Paul Campos of Lawyers, Guns and Money has been pretty depressed about politics the past decade. Earlier this week, however, he had a relatively upbeat post pointing out that we’re in terra incognita. We’ve never had anyone like the Felon, Musk and Putin (I think of him as the third member of our ruling triumvirate) taking a sledgehammer to American democracy this way. It’s helpful to look at the way dictators have clawed their way to power in other times, other countries, but it’s not predestined we go the same way.
We could end up with a full-on dictatorship. The Felon’s massive incompetence could sour things to the point his supporters sour on him. Much as I’m inclined to mock people who voted for the Face Eating Leopards when they discover their faces eaten, their cries of outrage can’t hurt. And while the standard response is “yeah, they’ll all vote for him in 2028” (I don’t know why everyone’s so shocked he’s talking about a third term — it’s not like he hasn’t broached the idea before) we don’t know that for sure.
As Roy Edroso says, “You may have, for obvious reasons, a reduced opinion of many of your fellow Americans since the last election, and of the whole American project. But I know, and I think you know, too, that most of them do not feel the same way the sick people running our government do. They may not understand separation of powers or federal procurement laws or tariffs. And some of them have some attitudes that fancy folks like us would consider retrograde. But they are not down for this. And when they see it, especially as it gets more obvious (because the fascists can’t restrain themselves), the situation may become as clear to them as it is to us. That’s grounds for hope.” Maybe not, but despair and giving in makes things too easy for the oppressor.
Little things, like law-school students refusing a networking event with a firm that gave in to the Felon’s threats, may not amount to much. Then again, seeing relatively powerless people stand up and speak out can inspire others, and weaken the illusion that the Republican anti-democratic campaign can’t be resisted. So can big law firms standing up. I’ve no idea how Republican congressmen (Rep. Don Bacon in this case) calling on the president to resist Putin will play out, but again, it can’t hurt.
As Sherilynn Ifill puts it, “We may not be able to score a knock-out punch, but we can score a series of technical knockouts against our opponents to reduce the intensity of their efforts. This will take all of us, committing to do what we can.”
Roy Edroso: “Let Columbia snivel. Let Hegseth and Gabbard and the rest of the MAGA creeps huddle behind lies they pray will conceal their cowardice. Hell, let Tubby keep shooting off his big guns, hoping this shock-and-awe opening display will scare everyone into compliance quickly because he knows that once he’s run through all the soft targets, he’ll have an actual fight on his tiny hands. We are seeing an outbreak of courage here, and I’m told it’s contagious.”
In other thoughts on and acts of resistance:
•Cory Booker’s going old-school, stopping the Senate with a filibuster.
•A judge has ruled Alabama’s threat to prosecute abortion funds isn’t constitutional.
•Teen Vogue discusses legal ways to stand up to ICE. More here.
•Kristin Kobes DuMez reminds us of the 20 rules for resisting tyranny. I like “be as courageous as you can,” given that not everyone’s got the same level of security or safety.
•DuMez again: “Let’s cast a vision. Let’s imagine what a new community, new networks, a new boldness might look like. Let’s cross denominational boundaries and national borders and invite those inside and outside faith traditions to participate. Let’s not just stand against the powers of Christian nationalism and oligarchy and the erosion of democracy and denigration of justice, empathy, and care. Let’s stand for truth and beauty and goodness. Let’s root ourselves in the strongest intellectual and spiritual traditions, let’s embrace humility and hold together across difference. Let’s create spaces for creative learning, and for genuine community.”
•Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg looks at how the Old Testament narrative of God sending the Israelites to conquer themselves a country is historically wrong, and justifies the ongoing nightmare we’re seeing in Gaza, among much other stuff.
•”The group behind the defeat of Kentucky’s school voucher amendment last year has relaunched with a new mission. Protect Our Schools KY is calling on Congress to save federal education funding.”
