well, here’s the pitch— I want you to imagine a different world. One that takes courage. One where you put yourself on the line. One where you’re willing to stand out and stand up. Ready??
I’m asking you to fly the RESIST flag at your house. Why? Why will this make a difference?
Because we need to take the fight against fascism into every neighborhood in America. We need to empower all those sleepy individuals who up until now knew that what they were seeing was wrong but felt too alone or too scared to speak up. We must be that first wave to act to empower others. To do the next right thing. As we look out across America, the real patriots are the resistors, not the false flyers of American flags who hide behind a history that never existed. Can you also fly the American flag? Yes! But only if you pair it with the resistance flag or banner.
Imagine that world where all of us stand together. Imagine a world where we push back against totalitarian rule and all its trampling of American freedoms. You want to know what you can do today? Get your flag up! Become a role model for your community. Be the change.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
In light of what’s going on in LA and everything else, we need everyone on the streets for this march. Find your local march (by zip code) at https://www.nokings.org
Check out the downloadable artwork under Art then Posters.
BTW- Everyone needs to watch the use of language in media/government sources now. Especially, note if “riot” replaces “protest”. It is a common ploy by fascism to weaponize language to escalate tensionsand then call for “law and order”.
They also have great resources like trainings here:
Most of us are struggling to understand what is going on in the country. A country that seems to have gone off-rail and is headed for disaster. This is the go-to book to start to understand the history and current dynamics at work behind it all. Best of all, Stanley’s book is easily readable and short. It also seems to be on sale on Amazon. Because it’s a bestseller, you can probably get a copy at your library as well. Grab it, it’s your sanity blanket as we navigate these turbulent times. It has been said that no other single book is more relevant to this moment in history.
Stanley used to teach at Yale but has recently relocated to Canada because of the current political situation. You’ll have a deeper understanding of how universities, who are on the frontlines of free speech always become targets under fascism, once you read his chapter on anti-intellectualism. Stanley also brings his unique perspective of being the child of WWII refugees who fled Europe to come to the US and begin a new life.
Photo by Paul Sableman
How Fascism Works contains ten chapters outlining the structure of fascist politics, how they become established, complete with historical examples including those from Poland, Hungary, Myanmar, India, and (sadly) the US. Stanley explores the powerful tactics used by a fascist regime that if not checked successfully can ultimately lead to authoritarianism. These tactics involve many policies including:
Fracturing a society into believing there’s an “US” versus a “Them,” which can be based on color, religion, or culture.
Creating a mythic past about the nation, steeped in nostalgia, intangible, and not based on reality. A place where patriarchy was strong and unthreatened.
Using propaganda to deliberately pervert meaning. Masking corruption under the guise of anti-corruption is a hallmark strategy. Ultimately, the twisting of democratic language through propaganda is aimed at dismantling the “rule of law” and replacing it with authoritarian rule. Propaganda elevates the irrational over the rational, emotion over intellect. Fascists reject Enlightenment ideals because they conflict with “natural law.”
Crafting a society that is anti-intellectual. Universities and experts are attacked and debased. Education is remade to support the mythic past where only that viewpoint is tolerated. Certain areas of study are suspect or eliminated (especially gender studies, African American studies, Middle Eastern studies, Women’s studies, etc.). In the US, fascist policy attacked government, science, academia, and the media. Fascism dumbs down the message and loves repeating slogans.
Building a state of unreality in which truth is in constant doubt. Fascism attacks information spaces that allow lively debate. Lying without consequence destabilizes causing a sense of loss and mistrust. Conspiracy theories target an outside group to benefit an in-group. Trusted media sources are questioned or vilified. These techniques stoke fear and allow the regime to curb freedoms with support from the populace. In Fascist politics, speech isn’t about truth it’s about stirring emotion. Truth is not necessary. In this world of unreality, news becomes sport, tribal identification extreme, and the strongman becomes the star.
Photo by Jvrijman
Supplanting democracy’s fundamental principle of equality with hierarchy. Hierarchy is the idea that a given society is at the top with regard to power and dominance and that this is a consequence of nature. The idea is inconsistent with everyone being equal or having human dignity. When a society faces outside pressure or is in decline, and its loss of exceptionalism is possible, liberal democracy frequently falls prey to fascist attacks. Fascist forces flourish in a fearful, uncertain society.
Cultivating victimhood. Fascism exploits feelings of victimization by a dominant group when a subordinate group achieves or tries to achieve a sharing of power. In the US, there has been a popularization of the fact that by 2050 the racial makeup of the country will be very different. This has been done purposely by certain activists to create and exaggerate fear and uncertainty. Additionally, there has been a general lack of education about how far blacks have come economically. Figures suggest we are still at Reconstruction levels, although most Americans think we have achieved close to equity. Affirmative Action has been attacked for decades and presented as something detached from merit when it never was. Immigrants have been targeted as criminals and usurpers stealing jobs. All of these kinds of things have allowed a part of society to decide it is being victimized. Fascism allows the victimhood to be manipulated to justify the past, to continue policies, or implement new policies of oppression.
Advancing a policy of “law and order” based on the underlying assumption that minority groups are criminals. Fascist policies reinforce “US v. Them.” In 2016, Trump ran on expelling criminal aliens. During his second term, Homeland Security has created an office to track crimes by aliens. These stories flood the headlines distorting reality and sparking fear. Fascism utilizes the intentional use of words like riot over protest, invasion over entry.
Exploiting a climate of sexual anxiety. Fascism promotes a fear of interbreeding where defending white purity becomes a calling. Anything that departs from the patriarchy and traditional values degrades purity and is seen as threatening. Fascism distorts male anxiety especially when the society already has outside pressures. This perceived existential crisis rallies the fearful into rejecting those outside the traditional structure. LGBT, trans, feminists, etc. become targets.
Rejecting pluralism (power sharing among parties) and tolerance. The rural v. urban divide is exploited as fascism promotes the idea that cities are parasites-filled with weak unproductive people, crime, and urban blight. The rural country is seen as full of healthy, productive, sacrificing citizens who haven’t been corrupted. Diversity is a city thing where low birthrates prevail. Cities become proxy targets as representing liberals, elites, cosmopolitans, religious diversity, sexual expression, and diverse culture. Everything fascism hates. The fact that cities are the economic powerhouse of the nation doesn’t matter because facts have been left behind.
Photo by All-Night Images
Curing laziness with hard work. (Albeit Macht Frei– work shall make you free, written on the gates of Auschwitz) Fascist ideology bases an individual’s worth on struggle and achievement over others. If you win, you get resources. Fascist society doesn’t grant worth based on merely being a human being (that’s a liberal democratic value). Therefore, anyone’s worth is strictly associated with productivity. Those who are not deemed productive or are branded lazy and are of no use to the state. They become disposable. Social programs are not seen as necessary to support productive citizens. Anything that supports the old, the weak, or the ill drain resources from a productive fascist society. Also under this category, is an attack on unions by fascists. Unions bring together diverse people in an attempt to gain resources. That solidarity threatens a fascist regime, and so unions become targets.
During the campaign of 2024, the American public seemed allergic to the use of the word fascism. It seemed extreme and was associated with the past and foreign regimes. Now, the word is everywhere, and it should be. We are in peril. Is there any one of the ten tenets above that we don’t see at work every day in American society? Some of them are a little better veiled than others but they are all in play. This is an important book. If you read only one book this year, let it be this one. The insights you’ll gain will help you to understand emerging Republican policy. It will all make sense.
I’m one of those people who believe that forewarned is forearmed. That anxiety and worry is often set aside if we have a plan. In fact, the mere act of planning involves us in a positive process that assures that we are not frozen in a time of crisis. But I’ve also come to understand that my way of seeing the world is not necessarily the only way. There are some of us right now who are already tuning out, going to ground. Some can’t stand to think about next steps. For those of you of that ilk, we part ways here. Reading on is not for the faint-hearted.
OK, let’s talk about what happens if Trump enacts the Insurrection Act.
Last weekend the Hands Off! protests brought an estimated 5 million Americans (approximately 2% of the population) flooding into the streets protesting a whole host of violations to fundamental rights, the destruction of the government, infrastructure, the obliteration of the economy, and many other things. These were peaceful protests and remarkable feats.
A looming deadline of April 20th is approaching when a joint report from the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security is due concerning the safety on the southern border. They are tasked to specifically address whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 should be invoked. Note that April 20th is Easter AND Hitler’s birthday. The next nationwide day of protest is the day before (April 19th). Some think that if Trump gets the recommendation to invoke this act, he will likely do it either on or about this date. This would allow him to use the military at the border and potentially in blue “sanctuary” cities. While the Insurrection Act has been used at times by Presidents, its use is reviewed by the courts only in retrospect.
photo: AramiFeraxa
THE FALSE FLAG EVENT:
What may be even more concerning is that with mass demonstrations becoming more and more popular, Trump may choose to create a false flag crisis that conveniently leads to martial law. This could be easily done if he calls up groups like the Alt-Right, Neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, right wing militias, and others. Some believe that Trump is just waiting to deploy these troops against peaceful demonstrators in order to provoke a violent clash that would lead to a call for martial law to reestablish order. After Charlottesville and January 6th, it’s hard to dismiss the idea. Many people seem to think Trump has waited this long to invoke the act because he needed to have his people in key positions to get the job done. His cabinet was seated, and his minions are now in place.
THE PLAYBOOK:
Of course, causing the violence that requires the full use of martial law ultimately is how democracy falls. It doesn’t happen in one day, but it does happen quickly. There is a playbook by which totalitarian rulers have historically accomplished this goal and if we are going to stop America falling, we have to recognize the pattern.
CREATE THE SITUATION & MANIPULATE THE POPULACE:
As the initial violence kicks off, it’s likely that we will see other escalations to follow. Simple crowd control at an event or two would hardly get Americans behind the idea of giving up freedoms (and that’s what this administration is after). So, we should expect things like “terrorist” bombings, targeted assassinations, and other high-profile acts of violence that shock us. All of these events would be used to manipulate the public to call for law and order. The media will then be flooded with images of rioting, cities burning, all kinds of out-of-control behavior, much- if not all of this, will be orchestrated by the right. If done correctly by the playbook, Trump will appear to be a hero answering the growing cries of citizens to reestablish order. Trump will be only too happy to step in and assume total control. He has no plan to ever cede that control back.
photo: Martin Falbisoner
At this point, Trump can now mobilize and order troops into major American cities where his opposition is the greatest. These people are vilified as the enemy and are rebranded seditionists, traitors, and the woke mob. Good Americans are now asked to grab their guns and defend ‘Merica. Trump uses the militias that have been reformed after being freed from the Jan. 6th incarcerations. That way any military professionals who balk at using force against their own people can be sidestepped. Now citizens (largely from the right) have been cast into roles of helping the police or keeping order.
ELIMINATE OPPOSITION:
What follows next is likely to be the arrest of high-profile opposition. We should expect that journalists, Democratic officials, activists, academics, and anyone who has publicly taken on Trump or his policies publicly to be arrested. The media will cover all aspects of this round up of those people now made criminal under this administration. Democratic governors may become a special target because removing them removes all resistance at a state level. This would allow Trump the freedom to do what he wants in each and every state. To solidify control, military and law enforcement are then made to take loyalty oaths.
As the cities are locked down, the military and National Guard might be used to establish firm control. Curfews, lockdowns, and checkpoints would be created to maintain order. Militarized presence on the streets defines a new normal. Highways to Canada and Mexico are strictly patrolled by Trumpian forces. Red states are especially enthusiastic to answer the call to man checkpoints and identify traitors, seditionists, and anyone they deem a threat to Trump. Recall the move to open Guantanamo Bay, the 106 ICE detention centers, and various for-profit prisons to retain illegals? That “system” is now used to house the thousands of American citizens deemed traitorous under the Insurrection Act. And still there isn’t enough room. Texas comes through with “open air” jails (tent cities) scattered throughout the state.
photo: Jesse Collins
CONTROL THE MESSAGING:
While all this is under way, the press comes under increasing pressure. The administration needs total control of the messaging to silence dissent. We should expect to see journalists and media heads threatened with legal action, blackmailing, and pressure to comply. The social media that Trump controls (X, Truth Social, etc.) will become increasingly loud in an attempt to drown out any contrary opinions. Some social media will go dark. Some media will cave to the pressure. We enter the police state where monitoring of everyone’s communication becomes routine. Trump exploits his friendships with tech giants to conduct surveillance on all Americans to root out dissent. Arrests are made when people express non-Trumpian ideas. Incentives are created to have Americans report on each other’s behavior.
CLOSE THE BORDERS:
Borders close. No one, especially anyone who opposes the dictator is leaving. Passports are revoked. No-fly lists are created and enforced. Apprehensions at the borders and airports are commonplace. ICE and DHS arrest political enemies. Many are lost or have disappeared.
END FREE ELECTIONS:
The 2026 election is postponed due to national security concerns. This is a pretext to do away with democratic elections forever. By 2028, the first rigged American election (similar to a Russian election) takes place. The 250-year American democratic experiment has died. Americans live under totalitarian rule.
Although I’ve laid this out as a linear plan, it’s likely that many events would be overlapping, and other parts may occur even earlier than I outline. Some steps may be invisible to us, at least for a while. Might it not happen at all? Of course! But remember, they have a plan in Project 2025 and Trump and his bunch have been making remarkable progress checking off all those tasks that he supposedly knew nothing about. Well, Ellis- this just sounds crazy! Yeah, I know!! But this is the same bunch that engineered Jan. 6th. Who thought that would happen? Who thought Trump would be elected? Who thought all the insurrectionists from Jan. 6th would be pardoned? Let’s not say- who thought they’d end democracy?
I am indebted to Angela Woodward and others for their keen insight and understanding of these times we live in.
ellisnelson 