The Slippery Slope to Authoritarianism
It didn’t seem that long ago when most Americans feared and/or criticized countries with dictatorial-authoritarian regimes. For example, we knew that freedom of speech there was almost nonexistent, other personal liberties were limited, and “leaders” punished journalists for printing unflattering stories.
Of course, we insisted that the United States would never shift so far from a democracy. Our country isn’t perfect, but we could usually count on the P0TUS and his Cabinet to adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law.
A Democracy
*Democracy: A system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people.“
Reflect on the following quotes:
Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on. Thurgood Marshall
Integrity is the lifeblood of democracy. Deceit is a poison in its veins. Edward Kennedy
Democracy, pure democracy, has at least its foundation in a generous theory of human rights. It is founded on the natural equality of mankind. It is the cornerstone of the Christian religion. It is the first element of all lawful government upon earth. John Quincy Adams
To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect, and their oneness. Mahatma Gandhi
If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent. Henry Steele Commager
Authoritarian Rule
Now look at us. In less than a year, we’ve slid more than halfway down the slippery slope into the authoritarian swamp.
*Authoritarianism: “the blind submission to authority and the repression of individual freedom of thought and action. Authoritarian regimes are systems of government that have no established mechanism for the transfer of executive power and do not afford their citizens civil liberties or political rights. Power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small elite, whose decisions are taken without regard for the will of the people.” (from Britannica)
Warning Signs: centralizing power, thus eliminating checks & balances and enabling political parties/leaders to ignore the rule of law; controlling the media, so the authoritarian can spread positive (often erroneous) news about himself and damaging accounts about opponents; implementing drastic actions (including sending the military to various locations to guard against peaceful protests) with the excuse it will protect citizens from crime etc.; illegally tampering with the electoral process; and loudly arguing that all the above and more is designed to return the country to greatness, which the authoritarian alleges only he is qualified/equipped to do.
The Democracy 2025 Pledge
We have developed the following Democracy Pledge that you can adapt as appropriate. Other pledges are highlighted in the Resources page.
Return to a Decent, Normal America 