The Authoritarian Playbook
Source: Protect Democracy
(Protect Democracy) - 6/15/2022 - Before the 1990s, authoritarian leaders bent on upending democracy typically came to power forcefully and swiftly, often by means of a military coup d’etat. The moment democracy ceased to exist could be time-stamped and reported on with a block headline.
Yet for at least the last thirty years, the threats to democracy have evolved. Today, democracy more often dies gradually, as the institutional, legal, and political constraints on authoritarian leaders are chipped away, one by one. This has happened – or is happening – in, among others, Russia, Venezuela, Hungary, the Philippines, Poland, Nicaragua, India, Turkey — and the United States. . . .
By using “salami tactics,”
slicing away at democracy a sliver at a time, modern authoritarians
still cement themselves in power, but they do so incrementally and
gradually. Sometimes their actions are deliberate and calculated, but
sometimes they are opportunistic, myopic, or even bumbling. There is no
longer a singular bright line that countries cross between democracy and
authoritarianism. But the outcome is still the same . . . see full store HERE
Wake Up to the Growing Dangers of Christian Nationalism
Source: Freedom From Religion Foundation, by Co-president Annie Lauie Gayler
(FFRF) - 2/12/2024 - Almost 20 years ago, the Freedom From Religion Foundation inaugurated a campaign “to wake up the nation to the growing dangers of theocracy.” We ran commercials using that terminology over Air America Radio, recited by talents like Rachel Maddow and Ron Reagan, published a “Theocracy Watch” column in Freethought Today and included a special segment called “Theocracy Watch” when we first launched Freethought Radio in 2006.
Among the few individuals calling attention back then to that particular iteration of Christian nationalism under George W. Bush was Michelle Goldberg, who wrote an early-bird warning, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, in 2006. When we invited Michelle Goldberg to address our national convention that year, she explained about Christian nationalism: “Their idea from the beginning has been to undermine the Enlightenment.” . . . . see full store HERE
(Guardian/Exerpt) - 2/1/2024 - Time after time, with
predictable regularity, never missing a beat, Donald
Trump proclaims his innocence. He always denies that he has done
anything wrong. The charge does not matter. He is blameless. But this
is only the beginning of the pattern. Then, he attacks his accusers,
or anyone involved in bringing him to account, usually of committing
the identical offense of which he stands accused. But it is not enough for him to lash out. Then, he declares
himself to be the victim . . . . Trump’s pattern is textbook manipulation – literally. It has a
precise name given to it after decades of academic research. Jennifer
Freyd, now professor emerita of psychology at the University of
Oregon, developed the theory over her career studying sexual assault,
trauma and institutional betrayal. She named the process by which the
perpetrator seeks to avoid accountability Darvo – a strategy with
the elements of denial, attack, and reversal of victim and offender.. . . see full story HERE