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If you have read about fascism and tyranny or watched cable news, you have probably seen Professor Timothy Snyder, who has been warning about Trump and tyranny for a few years now. Snyder’s book “On Tyranny” is one of the go-to modern works for people who want to understand tyranny and how to fight it, so what Professor Snyder posted on his X account on Saturday merits attention.
Snyder posted:
Something is shifting. They are still breaking things and stealing things. And they will keep trying to break and to steal. But the propaganda magic around the oligarchical coup is fading. Nervous Musk, Trump, Vance have all been outclassed in public arguments these last few days. Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power.
Professor Snyder’s perception is backed up by a mountain of polling that shows the country turning against Donald Trump in increasing numbers. If polling isn’t convincing, consider the large and growing number of almost daily protests directed at what Trump and Musk are doing.
There are also results. When the public gets angry and speaks out, the Trump administration has caved. Actual fascists don’t allow their opposition to speak out. A real authoritarian doesn’t cave. When pressure is applied to the Trump administration, it breaks. The reason why it breaks is successful authoritarian movements have a majority of the population behind them. Trump’s support is sinking like a stone.
None of this means that the country is out of the woods yet. As Professor Snyder wrote, Trump and his billionaires are going to try and try again, which means that it is going to take constant resistance from the American people to defeat them. Things will get much easier for pro-democracy Americans if Democrats win control of the House in special elections this year or next year’s midterm election.
Until then, it will be a grassroots battle. The good news is that Trump is losing, and so far, Americans are fighting for their democracy.
