Moving Forward

What's wrong, what's needed, and what I'm doing about it.

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

To those who have been wondering where I have been—and to the presumably greater number for whom my absence never occurred to them—I am writing with an update.

First, the reason I have been out of touch is that I am hard at work on a book project on how to bring Trump’s authoritarian regime to a fitting end. Tentatively entitled How to Overthrow a Dictator: A Self-Help Guide for Americans, it draws on cutting-edge research in political science to explain why some countries managed to oust their authoritarian leaders, why other countries failed, and what, specifically, it will take to do the same in the US.

With Trump in the midst of one of the most rapid authoritarian power-grabs in recent decades—which only yesterday saw him declare war on the “enemy within” before the entire army brass—the question of how to kick this shithead out of power is as pressing as ever.

If he (or his successor) loses in 2028, he will not leave office voluntarily. If and when it comes to that, the only effective means of removing him will be a massive civil resistance campaign complete with protests, strikes, boycotts, and other forms of nonviolent action.

Scores of other societies have ousted authoritarian leaders through their own people-power movements. Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Fiji, Malawi, the Maldives, Moldova, Nepal, Niger, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and Zambia are among those which have successfully mounted such campaigns since the turn of the century.

What’s more, most if not all of them did so under far less favorable conditions than those Americans face.

In short, if they could do it, we most certainly can.

On the other hand, overthrowing a committed autocrat is not exactly straightforward. The process is replete with pitfalls as well as opportunities. Americans would do well to understand what these are and prepare accordingly. Hence, my decision to write this book.

At the moment, I am knee-deep in research learning everything political scientists know about the problem. It is turning out to be quite a revelation. In the near future, I will be ready to pass on some of my findings to you. Until then, I ask for your patience.

This brings me to my second item: For the time being, I am suspending The Fix, my biweekly installment for paid subscribers.

For starters, not enough people signed up for the paid option to justify the time and effort required to sustain it. Moreover, given the need to get the book published with enough time to spare before the 2028 election, I cannot afford to spend several workdays every two weeks to producing The Fix.

Considering that I am breaking my promise to paid subscribers, I am offering a prorated refund to anyone who wants it. If that is you, please reply to this email or message me on Substack. Otherwise, many thanks for sticking with me. I am grateful for your support.