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“A house divided against itself cannot endure.” —Abraham Lincoln

“The greatest benefit we can offer our nation is to mend its political divisions and unite it as one people. To bring us back together as a single people, acting as one nation, should be the goal of every true patriot.”—Thomas Jefferson

People are confused. Why areTrumpand his Republican sycophants so focused on dismantling our government, undermining our alliances and global standing, and harming the working class while transferringover $50 trillion to the morbidly rich?

Historian Kevin M. Kruse brilliantly encapsulated the spirit of the times, highlighting the general public’s confusion at that moment when heposted over on BlueSky:

Let’s conduct a basic hypothetical scenario. Imagine if you or I were employed by Vladimir Putin, a group of irate billionaires aiming to dismantle democracy, or a rich serial murderer, and our instructions were to destabilize our nation and leave us susceptible to foreign domination. What actions would we take? What measures would we implement?

As I mentioned a few days ago, if we adhere to the Dictator’s Playbook, there is actually a straightforward, 12-step method to achieve that.

The initial step would be to change Americans fromE Pluribus Unum (“Out of Many, One”) into hate-filled warring factions. Turn us against each other. Divide us by race, religion, gender, region, education, income, and whether we live in cities or rural areas.

In Immanuel Kant’s Perpetual Peace (1795), he outlined the initial three methods that “despotic moralists” employ to dismantle the structure of a society. They wereFac et excusa(“Act immediately, and provide justifications afterwards”),Si fecisti, nega(“If you commit a wrongdoing, refuse to admit it”), andDivide et impera(“Divide and rule”). Jefferson may have inspired Kant when, in 1787, he wrote, “Divide et imperathe condemned principle of tyranny…

When Hitler asserted that Jews, Roma, and LGBTQ+ individuals were not “true Germans,” he was using that concept. Joe McCarthy attempted to create division based on political beliefs. David Duke argued that people should be separated by their skin color.

Its most recent instance occurred this week when Trump and Pete Hegseth informed the country’s generals that many Black, Hispanic, and female officers held their positions solely due to their gender or race. “Whiskey Pete” was direct,claiming that Ronald Reagan’s invocationAmerica’s traditional belief that “our diversity is our strength” was an “insane fallacy.”

Then, we would aim to make as many Americans as possible worse off, forming a large group of mostly white men who are angry because they have been abandoned economically and believe they are excluded from the American Dream.

That approach would involve multiple stages:

・Eliminate labor unions that connect workers with their employers and increase the quality of life.

・Initiatives that help individuals escape poverty and join the middle class, such as top-tier public education available to all, affordable higher education, and cost-effective healthcare access.

・Producing vessels in foreign countries with low labor costs, while implementing inconsistent, unpredictable tariff policies that harm the local economy.

・Create media campaigns that vilify “the other,” attributing their problems to Blacks, Hispanics, LGBTQ+ individuals, and women.

・Prohibit literature that promotes inclusivity and educators who implement it.

・Promote hatred and conspiracy theories through influential social media and search engine algorithms that present them as acceptable, thereby deteriorating the overall culture.

・Disrupt programs that provide healthcare, student loan forgiveness, and housing assistance.

Third, our aim would be to undermine public confidence in simple, direct news. Publicly assert that it is filled with “left-wing bias” and cannot be relied upon, labeling journalists as elite “enemies of the people,” and consistently attack the media.

Fourth, break people’s trust in reality. Question scientific knowledge and authority. Overwhelm the public with conspiracy theories. Persuade individuals to abandon common-sense actions that safeguard themselves and their children, such as vaccinations, precautions for airborne illnesses, or efforts to combat climate change. Create confusion so they don’t know whom to trust, and then present yourself as the sole provider of truth.

Fifth, dismantle long-standing global partnerships by distancing from established allies and welcoming overtly antagonistic adversaries, while discarding principles related to defense, trade, and economic practices.

Sixth, erode the public’s trust in their chosen leaders and the government as a whole. Allow the act of extremely wealthy individuals and large corporations purchasing laws and political allegiance through financial means, under the justification that “money equals speech” and “corporations are people.” Label opposing political parties as “extreme,” “hazardous,” and “not part of the conventional spectrum.”

Seventh, direct the country’s military and police against its own citizens, instilling fear in people who might confront armed, masked individuals on the streets, or face break-ins at their homes during the night. Begin by targeting marginalized groups such as immigrants, and once they are “under control,” deploy these forces against anyone who opposes the emerging one-party regime.

Eighth, undermine confidence in the country’s money by taking political authority over the central bank and casting blame on its leaders.

Ninth, engage in fraudulent activities to amass as much wealth as possible for the Dear Leader and his inner circle, while refusing to increase the minimum wage to maintain people in a state of poverty.

Tenth, leverage governmental authority to compel institutions—corporations, universities, law firms—into total compliance and active participation in the degradation of the country.

Eleventh, take control of the legislative and judicial branches so that your law-breaking, election manipulation, and corruption go unchecked. Publicly and shamelessly violate laws such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits the use of any government agency or property for political or commercial activities.

Require law enforcement agencies to issue unlawful, biased remarks that insult the opposing political party and reject anyone who points out this clear criminal behavior. Mock and ridicule those who insist that individuals committing offenses while in power should be held responsible.

Twelfth, transform the country’s leading law enforcement organizations into instruments for targeting political adversaries, while overlooking the offenses of regime allies, thereby eroding trust in equal treatment under the law and instilling fear in those who dare to express dissent.

Every autocrat throughout history, ranging from the ancient Roman Empire to the monarchs of the Dark Ages, the fascists of early 20th century Europe, and modern-day leaders such as Orbán, Putin, Erdoğan, El-Sisi, Maduro, Netanyahu, and Modi, has employed these 12 straightforward steps.

Whether Trump has led America down this path due to pressure (or financial support from) Putin, conservative American millionaires, or simply his own authoritarian tendencies and tactics he has adopted from Orbán and Putin, it doesn’t necessarily mean the country will end up looking like modern-day Russia or Hungary.

The positive aspect is that several nations have chosen male leaders who attempted to go through this list but were halted before completing their tasks. Rather than allowing their leaders to transform their countries into lasting autocracies, the citizens stood up and reclaimed power for themselves and their democracies.

Among them are Ukraine, the Philippines, Brazil, Poland, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Peru, South Korea, Romania, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Gambia, Malawi, Moldova, and South Africa.

Throughout history, it has been evident that any democratic system can descend into tyranny if its people become disheartened, surrender, or turn their backs on the issues. The critical question—indeed, the only one that truly counts now—is whether enough of us will decide to rise, take action, and restore the legacy that previous generations struggled and sacrificed to pass on, as citizens in the nations mentioned above have done recently.

If they are capable of it, then we are too.

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