Thread by @JYSexton

Much of my work focuses on warning about authoritarianism and growing fascism, but we need to recognize reasons for hope.

We're not out of the woods yet, but we should acknowledge some massive gains while keeping an eye on persistent threats.

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themuckrake.com/main/blood-in-…

To begin, Donald Trump attempted to go full-blown fascist and authoritarian. It was a scripted piece of propaganda that could have sent us into a holy, civil war.

The fact that this was recognized as a stunt by most Americans is a huge thing.

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Additionally, the military acted quickly to tamp down any notion within their ranks that they should follow any orders by Trump or his administration that were considered unconstitutional.

It doesn't mean we're out of danger, but this was an important moment.

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By that same token, Sec of Defense Mark Esper's cowardly walking back of his "battle space" remarks and denying it was time to use military against the American people means even Trump's inner circle recognize they're not only losing their battle but walking on thin ice.

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Listen. Just because Trump's authoritarian gambit fizzled doesn't mean he won't realize it the more he sees that numbers are against him and he's endangered.

Authoritarians are predictable and as they grow more desperate they grow more dangerous.

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themuckrake.com/main/authorita…

Trump will continue to make this situation worse. He'll scapegoat minorities, Antifa, conspiracy theories, and he'll continually pull for more power. That's how this works. But it is extremely hopeful that this first move was largely derided and resisted.

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Speaking of fascists, Tom Cotton's call for a military crackdown and blood in the streets is remarkable for the fact that he and other fascists are so frightened that they're willing to air their fascistic ideologies in public.

They're letting their masks slip.

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Fascists would MUCH rather let the veneer of liberal democracy stand, using intimidation to keep a populace in check and from using their constitutional rights out of fear.

The fact that Cotton and other fascists are airing these things openly tells us they're terrified.

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The debacle with the New York Times printing Cotton's fascist op-ed was startling, but it shed light on a few things.

It revealed just how fascist Cotton and others like him are, but also the fact that mainstream publications welcome dangerous ideas from powerful people.

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The Times is America's newspaper of record, but it is focused on the views and perspectives of the wealthy and powerful. Right now, in America, the wealthy and powerful are considering fascist solutions to maintain their power and wealth.

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Like fascists, the powerful and wealthy would much rather continue doing their business behind the facade of liberty and freedom while people are afraid and intimidated.

The fact that they're debating, in public, fascist solutions means they recognize change is coming.

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The same goes for outlets like cable news, who were showing the protests as quiet affairs and symbolic protests.

After grassroots outrage, they had to acknowledge things like the brutality in Buffalo and shift from the toothless narrative of the protests.

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It's hard to overstate how important this shift was. The brutality we saw in Buffalo and around the country was being obscured and forgotten. Grassroots activism made sure the truth on the ground was reported and America was forced to reckon with the fact police were rioting

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Coverage of police brutality forced law enforcement around the country to back off, leaving protests to behave peacefully and making, in the progress, the argument that Americans could police themselves and didn't need armored militarized police.

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In the past few days, the onus has shifted from "looters" and "rioters" to Right Wing Trumpists around the country aching for race war and facing off against peaceful protestors.

This changed the narrative completely and actually reflected reality.

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Seeing unhinged Right Wing lunatics brandishing chainsaws and bows and arrows and claw daggers, screaming racial slurs and trying to shed blood revealed the truth: America is actually under siege by people desperate to protect white supremacy.

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What started with white supremacists attempting to false flag riots and violence has receded to reveal that they've been the ones being violent and are the dangers, reframing the narrative completely and, again, reflecting actual reality.

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Like the cowardly Donald Trump, these white supremacists are violently afraid of even the conversations of change, and their aggression and fear has been revealed as pathetic and pitiable in the face of protesters braving danger and a pandemic to voice their protest.

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Trump hiding in his bunker from peaceful protestors and being exposed as a coward, fraud, and weakling has done lasting damage to the facade of "the strongman," which is just a costume for the fearful and the fascist, which is just about weakness.

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themuckrake.com/main/weak

Meanwhile, American opinion has shifted dramatically and even those who might have blanched at Black Lives Matter are now recognizing the importance, as well as starting to grasp the concept of systemic racism and white supremacy.

This is huge. Just huge.

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The perception shift allows everything from Confederate iconography to be removed to beginning discussions about how to make this country safer and freer and equal and human.

This is how revolutions begin.

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What happens is that something unquestionable like law enforcement funding begins to take on water.

People start discussing relocating money for militarized police to education, infrastructure, healthcare, and human projects. It's a complete paradigm shift.

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And finally, we have to talk about corporations and their statements. They're absurd and occasionally insulting, but we have to recognize that the wealthy and powerful have come to understand they at least have to give a nod toward inclusivity and fairness.

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Things like the NFL's "apology" were ludicrous, but what they reveal is important.

America's corporations and powerful elites now understand the future belongs to a more human and equal society. These people know they have to be on the winning side.

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Though it's insulting to have these corporations and wealthy organizations pander, it tells us that the tide is turning and they know where future power lies.

What we have to do now is hold them to their PR statements and marketing materials and ensure it becomes legitimate

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These are all really amazing reasons for hope. Not to mention that we're watching an entire generation come into their own and discover that power can be theirs and politics shouldn't be a spectacle left to the powerful.

But we also have to talk about the dangers.

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The hope from Trump's authoritarian push being scuttled is only fleeting. It's a momentary defense. The more he feels threatened, the more he's scared, the worse it's going to get.

Democracy and constitutional order is only as strong as our ability to fight for them.

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All it would take for this country to plunge into the abyss and for these gains to fall by the wayside would be one successful push by fascists like Trump and Cotton. For the wealthy and powerful to see an avenue where they can keep wealth and power by force.

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Things can change in an instant. Nothing has been won yet, but gains have been made. It's not enough to simply have killers brought to justice or have police kneeling in the streets.

The energy of this moment must be used for real and sweeping reform and change.

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Times like these are exhausting. There's so much blood, so many tears, and so many broken hearts.

Leave room for the hope while keeping an eye on the threats. You have to be able to do both at the same time. There has been progress, but there's so much left to do.

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