Who needs Democracy?

Who told the patriots,
they could have liberty for all—
without democracy?
Was it the christian nationalists?
I doubt it was the democrats.

Who told the evangelicals,
they could worship as they please—
without democracy?
Was it the christo-fascists?
I doubt it was the atheists.

Who told the citizens,
they could win fair elections—
without democracy?
Was it the white supremacists?
I doubt it was the minorities.

And who told the conservatives,
they could lose their country?
The republicans have been free: 250 years,
so how is it, that after all that winning—
they’re victims, now?

But now this is personal,
because it affects my family too!
Why do you believe the lie—
that you can “make America great again”,
without democracy?

“If our democracy dies, the reason won’t be that Americans were too apathetic to save it; it will be that they voted it out of existence.” By: H. Scott Butler

A neuroscientist explains why stupidity is an existential threat to America

How America will change if Trump wins

Rachel Maddow speaks about the future of democracy as the 2024 election draws near. “The Republican Party will not save us here,” she tells Nicolle Wallace, “Nothing is going to happen inside the Republican Party other than efforts to get Donald Trump what he wants, which is to get rid of our form of government.”

Worst Case Scenario: Sooner or later everybody ends up fighting the same battles. What’s really going on in the minds of the patriots, evangelicals and republicans is that they’re hoping that if they keep the MAGA movement going, they’ll eventually be able to eradicate the socialist democrats, black lives matter marxist, the minorities, immigrants, refugees and deviants who keep gaming government social programs, because the fear in their hearts has triggered hate mongering for whomever trump frames as unpatriotic. How will they do that? Extradition, segregation, re-education, there are too many citizens in prison, already, it’s impossible! Or are they hoping, for America to become a christo-fascist nation by inciting the alt-right mob to start a campaign of domestic terrorism? But there’s a drawback, to this diabolical plan, because when martial law kicks in the door, you can kiss all your constitutional protections goodbye. I repeat, if you or the police state mess up, there’s no civil rights defense!

For a government, to facilitate the detainment of undesirable groups, it has to suspend the constitutional protections of the infected community. But here’s the danger with this scenario, can you trust them to lift martial law, after they’ve completed the round-up, or will they use the pretense, that it’s not safe, yet? History tells us that after the citizens surrender their civil rights, chances are they aren’t getting them back.

Op-Ed: What’s really going on in the minds of patriots, evangelicals, and Republicans who support the MAGA movement is rooted in deep-seated fears, identity threats, and psychological mechanisms that have played out throughout history. Their hope—that by sustaining this movement they can eradicate perceived enemies such as socialists, Black Lives Matter activists, minorities, immigrants, and “deviants”—reflects a complex interplay of fear, anxiety, and a desire for psychological security.

Psychological Underpinnings: Fear, In-Group/Out-Group Dynamics, and Scapegoating

Social psychologist Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory explains how individuals derive self-esteem from their group memberships. When that identity feels threatened—by demographic changes, social movements, or political opposition—people may resort to in-group favoritism and out-group hostility to reassert their sense of belonging and superiority. This process often leads to dehumanization, making violence or discrimination seem justified.

Freud’s concept of defense mechanisms also sheds light here. When faced with anxiety about societal change or perceived loss of status, individuals unconsciously employ projection—attributing their own fears or undesirable traits onto others—and scapegoating—blaming vulnerable groups for societal problems. Historically, such psychological tactics have been exploited by authoritarian regimes to justify oppression.

Historical Examples: The Cycle of Fear and Oppression

The Rise of Fascism in Nazi Germany: The Nazi regime thrived on fear of economic instability, social upheaval, and racial purity. Propaganda cast Jews, communists, and other minorities as enemies threatening German nationalism. The psychological mechanism of moral panic fueled by fear and scapegoating led to the horrors of the Holocaust. Once civil liberties were suspended and martial law was imposed, the regime consolidated power, and many of the rights were never restored.
McCarthyism in 1950s America: During the Cold War, fear of communist infiltration led to aggressive investigations, blacklisting, and the suspension of civil rights for suspected subversives. The government exploited fears of ideological “enemies,” illustrating how mass hysteria and paranoia can justify the erosion of civil liberties. Many innocent lives were damaged, and the civil rights of many were sacrificed with little hope of recovery post-Red Scare.
The Jim Crow Era: Post-Reconstruction, systemic segregation and disenfranchisement of Black Americans were justified by pseudoscientific racial theories and fear of social change. These policies persisted for decades, and even after legal abolition, the social and psychological scars remain. The idea that civil rights might be temporarily suspended for “public safety” echoes current fears about martial law.

The Threat of Authoritarianism and the Role of Fear

The desire to maintain a “strongman” figure or movement—like Trump or similar populist leaders—can be understood through psychological needs for certainty and control. When individuals feel powerless amid rapid change, they may cling to authoritarian figures promising stability, even at the expense of civil liberties.

Historically, fascist regimes have used state-sponsored violence and repression to eliminate opposition, often under the pretext of national security. The Weimar Republic’s collapse and Hitler’s rise exemplify how fear and emergency powers can lead to the suspension of constitutional protections. Once martial law is declared, constitutional rights become temporary casualties, often never fully restored.

The Dangers of Suspended Rights and the Path to Tyranny

The key danger in such scenarios lies in trust—trust that authorities will return civil liberties once the perceived threat subsides. The psychological concept of learned helplessness suggests that prolonged exposure to authoritarian control can foster resignation and apathy, making resistance less likely. When governments suspend constitutional protections, they often justify it as necessary for safety, but history shows that such measures tend to persist beyond their initial purpose.

Example: After the September 11 attacks, the USA enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, which drastically expanded government surveillance powers. While justified as necessary for national security, fears arose about future abuses. Several provisions remain in place, illustrating how emergency measures can become permanent, reducing civil rights and enabling an autocratic slide.

Final Reflection: The Cyclical Nature of Fear and Power

History teaches us that when citizens surrender their civil rights out of fear, they often find it hard to regain them. The psychological dynamics—fear, dehumanization, scapegoating—are powerful forces that can drive societies toward authoritarianism. Vigilance, education, and the reinforcement of constitutional protections are vital to prevent this cycle from repeating.

In conclusion, the battles fought today mirror those of the past: fears of loss, desire for control, and the manipulation of psychological vulnerabilities. Recognizing these patterns is crucial for safeguarding democracy and ensuring that the rights fought for are not surrendered under the guise of security.

“One of the challenges that violent extremists have is how to expand their base of support. If they don’t expand their support base, they just remain fringe movements forever. One way is to provoke a harsh government response. Let’s say that there are peaceful protests, but then there are provocateurs there who try to get the police to open fire or to bash a few heads. Violence entrepreneurs will use those actions as evidence that the police or the government or the opposition are evil and intent on crushing them.

That tactic is often successful in radicalizing at least some portion of average citizens. It pushes them towards the extremists. Donald Trump is what I would describe as an “ethnic entrepreneur.” He and his loyalists want to regain power. He is an autocrat. Trump has no interest in ruling democratically. But Trump is not going to get that power back without the support of the average white American. This means that Donald Trump has to convince them somehow that his is a worthy cause to defend.” Excerpt from Political warlord Trump now targets his enemies…

“Being good is hard if you live under an authoritarian regime… Dictatorships elevate the nation and the leader as ultimate ends, while mere individuals have no inherent worth outside of their service to the state… Damir Marusic, an Atlantic Council senior fellow, recently wrote, ‘Putin is a wholly authentic Russian phenomenon, and the imperialist policy he’s pursuing in Ukraine is too.’ This is right, but only up to a point. We simply don’t know what individual Russians would choose, want—or become—if they had been socialized in a free, open democracy, rather than a dictatorship where fear is the air one breathes. Like everyone else, they are products of their environment. Authoritarianism corrupts society. Because punishment and reward are made into arbitrary instruments of the state, citizens have little incentive to pool resources, cooperate, or trust others. Survival is paramount, and survival requires putting one’s own interests above everything else, including traditional morality. In such a context, as the historian Timothy Snyder puts it, ‘life is nasty, brutish, and short; the pleasure of life is that it can be made nastier, more brutish, and shorter for others.’ This is the zero-sum mindset that transforms cruelty into virtue.

In short, authoritarianism twists the soul and distorts natural moral intuitions. In so doing, it renders its citizens—or, more precisely, its subjects—less morally culpable. To be fully morally culpable is to be free to choose between right and wrong. But that choice becomes much more difficult under conditions of dictatorship. Not everyone can be courageous and sacrifice life and livelihood to do the right thing.” Excerpt from Why the Russian People Go Along With Putin’s War

“Borrowing from language used by the Nazis and other fascist regimes, trump attacks the free press as ‘enemies of the people’ in an attempt to intimidate journalists into silence.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán cut right to the chase. He said that Hungary had been “completely healed” of anything smacking of liberalism, and he was crystal clear about how to do it: Control the media. In Hungary, as Szelenyi explained in her TNR essay, this was accomplished first through the takeover of the state media and second through generous loans from the state bank to allow Orbán’s cronies to buy up most of the private media. “Have your own media,” Orbán told the conference. “It’s the only way to point out the insanity of the progressive left.” Oh, and this: “We have to take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels. We must find allies in one another and coordinate the movements of our troops.”
The military metaphor is telling, and overall, they couldn’t have been more straightforward with us. The American right, from Trump to CPAC Jefe Matt Schlapp on down the line, celebrates and seeks to emulate a racist, neo-fascist anti-democracy. They want to turn the United States into Hungary.
And swing voters, that small percentage of people in the middle who decide elections, live in their bubble, committed to the notions that they’re all corrupt anyway and that the Democrats are just as extreme to the left as Republicans are to the right. They’re concerned about inflation and baby formula, as well they should be, but they need to wake up and think about all this before it’s too late.
By the time those formula-starved babies are playing Little League, they’ll be living in what’s effectively a one-party state where contraception is illegal. Where gay couples have to travel to certain states to marry—if they’re allowed to marry at all. Where the local library won’t stock books on slavery. Where the rich are paying taxes at a lower rate than middle-class people and the federal government has no money (and perhaps, given the Supreme Court we have, no legal authority) to enforce its laws. And where the right-wing, anti-democracy media has more power than the mainstream media (I think we already live in that country). And where election results can be overturned if they came out “wrong.” Excerpt from American Conservatism Just Threw a Party for Hungarian Fascism

“[MAGA] ignorance is not a motionless state. It’s an active accomplishment requiring an ever-vigilant understanding of what not to know.” Excerpt from: Routledge International Handbook of Ignorance Studies, Edited By Matthias Gross, Linsey McGoey [The fact is that more is required than just putting your head in the sand to provide cover for your cult leader. This is achieved by framing truth as ‘fake news’ and disregarding the constitution, in order to not be accused of being ‘woke’.]

Lawrence: Trumpism means ‘never having to say you’re sorry for being stupid’

“Motivated ignorance refers to willfully blinding oneself to facts. It’s choosing not to know. In many cases, for many people, knowing the truth is simply too costly, too psychologically painful, too threatening to their core identity. Nescience is therefore incentivized; people actively decide to remain in a state of ignorance. If they are presented with strong arguments against a position they hold, or compelling evidence that disproves the narrative they embrace, they will reject them. Doing so fends off the psychological distress of the realization that they’ve been lying to themselves and to others. …
In the case of MAGA world, the lies that Trump supporters believe, or say they believe, are obviously untrue and obviously destructive. Since 2016 there’s been a ratchet effect, each conspiracy theory getting more preposterous and more malicious. Things that Trump supporters wouldn’t believe or accept in the past have since become loyalty tests. Election denialism is one example. The claim that Trump is the target of “lawfare,” victim to the weaponization of the justice system, is another. …
Some of them are cynical and know better; others are blind to the cultlike world to which they belong. Still others have convinced themselves that Trump, although flawed, is the best of bad options. It’s a ‘binary choice’, they say, and so they have talked themselves into supporting arguably the most comprehensively corrupt man in the history of American politics, certainly in presidential politics.” Excerpt form: Ex-GOP speechwriter excoriates Trump’s MAGA: They prefer to be ignorant

“Polarization is a choice, not a destiny, it’s amplified by what the media chooses to highlight and what it finds uninteresting. For the rest of us, it’s fed by choosing to stick with our tribe instead of being open to other people and perspectives, even if they make us uncomfortable.” By: Steven Law

“Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that same liberty. Our Constitution speaks of the ‘general welfare of the people’. Under that phrase all sorts of excesses can be employed by [authoritarian] tyrants—to make us bondmen.” By: Marcus Tullius Cicero

“The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.” By: Mahatma Gandhi

“Ignorance breeds fear. We fear those things we don’t understand. If we don’t put a lid on that fear and keep that fear in check, that fear in turn will breed hatred because we hate those things that frighten us. “If we don’t keep that hatred in check, that hatred in turn will breed destruction.” By: Daryl Davis

“Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding.” By: Mahatma Gandhi

Why I’m DONE With Friends Who SUPPORT Trump

When Victim-hood and Feigned Empathy Lead to Genocide

The Big Lie – How to Enslave the World

Poem analysis:

This poem is a scathing critique of the erosion of democracy in the United States, particularly under the Trump presidency and the rise of far-right ideologies in the republican congress. The poem’s speaker is addressing various groups that have historically benefited from democratic values and institutions, such as libertarians, evangelicals, and conservatives, and is challenging their claims that democracy is not essential for their religious freedoms.

The poem’s structure is simple and repetitive, with each stanza following a similar pattern:

The speaker asks a rhetorical question about who told a particular group that they could enjoy a specific freedom or benefit without democracy.
The speaker then expresses doubt that it was a specific group (e.g., Christian nationalists, christo-fascists, white supremacists) that told them this, implying that these groups have consistently worked to undermine democratic values.
The final line of each stanza highlights the irony or hypocrisy of the group’s claims.

The poem’s central argument is that these groups have consistently benefited from democratic institutions and freedoms, but now they are actively working to undermine them. The speaker is questioning why they would want to do so and why they are buying into the narrative that democracy is not necessary for their civil rights.

The final stanza shifts the focus to the reader, asking them why they believe in the idea that democracy is not essential for the country’s greatness. The use of “me” and “we” in this stanza creates a sense of inclusivity and shared responsibility, emphasizing that the erosion of democracy affects everyone.

Some possible themes and interpretations of this poem include:

Critique of hypocrisy: The poem highlights the hypocrisy of groups that have benefited from democracy but now work to undermine it.
Erosion of democratic values: The poem suggests that democratic values are being eroded, and that certain groups are complicit in this process.
White supremacy and christian nationalist as forces of oppression: The inclusion of MAGA republicans and christo-fascists as examples of groups that are undermining democracy implies that these ideologies are forces of oppression that must be challenged.
Warning against the dangers of authoritarianism: The poem can be seen as a warning about the dangers of authoritarianism and the importance of protecting democratic institutions.

Overall, this poem is a powerful critique of the erosion of democracy in the United States, highlighting the importance of protecting democratic institutions and values from those who would seek to undermine them.