45 was only a rehearsal for the real Authoritarianism to come. He's a small, petty and vindictive man. Thankfully, he's not smart, organized or political savvy. The January 6th fiasco was going nowhere without the backing of the military, the American aristocracy or the courts. He had none. Corporations pulled their funding, he was kicked off of social media and laughed out of courtrooms all across the country. Nonetheless, he showed the way (and I could be making a mistake underestimating him).
I'm more worried about the next authoritarian who is flying under the political radar. This person is currently watching with glee as the Democrats flounder around not getting enough done to help anyone other than their own donor class. Yes, they got an extension on the unemployment and gave a shrug as it died this past September. $15.00 minimum wage? Nope. Protecting voting rights for all? Not so far. Any gun control measures? None. Medicare for all? HELL NO!!! They hide behind excuses (more like Republicans who happen to have a D next to their names), blame the other party and continue to maintain the status-quo no matter the cost.
The Democrats are a complex lot- environmentalists, for-choice, pro-sane gun laws, economic justice fighters, workers for racial equality and many more subgroups I cannot think of. Then there are the Democrats who actually control the party, appointing candidates like Barak Obama, Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden. These are not your friends. They are appointed managers who keep the game going for as long as possible. Yes, the rigged game of casino capitalism must go on until all the ice has melted, every tree cut down and each blade of grass is at last commodified. Let's take a quick walk through the new hellscape to come, Ready?
We have the tools in place to make propaganda great again! Take Soviet-style hypernormalization and move it forward forty or fifty years. Little to no food in the house? No job? No money? Feeling hopeless? It's 95 degrees outside on Christmas Eve in New York City? No! Everything is fine- the stock market is booming, our wars are going well and there is a new lottery for a ticket to Jeff Bezos' moon colony! You too can live with the stars! Hey, there's also an American rally tomorrow in your area. There will be football (complete with dissident executions at halftime), flyovers and fireworks. Our new stealth jets are so quiet and almost invisible. They are there because we say so! Don't believe your weak senses. They are there... Yes, the Dear Leader will say a few words. Oh, and free hotdogs and hamburgers, just don't ask what's in them. We got rid of those pesky ingredient regulations long ago. It is better not to ask anything. Anything you need to know, we will tell you.
Can we do better? Can this possible future be avoided?
Yes. The Democrats can help by passing a good infrastructure bill and start taking the clear threat to our democracy seriously. They MUST pass strong voter protection measures. Will they meet these challenges? It will take time. Maybe. But here's the thing. It is not up to the Democrats to defend / improve our democracy. It is really up to me and you. Challenge the false narratives of our creeping authoritarianism. Poor brown people are not your enemy, the 0.01% are. Education is your enemy. No, ignorance is far more dangerous. This is a Christian nation. No it is not. Thankfully we have no official religion (yet). "The 2020 election was stolen!" No, it was not. Donald J. Trump LOST to Joseph R. Biden. It is really that simple. To think otherwise is... delusional.
Oh, and the courts can do something as well, maximum punishments for the terrorists of January 6, 2021. Anything less makes this a rehearsal for something far more evil in the not so distant future.
