As I dive deeper into understanding American politics, books like this one are very helpful. This book does not imagine a future that may come to pass if our projected path doesn‘t shift; it shows that we are already there. It discusses the flaws in the system that led us to this point. America will fall; its ‘democracy‘ will not last. It is falling right now, as we speak. The question is, what will you do? Highly recommended read.
We were without power for five nights after the bomb cyclone hit western WA. Treated myself to a visit at my favorite local indie. I‘ve earned it.
At this point in history, 240 years after its composition, much of the US Constitution simply does not apply to reality. Democrats and Republicans alike worship the document as a sacred text, indulging a delirious sentimentality that was the precise opposite of what the framers envisioned as the necessary basis for responsible government. There is no way to govern rationally when your foundational document is effectively dead and you worship⬇️
(2017) Here's a compact handbook to living with integrity in a collapsing/collapsed democracy. I have a dreadful feeling Snyder's advice will have multiple practical applications very soon. Thank goodness it exists.
The problem is not who is in power, but the structures of power. The US system is an archaic mode of government totally unsuited to the realities of the 21st century. It needs reforms to its foundational systems, not just new faces.
Small acts of resistance: community, love, joy. Read the books they want to ban, speak to the people they want to silence, view what they want to stay hidden. Always question. Know your worth. Support those in need where you can.
I still struggle with words for what is happening. To those struggling with me: I see you.
This book feels like old news now, but still so important to read. The authors lay out the warnings of a democracy in crisis, and all the moves to power that authoritarians make: Trump met (and continues to meet) each one of them. They discuss how these events unfolded in other countries, America‘s political history, and why democracy is so fragile. Voting and institutions alone will not save us. Highly recommend.
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