General Milley told aides that Trump’s big lie was “a Reichstag moment.” A big lie promises violence; a failed coup sets a precedent. These pieces on emergency politics from the last four years anticipated January 6th, and might help in years to come.
"The Reichstag fire shows how quickly a modern republic can be transformed into an authoritarian regime." nybooks.com/daily/2017/02/…
In the Reichstag moment, the leader will create and use crisis to undermine democracy. When that happens, we have to mobilize and protest, vote and be organized. Talking with Bill Maher about #OnTyranny in 2017:
"After the Reichstag fire, political theorist Hannah Arendt wrote: 'I was no longer of the opinion that one can simply be a bystander.' Courage does not mean not fearing, or not grieving. It does mean recognizing and resisting terror management right away" slate.com/news-and-polit…
“It’s easier not to lose when you know the game, and history can help with that.” nybooks.com/daily/2020/09/…
“It’s important not to talk about this as just an election. It’s an election surrounded by the authoritarian language of a coup d’etat. The opposition has to win the election and it has to win the aftermath of the election.” washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/…
"Too many people are still defaulting to these ideas that America's 'institutions' are going to solve the problems of authoritarianism and Trumpism." salon.com/2020/10/18/his…
"It is unusual for a plan for a coup d’état to be broadcast so clearly. Yet there is a political logic here... By telling Americans in advance that he intends to stay in power regardless of the vote count, Trump is implicating his supporters in the action" commonwealmagazine.org/not-normal-ele…
"It is always tempting to blame defeat on others. Yet for a national leader to do so and to inject a big lie into the system puts democracy at great risk... Democracy can be buried in a big lie." bostonglobe.com/2020/11/11/opi…
"Trump’s coup attempt of 2020-21, like other failed coup attempts, is a warning for those who care about the rule of law and a lesson for those who do not." nytimes.com/2021/01/09/mag…
"There was a difference between how Americans reacted in 2020 and in 2016. In 2016, we were saying... our institutions are going to save us. In 2020... people were making preparations... the institutions only save us if we make those institutions live." msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/…
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