Dictatorships are built on narratives. To stop them one must break their narrative, which is an iterative process—they’ll change the narrative to explain away new developments, but if you force them to keep making changes faster than their adherents can absorb them, their shared reality will fall apart.
I feel this is really the most important answer here. We must break the false narratives that they use to hold power.
And nothing does that better than video evidence. Fortunately, virtually every cell phone still in existence can record video.
but the problem now is we are in the age of “ai” & fake videos.
They will just claim everything is fake (while claiming their own fake videos are real and the only Truth).
after all other options are exhausted civil disobedience is the only thing left
examples would include handing about abortion pills in illegal states
A year ago I was unemployed and single. My answer then would have been considerably different than now. I’m much happier with my life but the world is now much worse off and I’m currently struggling to reconcile my radical progressive views with the desire for a comfortable life. I’m still strongly of the opinion that our society (in the US at least) is beyond repair, but I’m less eager to see the reset button pressed. I’m fortunate to be in a blue state (though like all blue states, it gets real red outside the city limits), so my plan at the moment is to pretend the federal government doesn’t exist.
Similar boat. I’m climbing out of a pit of 10 year of shit luck and painful life events. I’ve been getting glimpses of the good life and was starting to accept my progress and recognize how far things had come. My trajectory was success. Now I have 4+ years of bullshit to look forward to and even if the dems win the next time, they’ve shown they won’t, can’t, don’t know how to wield that power effectively.
My partner has an adult dependent who now lives with us and it is going to put a wrench into the wheels of our own plan to leave for overseas where we want to start a family somewhere where it is affordable and they are less likely to be victimized or murdered at school and will actually learn something. This would not be such a big deal as we make a good family, but staring down the barrel of this red white and blue idiocracy, the barriers to leaving feel like a sledgehammer to the face.
To your last point, I’m moderately happy with my state government though my municipality is Religious, MAGA, Jesusland, hell. I used to wish for revolution or huge social change as a kid, but as an adult I realize that we all need to change our own hearts and start treating each other with respect. Institutions can be changed, but it has to happen from the bottom up through individual actions (or intentional lack of action). Top down always results in tyranny. That’s why this education domino is going to hurt so bad. People won’t learn how to think anymore, just what to think, and they’ll be monitored closely from the day they are born to the day they die. Still holding out hope though.
as an adult I realize that we all need to change our own hearts and start treating each other with respect
As a kid I believed that cooperation and mutual respect would lead us down the path to a wonderful future. I believed very strongly in the power of love and good sense. I still think this is true but the world has proven to me, brutally and repeatedly, that we don’t live in an environment of cooperation and mutual respect.
As an adult, I’m done treating conservatives with respect. One-sided respect and attempts at compromise is what got us into this nightmare hellscape to begin with. Respect is earned, not given. And I refuse to respect those who will not reciprocate it.
“Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man. You take a step towards him, he takes a step back. Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man.”
I just have to continue reminding myself that people somehow continued to live happy, fulfilling lives during the fall of the Roman Empire.
Nice try FBI
In my opinion, it depends on the kind of dictatorship and your status of power. I assume that you’re an average US american looking at the election rn - then there isn’t really anything we can do here. The system is simply too strong, and Donald Trump has too much institutional authority to be stopped.
However, I ask you to keep in mind that dictatorship isn’t an authoritarian monolith and that we as common citizens have a possibility to influence and undermine authoritarian governments. Nazi Germany immediately comes to mind; many citizens disobeyed the government, may have leaked information or sabotaged important projects, even into the highest ranks (Stauffenberg and Schindler are prime examples). A dictatorship is only as effective as the bearers of power in a certain region. For example, police officers, but also common citizens (just keep in mind that a significant amount of Germans provided shelter for Jewish people).
It seems from my perspective that the authoritarian train cannot be stopped. So I’d do my best now to prepare for what is to come. Educate yourself about the key political players in your concrete region, if you decide to stay. Understand who holds the essential components of power - the council, the police officers, school district. Who supplies the common goods? Especially local producers often are connected strongly to the people and can be a major influence in the region. With this knowledge, you will be able to in turn exercise influence yourself and be able to help yourself and people who will be victims of Project 2025. We have a certain strength here - we know what it coming. Many people don’t. Use this knowledge for the good. Even if you cannot stop a “global” transition to the authoritarian regime which is to come, you can mitigate its effects on the local community by participating and influencing the bearers of decisions.
I hope it makes sense. If you disagree, feel free to reply - I’d love to get more input on this topic. If any further questions arise, don’t hesitate to ask :)
