Thread by @trygveolson

Faith or Fear Thread: The Rules for Dealing with Autocrats & Their Enablers – J6 Committee Edition

Working around the world with those fighting for democracy, I understand we need Seven Rules for democratic forces to prevail.

Remember, all Autocratic illiberal actors strive solely to gain and maintain power. They do so by creating Fear of each other at the expense of faith in one another – think of what Putin is doing in Ukraine versus Zelensky.

For autocratic forces & their enablers, the game is zero-sum at the expense of the win-win upon which we build democracies. Win-win requires trust to achieve a sum far greater than the parts. Zero-sum has only one winner at the expense of all others. The Seven Rules are:

Rule #1 Play the Game You Are in, Not the One You Wish or Want to Play - This means when one side is playing the zero-sum illiberal, there is no win-win to be played. You will either win & democracy survives, or you lose to the autocratic forces.

Rule #2 Always Speak Truth to Power Because You Never Know the Tipping Point -- You must confront Big Lies of illiberal forces by speaking Truth to their base of power -- people. There is a tipping point where your Truth or the Big Lies prevail.

Rule #3 Don't Hand the Autocrats Battering Rams with Which to Beat You -- The game you are in, the battle you are fighting, isn't about policy or ideology. Instead, they will use what you say to divide you from your allies who you need to win the battle for democracy.

Rule 4 Understand Authoritarians Must Live in a Truth-Free Present -- The past presents truths about the big lies and fear the illiberal forces use. The future for autocratic forces only matters for maintaining power now. They only care about keeping/gaining power.

Rule 5 Practice Zero-Sum Judo -- Use their tactics against them -- Big Truths, Marginalization, make them dependent, mock the disinformation, divide and conquer their power structure. Use their desire for the legitimacy of democracy against them.

Rule 6 The Stalin Rule: Stand Together with Anyone Who Will Join You to Disturb, Disrupt and Diminish the Illiberal Structures. Even if you share nothing in common beyond a love of democracy and how much you loath their politics in regular times, you fight side-by-side with them.

Rule 7 Wake Up Every Day Thinking Where Can the Vertical Power Structure Be Exposed, Confronted, and Destabilized -- Each of us and all of us on Team Democracy must wake up every day and ask what I can do to be on the side of restoring faith and confront the Fear they use.

So, let's examine the J6 Committee from the perspective of each Rule. Does what they're doing conform with the rules? Equally important, do their actions increase Faith in Each Other (a win for democracy) or Fear of one another (a victory for the zero-sum non-democratic forces).

Rule #1 – Play the Game You're In
The members include some who have (@adamkinzinger) or could end their careers in the house (@repelaineluria @lizcheney) by being part of the committee.

Each of them realized the reality and put the country over self-interest. That is inherently showing faith in each other – do what is right & the consequences will take care of themselves.

washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022…

When you play the game you are in (zero-sum versus the zero-sum actors), you build opportunities for moving others. It happens via cognitive dissonance you create within their supporters. Is the Committee achieving this within the @GOP?

https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1551683925902229504

Rule #2 -- Always Speak Truth to Power
The entire notion of the J6 Committee is about speaking and exposing the Truth. Without acknowledging the Truth there can be no healing through reconciliation.

Both Republicans and Democrats are saying it. Both committee members and those who are coming forward to testify. The Truth is the power by which they are winning through the cognitive dissonance it is creating.

https://twitter.com/RepElaineLuria/status/1550514269913075712

Rule #3 -- Don't Hand the Autocrats Battering Rams
The J6 committee has stayed united. They haven't allowed those responsible for events that day or their enablers to use their words against them.

They have left them flounder. In fact, the J6 Committee has turned the illiberal enablers' attempts to deflect into battering rams with which to beat them.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1551206342110625792

Rule #4 -- Understand Authoritarians Must Live in a Truth-Free Present
When you force autocratic actors & enablers into the past (their actions) or future (accountability), they lose the ability to project fear.

Moreover, it forces their appeasers to pick sides – think where @Mike_Pence is after the revelations of peril he & his family were facing that day.

Rule #5 -- Practice Zero-Sum Judo
Using the illiberal actors' words, actions & tactics against them is the essence of zero-sum judo. The members of J6 have been masters from the start. The decision by Nancy Pelosi to have @lizcheney and @adamkinzinger on the committee.

The hit backs when those who enable and appease – like this by @lizcheney taking it to @hughhewitt & @sentomcotton -- are a great example. When the J6 members are presented a chance to flip the illiberal narratives back, they are taking advantage.

https://twitter.com/RepLizCheney/status/1551693934094696448

Rule #6 -- Stand Together with Anyone Who Will Join You
I pointed out how strange in our politics today @benniegthompson giving the gavel to @lizcheney the other night seemed. In Truth, it is only our politics of today that made that odd.

I would guess Thompson and Cheney vote the same less than half the time, but as with all the members, they are showing faith in each other.

time.com/6199027/liz-ch…

Rule #7 -- Wake Up Every day Asking What Can You Do
The final Rule is less about the J6 members than a lesson for all of us. Each of us must use the leadership shown & apply the lessons in the fight for democracy. We can all use the Rules. It is how we will prevail.