All my life I have studied democratization and autocratization. My 1st field trip was to newly democratic Argentina. I then added autocracies to my portfolio: Cuba, Ven, etc. I think I can recognize the stages of transition to authoritarianism. Here are the boxes Trump has already checked off. - ThreadSky

javiercorrales.bsky.social • 59 days ago

All my life I have studied democratization and autocratization. My 1st field trip was to newly democratic Argentina. I then added autocracies to my portfolio: Cuba, Ven, etc. I think I can recognize the stages of transition to authoritarianism. Here are the boxes Trump has already checked off.

Comments

cbluesdc.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

sturmyweather.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

gledster.bsky.social•21 days ago

📌

thredge.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

purpleaster.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

vixerunt.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌 Deprogram Dad

iankumohara.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

almadavid.bsky.social•57 days ago

Thank you for this sobering thread from one of your former students.

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

1. President thinks he is saving the country. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/us/politics/trump-saves-country-quote.html

jordisunshine.bsky.social•38 days ago

Did you include naked #graft, #corruption and venality? Seems part of the shit stew recipe.

If only the "founding fathers"used bribe instead of immoulements. Where are my constitutional literalists and #originalists now?!?

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

2. Ruling party acts like a rubber stamp. They like his policies and/or fear his retribution. Either way, they never say never. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/06/us/politics/cabinet-confirmation-votes.html

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

3. Overuse of executive orders, including declaring national emergencies https://www.hklaw.com/en/general-pages/trumps-2025-executive-orders-chart

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

4. Colonize the federal bureaucracy. Fire the staff. Replace them loyalists. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/15/federal-layoffs-firings-2025/78761259007/

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

5. Defund institutions as a way to force compliance. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/trumps-attempt-to-unilaterally-control-state-and-local-funding-is-dangerous-dumb-and-undemocratic

javiercorrales.bsky.social•59 days ago

6. Trash-talk institutions govt dislikes. Create images of institutions as guilty actors, harming agents, without conducting reviews or involving court procedures. Argue that their campaign is intended to save taxpayers' money https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/at-usaid-waste-and-abuse-runs-deep/

sanity-check.bsky.social•57 days ago

@nytimes.com this is insane that you print this headline as if it is normal. It should read “Trump Using Dictator Language and Likely Rallying his Criminals to Cause Harm. DO BETTER.

0mphaloskeptic.bsky.social•58 days ago

In fairness to Trump, it's extremely unlikely that he actually thinks he's saving the country. That isn't even a consideration for him. He simply realizes that he has zero resistance to anything he does from Congressional Repubs and sees his chance to grab dictatorial power.

gpadini.bsky.social•57 days ago

Donald Trump can’t save himself so there is no chance at all he can save a country. His NPD illness doesn’t allow him to see the real world only his imaginary places.

honestamericann.bsky.social•57 days ago

Guess I can run a red light as long as I think I am doing it for the public good. Huh?

2pensi.bsky.social•45 days ago

...from himself...?

wtfdor.bsky.social•14 days ago

Go figure

biancastar.bsky.social•57 days ago

he doesnt think it he just says it, only Headlines matter

itsstilljustme.bsky.social•57 days ago

“Pretends” he is saving the country.

melissalinn.bsky.social•57 days ago

I read these kinds of posts and say to myself “don’t do it, don’t do it” and then by god I end up clicking to read the thread. Why do I hate myself?

mbbrownsf.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

veracitas.bsky.social•58 days ago

Wow, this is one of the best analyses of this Presidency so far!

spiv.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

openpolicy.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

alexamsterdam.bsky.social•57 days ago

Good. Its what 50% of the arseholes that voted him deserve... let them suffer ignorant yankee bastards

downerdog.bsky.social•58 days ago

This is such a great thread.

menenkim.bsky.social•58 days ago

If you don’t suggest remedies for all of us to act on, this just sinks people lower into helplessness. What can people DO?

ritter2.bsky.social•58 days ago

register people to vote, donate to local groups helping immigrants and others impacted by all this, volunteer at your local food banks. Hopefully that is enough to get you started. Do these things and you will meet others who can link you into more happening locally

menenkim.bsky.social•58 days ago

I don’t need suggestions. I have my groups I’m aligned w to actually do work to resist. But most people stay frozen in the headlights and need to see remedies. People w lots of views who offer these insights should provide “what you can do”

ritter2.bsky.social•58 days ago

We can do that just as well.

bunchofnumbers.bsky.social•57 days ago

Demanding someone provide possible actions and then smugly declaring you don’t need those suggestions is peak bluesky.

menenkim.bsky.social•57 days ago

Oh brother.

ritter2.bsky.social•58 days ago

People can show up for protests, call their representatives, demand the media stop giving Trump and Musk a pass, make sure everyone you know understands the impact Trump’s actions will have on them (there is a really good site that shows the economic impact of NIH funding cuts in every state),

lccrna.bsky.social•57 days ago

What is this site?

ritter2.bsky.social•57 days ago

click on any state to get that state’s report https://www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-state/ohio

thesaltyinkslinger.bsky.social•57 days ago

This! I’m sick of action items being left out.

If you aren’t offering people ideas and examples of resistance you’re part of the problem.

seismicpigeon.bsky.social•57 days ago

To point out the obvious, this list comes from studying Cuba and Venezuela. I don't think this particular person has the action items to stop them.

menenkim.bsky.social•57 days ago

I understand. All I’m asking and it seems lost on some, is that those who have a lot of reach and post information like this about our descent into authoritarianism also add pointers to resist. There is an implication of hopelessness in these kind of posts & the trend toward this is concerning

tellmemorelies.bsky.social•57 days ago

https://pol-rev.com/mission/

philysportsfan.bsky.social•58 days ago

Join your local Indivisible Protest group. I heard about this on the Thomas Carl Hartmann show FreeSpeech TV.
@hartmannreport.com

They have numerous state & local chapters
https://indivisible.org/groups

menenkim.bsky.social•58 days ago

philysportsfan.bsky.social•58 days ago

Not necessarily. There are multiple steps to a resistance. One is educational information/enlightenment.

I didn't see any suggestions from
you🤔

menenkim.bsky.social•58 days ago

I have groups I work with—I don’t have the reach or influence of these posters. THATS the point. Those that have a lot of influence have a greater responsibility.

philysportsfan.bsky.social•57 days ago

Ok, but I think you're selling yourself short!! It takes all of us to create change.

robb.doering.ai•58 days ago

He’s a scientist, not a politician. The answers are obvious on a scientific level: massive protest, legal resistance in the meantime, violent resistance in the worst case. This thread builds towards public awareness that this isn’t just a bad four years, but rather something life-threateninf

goldenageweaver.bsky.social•57 days ago

Which boxes haven't been checked off? Which boxes is this administration unlikely to check off?

panthersfan-afr.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

cavu4ever.bsky.social•29 days ago

📌

nroodt.bsky.social•58 days ago

This is what US citizens voted for!

snartkety.bsky.social•57 days ago

This is what roughly ⅓ of US citizens (of voting age) voted for.

Because the opposition party is incapable of tangible positive change for the working class and roughly ⅓ of the country doesn’t see any point in voting.

oldcrankygma.bsky.social•57 days ago

Only 36% of U.S. voters ‘voted’ for the criminal administration.. that’s if election wasn’t rigged, which I doubt.

nroodt.bsky.social•56 days ago

THE GOP won the presidency, the House and the Senate! Even if the elections were rigged, that means lot of people voted for them, and the people that stayed at home allowed this! Those together are a majority of US citizens!

thesaltyinkslinger.bsky.social•57 days ago

They’ve been brainwashed into thinking it’s good for them.

thesaltyinkslinger.bsky.social•57 days ago

Please do another thread on fighting back.

What did people do to resist in these places? What can resistance look like for the USA?

southofboston.bsky.social•55 days ago

By the time someone figures this out, it will be too late. That's why they are working so fast to entrench themselves.

biancastar.bsky.social•57 days ago

WWII

headlessrex.bsky.social•56 days ago

III

larougeabeille.bsky.social•4 days ago

📌

carnot3.bsky.social•58 days ago

Great thread, but what's next? Like what else is coming?

mladabee.bsky.social•58 days ago

I hope the “start a war to consolidate control of the armed forces” step can be avoided. Thank you for this thread, Javier.

headlessrex.bsky.social•56 days ago

By crippling our intelligence & security institutions, while promising genocide in exchange for golf courses in the middle east, Trump has ensured an act of terrorism will take place imminently. Vance & Rubio probably finalizing the plans for it in Saudia Arabia as we speak.

sweing.bsky.social•58 days ago

Don't give them ideas! If a war does start, I hope DOGE at least lets us have air raid sirens--if it's not too great an expense.

robb.doering.ai•58 days ago

Dropping the obligatory “doge isn’t concerned with expense in the first place”. With love ❤️✊

eneismi.bsky.social•57 days ago

Scary, only saving grace is his inherent incompetence and constant ability to overplay his hand.

trnko.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

susanayogi.bsky.social•58 days ago

Javier, my Cuban family are mostly full-on trumpers and it just baffles and saddens me that they don’t/can’t see all these fascist boxes checked and where we are headed. I barely even speak to them anymore because it’s too painful and I no longer trust them to be decent and do the right thing.

mayrasgdt.bsky.social•58 days ago

I arrived from Cuba when I was 12. My immediate family was very progressive and lifelong Democrats. Unfortunately they have all passed away. I’m the only sane one left that sees the lessons I saw with my two eyes in Cuba because I was allowed to be part of discussions like an adult.

mayrasgdt.bsky.social•58 days ago

My Mom who was very well informed on politics saw things differently than most Cuban-Americans especially those that stayed in Miami. We lived up north. We are willingly walking into full an authoritarian dictatorship just like what left in Cuba but the MagaQbans are too blind to see it.

susanayogi.bsky.social•58 days ago

Yeah I grew up in Miami w/in the hardline exile community. Very conservative, rigid, narrow thinking. Like you and your mom, I see things differently. Thanks for your response. It’s nice to hear from other Cuban Americans who can see trumpism for what it is. Gives me hope 🙏

pyslexicdharmacist.bsky.social•58 days ago

You can count my brother in law as another Cuban American in that category. He fits right in with my vehemently antitrump family.

mayrasgdt.bsky.social•58 days ago

Glad to hear that. He is one of so many of us that didn’t fall for the misinformation on tv and radio of those that have made a living out of calling us that think differently communists. We are not.

mayrasgdt.bsky.social•58 days ago

There is a lot of us and became very engaged and vocal during the 1.0 administration. Cubanos Pa’lante is one FB group. It created a lot of interactions during the ACA battle but we became complacent and not united after 2020. It’s picking up engagement again so keep 🤞🏼

thesaltyinkslinger.bsky.social•57 days ago

This sounds like Virginia’s AG.

cojelocontekerisi.bsky.social•57 days ago

Same same. Igualmente.

biancastar.bsky.social•57 days ago

attikusfinch.bsky.social•57 days ago

The tech bros have taken over and It’s way worse than you think..watch this …help us spread the word and figure out how to petition SCOTUS now to stop them immediately. Don’t wait another hour. It’s dark scary shit that is going down. Do it. Now!

https://youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?si=Hs5I0722srdF5Imw

brewdus.bsky.social•57 days ago

Yo, Genius! The Democrats have been checking those boxes for decades!

commanderrextrek.bsky.social•57 days ago

...and this POS SLINKS OUT of Washington DC with his 20+ million Dollar worth & Trump Tax cuts....WORST AG EVER! He will be on the Roster / Schedule of the soon to be Open "PISS on their GRAVES" Tours ( c ) ........ LOSER !!!

gboo6.bsky.social•54 days ago

@skyview.social unroll please

tyoder.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

lenday.bsky.social•58 days ago

American voters are allowing it to happen.

biancastar.bsky.social•57 days ago

janetbufton.ca•57 days ago

📌

bill-fouche.bsky.social•57 days ago

This is terrific. Thank you.

tiredofthisshit.bsky.social•58 days ago

#FreeLuigiMangione

jmegraw.bsky.social•57 days ago

@skyview.social unroll

etienneguy.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

mikejoeg.bsky.social•57 days ago

To everyone who rationalized voting for Trump because they didn't think he would do anything crazy: How's that working out for you?

teeser.bsky.social•46 days ago

It was guaranteed to be crazy with the Orange Shitgibbon in charge

vietcombatvet173.bsky.social•57 days ago

America is in for a world of HURT. Not the most intelligent people in the world.

innovationfocus.bsky.social•58 days ago

This thread⬆️⬆️⬆️

innovationfocus.bsky.social•58 days ago

This⬆️⬆️⬆️

jessicasunja.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

nonamesplease.bsky.social•57 days ago

📌

judeasamaria.bsky.social•29 days ago

I love this, but I sure wish there were fewer sources behind paywalls.
And with less baggage than wapo or nyt
Sorry to kibbitz. This is still a valuable resource

stephenswithaph.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

quinini.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

yourauntifa.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

ctowne.bsky.social•58 days ago

Yes

ruthmcmonagle.bsky.social•58 days ago

📌

dlchk.bsky.social•57 days ago

Trump went to the "bank of Putin" decades ago after his SIXTH bankruptcy, no U.S. banks would loan him money. Eric Trump told a reporter that they get all the money they need from Russia, when asked where they were finding the money to update their golf clubs. The Republicans know it.