The anti-Trump playbook
April 10th was a brutal day for democracy. In the morning, I began receiving warnings from other writers to travel with a burner phone. Apparently political writers are being targeted, and their privacy being violated by abusive U.S. border agents. At lunch, a DNC friend told me she’s planning to move to Portugal out of fear (this after two other friends already sold everything and purchased homes in Portugal).
Then the Republican House, despite doubts Speaker Johnson had the votes, passed their evil voter disenfranchisement SAVE Act (with FOUR democrats), and the budget resolution, by just two votes, with three Democrats out due to illness and death. Then, in what some saw as a win, the SCOTUS ruling on Abrego Garcia might just be another opportunity for Trump to expand his lawlessness.
Authoritarians like Mussolini, Hitler, Ceaușescu, and Hussein, typically face a violent demise. But that is not always the case. Putin has been in power for 25 years with no end in sight. China’s system of government literally has “dictatorship” in its name, the People’s Democratic Dictatorship (CCP). Intermittent uprisings have been easily quashed as citizens are inured to dictatorships in these countries.
Although the USA was founded on the principle of freedom from monarchs and dictators, it was also founded by Puritans and slave owners with a sense of superiority, or “Exceptionalism.” America is a white male patriarchy where black men and women have only had the right to vote for 155 and 105 of the past 250 years, respectively.
Also, for the past 250 years, the fragile balance of power has shifted between greedy industrialists, to more diverse leadership, and now back to greedy capitalists again. Democrats represent diversity, thoughtful leadership, and fairness. Republicans only care about increased concentration of power in the hands the billionaires who own them.
The 2nd Trump regime is following the authoritarian playbook of destroying the legal system through firings, denying due process, and defying court orders, all while weaponizing the DOJ in its favor. But they can’t have it both ways, and like the volatile stock market under Trump, this paradox is unsustainable. It’s time for us to fight oppression again. Republicans do not have a mandate. Democrats who vote with Republicans are defying the will of the people.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pointed out that the current massive protests are reminiscent of the 2018 blue wave. Apparently, the three million who turned out at the peaceful protests on April 5th weren’t convincing enough. So, on April 19th, we need to double that number. We must take back our inalienable rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence.
Chicago native Lorraine Evanoff earned her degree in French from DePaul University then became a Certified Financial Manager. She worked as a finance exec in film production for seven years in Paris, then in Silicon Valley during the dot-com era, and later for various Hollywood production companies, notably as CFO of National Lampoon. She is currently living in Los Angeles with her husband.