South Korea stopped a coup and impeached and arrested the president that tried it - in 2024-25! Romanians fought back last month, defeating a Trumpian, hard right presidential candidate (but only by 54%-46%). Mass demonstrations helped Ukraine overthrew a corrupt dictator in 2014, although it led to two subsequent Russian invasions. Other nations have been unable/unwilling to stop the "Authoritarian Playbook" from being implemented and have lost their freedom. Like Venezuela, (arguably) India, and, of course, Russia two decades ago.
Yet others are still fighting, as far-right political movements never seem to disappear for long these days. Poland toggles back and forth, Germany and France hold their far-right parties at bay - barely. When we meet on July 13th, the USA will have been fighting President Trump's authoritarian takeover attempt for almost 6 months.
If Americans are to stop Trump at. al., from imposing permanent minority party rule, dictatorship, and an as-needed police state before the USA's 250th birthday next July, we need to learn some things. Not just to believe it is happening. Not just how to form a broad, pro-democracy coalition. But also, how other countries in recent years have beaten the 21st century incarnation of authoritarianism and stopped their crushing of democracy.
These countries are all very different from us, of course, from their parliamentary systems to their histories and cultures. Still, a discussion in July of lessons learned might end up being well-timed. We also can discuss the lessons of countries that failed to prevent the worst.
Look back here the week before our July 13th mtg for some (as always!) optional background readings. They will focus on what these other countries did and why it worked. We can also discuss what lies next for us in the authoritarian playbook of Trump (and Miller, Bannon, Noem, Hegseth, and others) that are really running this thing.
Not all of our future meetings will be about this stuff. There is a whole world out there, after all. But world affairs will never be the same if America falls.
Background optional readings:
-- TBA.
