Masha Gessen just released her new book, Surviving Autocracy. I just started it and it has already pulled me in.
As I read last night, the last two sentences of Chapter 2 made me put the book down in a bit of shock. Those two sentences are:
“No powerful political actor had set out to destroy the American political system itself—until, that is, Trump won the Republican nomination. He was probably the first major party nominee who ran not for president, but for autocrat. And he won.”
He won.
He didn’t mince words. He wasn’t politically correct. He said whatever was on his mind. He ridiculed the disabled. He worked to make the press the enemy. And he told us over and over, in different variations, “I alone.”
“I know more about ISIS than the generals do.”
The sad thing, as I’ve said before, there are still millions of people who will vote for him again. They believe he is for them, when he is only out for himself, to get power, adulation, and money.
No matter what he says, no matter what he does, at least 38% of the country will vote to re-elect him, and his followers will rig the voting process so fewer people can vote. His followers seem to want autocratic rule for two reasons: 1) They think it will give them more power themselves; 2) They have no clue what autocratic rule truly is because they watch Fox too much.
What a truly horrific thought either of those are!
The only thing left to survive autocracy, and keep this stint in OUR country short, is to vote!
Vote in massive numbers!
Vote like your life, and way of life, depends upon it!
Vote because it matters even more now than ever before!
VOTE!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 