Redeeming Democracy
“Each action by the government was worse than the last, but only a little worse. ‘People waited for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow. You don’t want to act, or even talk, alone; you don’t want to ‘go out of your way to make trouble.’ Why not? - Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not just fear, fear of standing alone, that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty…Outside, in the streets, in the general community, ‘everyone’ is happy. One hears no protest, and certainly sees none.” - They Thought They Were Free, Milton Mayer
This description of a gradual and unyielding onslaught against democratic and social norms well describes much of what has happened in the United States in recent years. But these words were not written originally to describe the Trump administration, but the observations of ordinary Germans during Hitler’s rise to power from 1933 onward. This passage, and many others in Mayer’s book, show the surreal nature of life as the Nazi party consolidated and solidified their power in the 1930s. It describes how many people were paralyzed by uncertainty, not seeing what actions to take or what to do, until suddenly their principles crashed down upon them, but it was too late to save the world they thought they knew.
It is likely, for those reading this article, that you have already had a moment or two like this, where you look around and wonder why no one else seems to be talking about what is happening or even concerned about it. Perhaps you left a recent protest, and like me, walked through the gardens only to see people lazing about with an iced coffee and not a care in the world. It is a frustrating predicament, which is exacerbated by accusations that you are being alarmist from the mouths of the apathetic. Or even worse, that they see how bad things are, but don’t think protesting works. Or any number of other excuses for why they simply cannot participate in civic engagement and action. They, like the Germans, are often paralyzed by the vacuum of uncertainty that was left when our social and legal norms evaporated.
In order to convince the apathetic to engage with what is happening before it becomes completely irreversible and sinister, we must remove the uncertainty and offer them a vision of the future to fill the void. I know I am willing to work for a vision of a better tomorrow, and I bet you are too. While the 50501 movement’s slogan is “remove, reverse, and reclaim,” we need to offer people a purpose that is more than simply “reclaiming” democracy by restoring the system of government that we had before this; that system allowed this to happen. No, we must redeem our democracy, our country, and ourselves. And to do this, it is paramount that we first come together as Americans, regardless of how we identify, the groups to which we belong, our place of birth, and our immigration status. We are here, and we must restore our social contract with each other if we are to save our country together.
In order to overcome the powers that seek to divide us, as a first step, we must reclaim our freedom of thought and expression from the Tech Bro oligarchy and disengage from their sources of misinformation. Social media algorithms are designed to exploit our divisions, including by manipulating what videos, content, and even comments we see. We must be wary of them. Read and watch media critically and without seeking the opinion of others. Look for facts rather than opinion pieces or pundits arguing with each other. Do the hard work of thinking for yourself and find what you really value.
Second, use your voice and do not be afraid to speak first. Speak up when you see things that are wrong and when it is safe to do so. Have conversations with people and really listen to their concerns; you will likely learn something when you have eliminated so much noise that fogs our brains and makes it hard to think. Ask them to come with you to a protest, or to a community building activity, or even to just meet a small group doing a neighborhood cleanup. The more we build our local communities, the more resilient we will be against attempts to divide us.
Third, remember that rebuilding America into something better will be a marathon, not a sprint. Expect protests to grow in numbers as more people become aware of what is happening. Protests are how we say to those on the sidelines that they can join us and that they are not alone. It is easy to become discouraged when we see terrible news day after day, after day. But if you are out there doing the work, there is always hope. Take care of yourself, and take care of others.
Above all, remember the humanity of your fellow people. We may all be different, but at the end of the day, in this country, we are all Americans.
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