How far do you think we've gotten?
. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
That’s a shame. After all the money her NGO ripped off from the federal government I hoped she would come with something more thought provoking than that.
Stacy Abrams. The original election denier.
How far do you think we've gotten?
In her "10 Steps to Autocracy" framework, Stacey Abrams outlines how democracies can be dismantled from within by authoritarian leaders. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
Stacey Abrams's "10 Steps to Autocracy"
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
I guess we're either at Step 1 or Step 9, depending on what happens in 2028. If the Dems have a legit shot to compete in a fair election, we're fine. If our ballot allows us to choose between JD Vance and "Unopposed," then we know where this was.
How far do you think we've gotten?
In her "10 Steps to Autocracy" framework, Stacey Abrams outlines how democracies can be dismantled from within by authoritarian leaders. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
Stacey Abrams's "10 Steps to Autocracy"
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
love the irony. Dem avg joe didn’t even get a chance to vote. You get Harris and like it
How far do you think we've gotten?
In her "10 Steps to Autocracy" framework, Stacey Abrams outlines how democracies can be dismantled from within by authoritarian leaders. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
Stacey Abrams's "10 Steps to Autocracy"
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
love the irony. Dem avg joe didn’t even get a chance to vote. You get Harris and like it
They followed the process. Honestly, we'd probably be better off with more of that. Not more of Harris, of course. Ugh. But less primary voting and more smoke-filled rooms. You need a certain level of democracy in order to give the government some legitimacy, but an open free-for-all isn't how you get a Roosevelt or a Churchill.
@goat in theory for sure. in practice you cant divest the public of that feeling of involvement/authority
@goat in theory for sure. in practice you cant divest the public of that feeling of involvement/authority
That's what I meant by that "certain level" that you need.
I think the Brits have a mostly solid compromise. Starmer didn't come from a national vote. He came from a small vote of Labour members. Invested people. And the only ones who really felt left out were the far left who are now off mindlessly fumbling trying to found their own party. Everyone else feels fine with it. They still feel like the system is democratic.
@goat I’m curious Goat because I have often contended that we have “too much democracy” myself.
As an example I think popularly elected Senators is an abomination.
And voting rights need to be scaled back. At a minimum make it 21 years and an annual civics exam.
I’d prefer more guardrails than that, which would be called anachronistic by most of you.
Starmer is reviled in the U.K. btw.
I concur. I'd be good with going back to having the conventions decide the Presidential candidates. We wouldn't have had the horrible choices we had on both sides the last three elections.How far do you think we've gotten?
In her "10 Steps to Autocracy" framework, Stacey Abrams outlines how democracies can be dismantled from within by authoritarian leaders. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
Stacey Abrams's "10 Steps to Autocracy"
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
love the irony. Dem avg joe didn’t even get a chance to vote. You get Harris and like it
They followed the process. Honestly, we'd probably be better off with more of that. Not more of Harris, of course. Ugh. But less primary voting and more smoke-filled rooms. You need a certain level of democracy in order to give the government some legitimacy, but an open free-for-all isn't how you get a Roosevelt or a Churchill.
@goat I’m curious Goat because I have often contended that we have “too much democracy” myself.
As an example I think popularly elected Senators is an abomination.
And voting rights need to be scaled back. At a minimum make it 21 years and an annual civics exam.
I’d prefer more guardrails than that, which would be called anachronistic by most of you.
Starmer is reviled in the U.K. btw.
Starmer isn't reviled. The Labour government is currently very unpopular. That tends to happen in the UK after you take office and don't immediately fix anything. Just as it would in most places. Like here. His favorability is especially atrocious compared to some, I'll admit. I think that's a function of just how big of a landslide they won by. The cost of living crisis swept them into office, and then they discovered that they were wholly unable to do anything about the crisis. Now they might eventually end up with a Reform government. Can you imagine Farage as PM? Goodness.
Anyway, I'm getting off track. Point is, even if people don't like him, they don't consider him illegitimate. He was voted into leadership by only 275K votes. That's 0.4% of the UK population. And his opponent didn't even get any votes. He won his position by default. But that was fine with the voters. The parties put up their candidates, and everyone going to the polls knew that if Labour won, Starmer would be in charge. That was enough to feel like they had a say.
I don't see why it needs to be different here. Everyone was so adamant that the Dems needed to get rid of superdelegates. I think they needed more superdelegates. Let the parties pick the people who best represent them in the way they best see fit. Come election day, we know who the choices are.
I would like to see the elected Senate replaced with a Senate made up of dignitaries appointed for life. Still keep two from each state, and if you accept appointment to the Senate, you forever give up the right to run for any other federal office, even if you resign from the Senate. The appointment process itself, I could live with several options. State legislatures or governors appoint them. Or maybe the governors present the President with a final list of choices, and the President picks one. Nah, I think I like the first one better. Leave it in the hands of the states.
I don't believe in scaling back voting rights. Certainly not by age. I've met lots of smart 18-year-olds and plenty of dumbass 30-year-olds. That's not the answer. Civics exams lend themselves to easy discrimination. No, let everyone vote. Just give the parties more control over who the choices are.
I have no doubt that a lot of things you would support would be considered anachronistic by others. LOL. You've definitely got a 16th-Century flair about you.
@goat how does a federal civics exam lend itself to discrimination anymore than the ACT/SAT?
You can choose to spin -40 approvals anyway you like but they’re still -40 approvals, and most British PM’s never experience that.
@goat how does a federal civics exam lend itself to discrimination anymore than the ACT/SAT?
You can choose to spin -40 approvals anyway you like but they’re still -40 approvals, and most British PM’s never experience that.
Any test lends itself to discrimination. It discriminates against the less educated generally, but also against people who are less fluent in the particular style of English the exam is written in. Depending on what it tests for, it could also easily discriminate against people who are culturally predisposed to certain types of knowledge more than others. To give absurdly obvious examples: if we make people pass a math test to vote, then the voters will be skewed in favor of Asian-Americans because they culturally are more likely to stress STEM education; if we make people pass a test on the Torah to vote, then we will inevitably discriminate against non-Jews. That same kind of thing can happen in less ridiculous, more subtle ways, as well.
How far do you think we've gotten?
In her "10 Steps to Autocracy" framework, Stacey Abrams outlines how democracies can be dismantled from within by authoritarian leaders. Abrams has shared this framework in interviews, on her Substack, and on her podcast, drawing parallels to recent political events in the United States. She has also launched a "10 Steps" campaign to help citizens recognize and resist these developments.
Stacey Abrams's "10 Steps to Autocracy"
- Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it's the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
- Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
- Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
- Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
- Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
- Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
- Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
- Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
- Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
- Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
I'm surprised she can walk that far.
@goat Britain (and Europe) is a complete shitshow and worse off then the United States.
@goat what is this. Are you really saying civics tests and an age raise doesn’t select for more informed voters?
Neither are unattainable by the average American even if English is their second language.