One sign that we are living under an authoritarian regime is that a lot of people are acting like they are living under an authoritarian regime. - ThreadSky

donmoyn.bsky.social • 2 days ago

One sign that we are living under an authoritarian regime is that a lot of people are acting like they are living under an authoritarian regime.

Reposted from Eric Lipton NYT

The fear among academics and lawyers now talking on the record on just about any topic that involves the federal government or the White House is really extraordinary and worrisome, and getting worse, it seems to me, every week. Dissent by an establishment figures becoming verboten in the US

Comments

alexdarigan.bsky.social•2 days ago

Scientists fleeing because of govt interference is a pretty significant part of the start of WW2 (or like the prelude even).

d-le-nen.bsky.social•2 days ago

There is an effective approach against fear: organization. e.g. trade unions or any similar thing.

jnrn.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think people are getting pretty fed up. I’m seeing it and hearing it even here in Utah.

dhfeldman.bsky.social•2 days ago

Should I not submit the op-ed on Trump tariffs that I have already written? ...

brettmccabe.bsky.social•2 days ago

Try this: quit being a bunch of pussies.

Or get the eff out of the way for those who are prepared to face get.

magstarshine99.bsky.social•2 days ago

And this is a sign TO STOP DOING THAT.

Don’t anticipate what they would make you do/say and then do it for them…don’t make it easy for them.

Do the opposite. Stand up, speak out, a little louder now…MAKE IT HARDER.

Disrupt, disobey, boycott, protest, connect, protect, and dance the night away…

queenief.bsky.social•2 days ago

I hope we survive this and they all have to live with their weakness and shame

autom70.bsky.social•1 day ago

Verboten, wonder why he used the German word for forbidden instead of just using the English version. (I apologize, German is my Native Tongue.)

johngage1.bsky.social•1 day ago

“They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes”

- George Orwell, Animal Farm (1945)

janbeecher.bsky.social•2 days ago

Chilling effect, in more ways than one.

elijahplovejoy.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is all it takes.
God save us.

erichluepke.bsky.social•2 days ago

I have several friends who have modified their speech or behavior to accommodate the regime. One even told me to be more careful. I politely declined.

redsonja.bsky.social•2 days ago

And the truck is: Don't do that folks. Lots of ways to get involved and speak out.

redsonja.bsky.social•2 days ago

And by truck, of course, I mean trick.

pamelaoliver.bsky.social•2 days ago

yes.

donjorizzy.bsky.social•2 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/donjorizzy.bsky.social/post/3lmimnegvi22g

vvrroomm68.bsky.social•2 days ago

Meta will take on the role of Stasi at the drop of a McDonalds shake.

bvm.bsky.social•2 days ago

“It will be easier to organize under Trump than under Biden/Kamala” sure was a take

lordkeynes42.bsky.social•2 days ago

I can feel it.

inexplicabel.bsky.social•2 days ago

How To Recognize An Authoritarian Regime: The Regime is Authoritarian (op-ed)

cmillions.bsky.social•2 days ago

Cf. Czeslaw Milosz “The Captive Mind”

trixiebelden75.bsky.social•2 days ago

Well how many trolls do you think are on here ?

mlkelly.bsky.social•2 days ago

That's because we are.

jlyons72.bsky.social•2 days ago

I don’t know why anyone has faith that there will be free and fair elections next year. Everyone who has the power to nip this in the bud are acting like cowards

conjurial.bsky.social•2 days ago

there won't be fair elections. the election in Wisconsin last week wasn't fair: government allies trying to buy votes, state media lying its ass off, etc.

But the opposition-party candidate won in WI last week! There are degrees of unfair and it doesn't imply a predetermined outcome

jlyons72.bsky.social•2 days ago

I hope you’re right, somedays it’s just hard to have hope

conjurial.bsky.social•2 days ago

I feel a little dirty seeing them crash the economy and thinking it's good for democracy but honestly it probably is

my 401(k) will have to try to remember that

billadler.bsky.social•2 days ago

This was a real post from ICE on Twitter and Instagram. (ICE deleted it.)

rbolcoach.bsky.social•2 days ago

Another sign is that people in power are acting like they're running an authoritarian regime.

pilgrim76.bsky.social•2 days ago

That many institutions have proven themselves so rotten and so cowardly, so quickly, has been clarifying. One suspects they’ve been so for some time, only have never been tested.

timothycarroll.com•1 day ago

If only the NYT and other media hadn't spent so much time sane washing Trump while pretending Biden's age was more important than democracy.

frommeshed.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yanks, the Dems, quoffing coffee and waving likkle flags. Not good enough. Trump laughing as he strolls to hole 1 to tee off.

clawfoot.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's not just Trump, it's Johnson and Robert's backing him up on the torture prison threats. If it was just Trump railing no one would be this concerned.

walterdragon.bsky.social•2 days ago

The worst part is realizing that this is what Americans said they wanted: This is what the people voted for.

jooltman.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yes, the cosplay has ended. This is the real deal.

codykinski.bsky.social•2 days ago

Hence the admonition "Don't obey in advance." It's a warning that comes from people's lived experience. Some people don't get it; some cave to demands for docility. Same thing either way, if it's ignored.

gertruxe.bsky.social•2 days ago

Democracy dying in the US … slipping away hour by hour.

sheabor.bsky.social•2 days ago

The more people who bravely oppose him, the easier it will be for others to do so

kmoore988.bsky.social•2 days ago

Agreed. It starts like a small breeze,& then it becomes a raging storm. More people need to bravely oppose him&his administration.
300 million Americans in US & yet only approx 3 million came out on Hands Off Day. 1.3 million lawyers in the US &yet comparably only a handful R fighting for democracy.

vortex3.bsky.social•2 days ago

Anecdotally, during the first admin people joked about whether friend group chats should be taken to signal.

This time, it's no joke. They are being moved to signal.

mensabarbi.bsky.social•2 days ago

That’s proof that we were living under an authoritarian regime with Biden as the sockpuppet. Now we are free but the DeepState continues their opposition messaging where they accuse MAGA of doing what they themselves were actually doing. It’s 1984 come to life.

brianwernham.bsky.social•1 day ago

Many law abiding Brits saying they are worried about travel to US now

Look at this about misidentified tattoos 👇

BBC News - British man's tattoo wrongly linked to Venezuelan gang in US government document

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly22xm8kx1o

jim1132.bsky.social•1 day ago

I personally dislike tattoos, but this may be going too far - though "dont get a tattoo, you may get disappeared to El Salvador" seems sage advice now.

dysamoria.com•1 day ago

I dislike tattoos, but that's a personal, subjective opinion, and I’m right there with “this is absolutely too far”, easily. But also so many other things were already too far.

iannmalcolm.bsky.social•1 day ago

A dynamic that Glenn Loury predicts. Forthcoming:

plankysmith.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yep

theonlyjdb.bsky.social•2 days ago

Pretty clear signs for sure!

adamarket.bsky.social•2 days ago

This explains why Snyder felt the need to exit to Canada. I don’t blame him.

xitter-refugee.bsky.social•2 days ago

I replied with this.

"See number 11."

teamug2.bsky.social•2 days ago

Bingo! I do not want the prize, though. Damn.

rachellarris.bsky.social•2 days ago

Remember decades of slippery slope arguments? Why did we waste the energy?

scooterbones.bsky.social•2 days ago

These worms never stood up to the oligarchy since the 1980s. Posting Orange Hitler stuff is boutique.

tm71.bsky.social•2 days ago

This makes me very angry. All of us nobodies out here knowing we are in some kind of lottery to be picked up for our speech, and people who have claimed to be leaders are cowering?

odicd.bsky.social•2 days ago

Unless you are one of the regular attendees at Mar-a-Lago, you ARE living under an authoritarian regime. Time to organize and fight back.

readriderock.bsky.social•1 day ago

You mean like the Commander in Greenland who just got removed for distancing herself from the couch lover?

gizmotronic.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah 100% I remain shocked at how many people and institutions have been co-opted by money. Threaten their cash flow and they all fold like the spineless turds they are.

northerngala.bsky.social•2 days ago

“First step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of…men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate the fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other.”

tenet-facts.bsky.social•1 day ago

don't think we should be taking lessons on how to oppose Nazis from Bertrand Russell 🤦‍♂️

darymary.bsky.social•1 day ago

Well said.

neoengel.bsky.social•2 days ago

1930's - US becomes a refuge for scientists fleeing the rise of fascism in Europe.

2020's - Europe becomes a refuge for scientists fleeing the rise of fascism in US.

marymademary.bsky.social•2 days ago

And almost every source under “Republican officials complain …” only has one person willing to be identified, all others have requested anonymity.

petermardie.bsky.social•2 days ago

Reclaim the Night!

silkyweineck.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think a lot of people who aren't talking to the NYT are otherwise talking freely, or rather are writing their own takes instead of letting those guys misrepresent their views. Here's a dozen takes from U-M faculty. https://www.michigandaily.com/letters-to-the-editor/re-umich-announces-cuts-to-all-dei-programs-from-faculty/

soumya-goblue.medsky.social•1 day ago

A family friend (UM alum) who is a practicing physician in Denver had read this article, so clearly it is making the rounds. And more impactful than the NYT to me. Interestingly, the Social Work prof whom Rogerio Pinto's named professorship represents is my friend's mother-in-law, I had no idea.

silkyweineck.bsky.social•1 day ago

what bothers me is the growing chorus of “nobody talks anymore” when plenty of people do. seems the kind of people the NYT likes to talk to are clamming up and they think it’s everyone….

soumya-goblue.medsky.social•1 day ago

I briefly met Rogerio, I got to see his very interesting colorism exhibit on North Campus, and I don't think anyone can accuse him of hiding from anything or anyone 😂

soumya-goblue.medsky.social•1 day ago

my friend's mother-in-law loves him and his partner, they spend time together in Prof. Dayton's home in northern Michigan in summers - my Gujurati Indian-American friend, her white husband, and a queer Brazilian couple. Kinda heartwarming

riskres.bsky.social•2 days ago

I wonder why we seem to have accepted the emergency declarations under which much of this is being done. Obviously, Congress and the Judiciary are accomplices but I believe we should call out the lie as often as we can.

andyo.bsky.social•1 day ago

Cowards!

nancyspantsbelt.bsky.social•2 days ago

Tyranny has redress in founding documents.

strategerey.bsky.social•2 days ago

in that regard, this Bloomberg story (from today) chilled me to my bones: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-10/jpmorgan-analyst-highlights-wall-street-fears-over-criticizing-trump?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0NDMyNTQ3NSwiZXhwIjoxNzQ0OTMwMjc1LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTVUVLODFUMEcxS1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI1OTUyRjA4QjU3NUU0NkEwOTdCMUIxNkQwNjQ4RUQ4MyJ9.T8TfjTfS880NAS7KKnRMB4xRtqxXbiDXj0SfOUV-Jh8

tm71.bsky.social•2 days ago

Why aren’t rich people using their money to fight this? They can insulate themselves and escape and even negotiate with the fascists. And like hunger and poverty, they just… don’t.

My god what is wrong with humanity?

popezebbidiexii.bsky.social•2 days ago

Power comes from the barrel 9f a gun

* Mao

I got an entire army

* Trump

dysamoria.com•1 day ago

Rich people are self-serving (sometimes this means cowardice). That’s how most of them became rich: always serving their own interests. There’s no ethical, socially-responsible way to become a billionaire. The ones born into wealth haven’t developed any sense of social responsibility to begin with.

tm71.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yep.

donmoyn.bsky.social•2 days ago

Wrote this a month back: on the whole, more institutions have bent the knee than pushed back. Public protests and court decisions would provide a reason for more courage. We are starting to see the protests, but SCOTUS has done little to provide confidence.
https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/real-chilling-effects

diogenetics.bsky.social•2 days ago

Liberty or death, but if not liberty they'll probably kill you anyway.

nywonk.bsky.social•2 days ago

Obeying in advance, while thinking they will be safe and prosperous during the storm.

Fools.

riverdaleboy.bsky.social•2 days ago

They always do.
The incentives are always the same.

tbenthin.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Roberts Court is a tool of the regime, not a check on it.

tm71.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yep! One might even say the regime is built on this court.

gny1234.bsky.social•2 days ago

The SCOTUS majority is not agree of Trump. They like and agree with what Trump is doing (even if a couple would prefer Trump were genteel or discrete about it)

smullins3000.bsky.social•2 days ago

Eric Lipton sounds like Susan Collins these days: "worrisome" indeed!

I suppose it's nice that someone at the NYT noticed that the republic might be in trouble (it's actually suspended right now) but maybe somebody could ask him to see if the NYT can stop polishing Trump's ass anymore (I'm blocked)

lizlemony.bsky.social•2 days ago

And what about all of the American students that study abroad every year?! When will other countries start doing the same to American students?! Kiss your study abroad goodbye kids!

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