Capitulating to Trump Will Not Save You. History Has Taught Us How to Fight Back

As institutions continue to bend the knee to authoritarianism, it will be up to everyday Americans to stand up and fight. Fortunately, the past offers a guide on how to resist.

(Envato)

Despite all the evidence around us, people haven’t learned that bowing down to the American dictator named Trump will not protect them. In the latest example, the tech giant Google is paying Trump $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit Trump filed after the digital platform suspended him following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. It is reported that $22 million will go towards the construction of a new White House ballroom. No one plans that much home renovation unless they plan on sticking around forever.

Media companies, tech companies, universities, law firms and others have lined up to kiss the ring and, predictably, gotten their feelings hurt in the process. While they think they’re doing it for the money, complying with the autocratic regime will do nothing but compromise their integrity, expose their moral bankruptcy and empty their wallet. And they will have nothing to show for it except a fascist government they normalized and enabled. One thing is certain: Things are bad in America, and they can get much worse. But the darkest hour is always right before dawn, and we are not helpless, nor are we hopeless. People can stand up to fascism, and we must fight the struggle if we want to liberate ourselves from the MAGA fascists and build the multiracial democracy that never was.

One of the experts on threats to democracy, historian Timothy Snyder, author of “On Tyranny” and “On Freedom,” warns us that “Citizens should not obey in advance.” None of the messy, nasty work we are experiencing from the Trump cult is inevitable, as much of it is a bluff, pure propaganda and a digital, social media bluff at that. It is important for people to do something, even in small ways, to build coalitions with others, to fight to ensure there will be an election in 2026, whatever we can do. Snyder suggests other ways we can save democracy from fascism, such as standing up and speaking out rather than following along with what everyone else is doing; having a private life apart from digital spaces; donating to good causes; supporting investigative journalism and voting in state and local elections.

All of us must learn our history and challenge fascist efforts to rewrite, erase and block the teaching of history to maintain power. Jason Stanley, author of “How Fascism Works” and “Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future,” urges that we preserve historical truth to fight against the MAGA brand of racial, ethnic and religious nationalism, challenge book and curriculum bans, and defend those educators who are punished for speaking truth to power.

What we need is a pro-democracy movement, a new civil rights movement and a new social justice movement, where people can channel their energy into organizing, forming new networks and establishing channels of communication. “This glimpse of a coming American Fascism may be frightening, but being prepared is key to staying resilient and continuing your work in the face of setbacks. Dissidents who endure long authoritarian regimes know all about that,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on authoritarianism at NYU.