"Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims — Laws that make misery for the poor, that rob . . .destitute people of dignity,
Exploiting women, taking advantage of homeless children.
What will you have to say on Judgment Day, when Doomsday arrives out of the blue?
Who will you get to help you?
What good will your money do you?
A sorry sight you’ll be then.”
Isaiah 10. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
These words from the prophet Isaiah refer to the oppression and injustices suffered by individuals and families living 2,750 years ago. They lived in a prosperous country, perhaps the richest country of that time. Its military was powerful.
But prosperity and power brought incalculable evils, both social and political. Capital increased in the hands of the few and the old landowners were deprived of their little farms, which were replaced by great large pieces of land, owned by a few very rich business leaders with a great deal of political influence.
As a result, large numbers of individuals and families lived hand to mouth, spending what little money they could get and eating food as soon as they got it, because they only had enough to stay alive. They were considered to be lazy, and were ignored and shunned by religious and political leaders.
The king of this country was a weak and selfish man, interested only in staying in power. Let’s call him A-haz-ben. (OK, I made up that name. His real name was Ahaz). Ahaz admired and envied the ruthless king of a powerful nation, a ruler who held absolute power, who exercised that power in a cruel way, who showed no mercy for the people of countries he had conquered, compelling them to pay huge annual tributes to his kingdom.
Ahaz cut a deal with this king who bore the unlikely name of Tiglath Pileser III. He gave TPIII the go-ahead to invade and conquer a nearby country. Instead, TPIII invaded Ahaz’s country! As a result, TPIII and his successors controlled Ahaz’s country for many years. (cf. the history of Judah, 745 BCE-722 BCE).
So, what’s my point? Precisely that what the poor, the women, the homeless, the migrants, the sick, the infirm, the people of color are suffering under
Donald /Musk and their “human-nots” in Congress isn’t unique.
History is replete with narcissistic, psychopathic tyrants who tore apart their country’s laws and institutions, and in some instances, brought down the foundations of other nations as well.
Genghis Khan, Idi Amin, Kim Jong Il, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin to name only a few of the dictators.
All of then used portions of the same manual: remove the leaders of the former government, replace them with their hand-picked cohort; sow hatred and division among the citizens; take over the military, the institutions of learning, and give free rein to the rich and powerful men of industry.
The dictators who succeeded did so because the people did not fight the lies with truth; they became indifferent, believing there was nothing they could do to reverse course.
Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II said in a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
We, the People are in a desperate battle to take back our nation, a battle to keep Democracy alive. We must understand, as our parents and grandparents understood during World War II, that every one of us can and must do what we can to defeat those who are out to destroy this country and build a high barrier between the United States and our global allies.
So, what can you and I do? Here are some ideas. Bear in mind, we have to select which of these ideas best suit our passions, time and abilities.
⦿ First and foremost, steer clear of the “woe is us, the sky is falling” talk. When we feel powerless, we play right into the hands of autocrats. They feed on pessimism cynicism, and whining.
⦿ We must do our best to understand other people’s feelings and ways of thinking. Autocrats’s strategies focus on ways to dehumanize, demonize and divide us from each other.
⦿ Keep our words, thoughts and actions focused on what matters: your health, your family, and the survival of our country. We need to take a hard look at how many hours we sit looking at screens every day. We should consider limiting our intake of social media’s storm of chaos. Constant chaos sucker punches freedom and the rule of law.
⦿ Defeating the rising tide of authoritarianism in our nation requires a movement of dedicated Americans. Let’s get involved in our communities. Show up to meetings: town halls; city council; the school board; county commissioners. You and I have more power than we think. Support candidates, businesses and projects in our local communities that give priority to democratic values. Authoritarian regimes gain strength by undercutting local institutions and ignoring community voices.
⦿ One of the ways authoritarians work is by encouraging fear and distrust. We have to fight back by building good relationships with our neighbors, coworkers, families, and friends. You and I need to find ways to connect beyond political differences.
⦿ We must avoid the avalanche of lies. Subscribe to trusted media outlets and journalists who are centered on truth and reality. We must discipline ourselves to always do a basic fact-check before sharing memes, stories,and texts. Let’s make sure we never spread false stories even if we think they’re funny. When we can no longer distinguish fact from fiction, the authoritarians win.
⦿ Authoritarians prosper on the freedom from punishment, harm, or loss. We, the People, must hold leaders, institutions, and corporations accountable for what they say and do. How can we do this? By keeping our eyes peeled. Sign petitions, write letters to our congressional representatives to insist on fairness without favor and making all government actions and decisions open and accountable to the public.
⦿ Finally, and most importantly, you and I must realize the next generation of young women and men will be left to face the consequences of what’s going on in America today.
⦿ We need to spend time talking with, not talking to, young people about freedom, the climate crisis, justice and democracy. However, discussing these important values is not enough.
⦿ We must equip them with the tools they need to build their future: social and economic mobility. Education. Authority. The freedom and ability to think critically for themselves.
The opposition to Project 25 and its supporters is building strength every day.
Let’s get on board the ship of state, trim the sails to make the most of the wind conditions, and set a new course.