2024-12-17T00:14:38Z https://nostr.now Thomas Zimmer https://nostr.now/npub1tlfxq60vhl8gfy0g2jsdngf4aehtpjs59mu2fnygcz0vtfdctfjs49s6qk https://files.mastodon.social/accounts/avatars/109/258/929/627/988/623/original/787fbac39be96e2c.jpg https://files.mastodon.social/accounts/avatars/109/258/929/627/988/623/original/787fbac39be96e2c.jpg https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr9p3qfrnngmfylz7ayfqn5tmf2y6y36f0xglskrq3yy0g4aazxsszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2zx26zc In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0lea0veqekw65rw5p92l7j9akvaxumt885mtd2wnkq68nmplxf0qwjmltj'>nevent1q…mltj</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Trump is deeply convinced that powerful white men like him have a right to be at the top, that it is their prerogative to exert power over others. And how dare anyone object, complain, have the audacity to curtail the ability of men like him to do as they please. 2026-08-26T13:17:39Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0lea0veqekw65rw5p92l7j9akvaxumt885mtd2wnkq68nmplxf0qzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx28gzqxe In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0tgpmf864yndmgqvy8nvqensp7qa5zhxf39tx2cs9juhzvdy0rwcwrgal7'>nevent1q…gal7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>There is no mystery with Trump, no subtext, no cunning misdirection. He lies a lot. But he really does mean it. He is not merely a grumpy old man indulging in his personal bigotries, but a politician committed to a worldview shaped and organized around sharp, brutal hierarchies. 2026-08-26T13:16:51Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0tgpmf864yndmgqvy8nvqensp7qa5zhxf39tx2cs9juhzvdy0rwczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2fe5u5q In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdx9wv9sd05rnvxm9clz9dgz3nv5yfhke8lnxn93mlk2xuyyve0ws2yjyte'>nevent1q…jyte</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>If Trump is “just a businessman,” he can be bargained with! If he’s an apolitical mess, then it won’t be that bad because he doesn’t really mean it. And best of all: If Trump is not a committed authoritarian, then we can’t be blamed for electing one.<br/><br/>But those are coping mechanisms. 2026-08-26T13:16:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdx9wv9sd05rnvxm9clz9dgz3nv5yfhke8lnxn93mlk2xuyyve0wszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx26wcx8r In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0n0g5trxjhj2r3qfp2h66cze69hnvarfmqqvv0nkpnztk04hc0sg6w9099'>nevent1q…9099</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It is a category error to treat Trump’s narcissism and lust for power as purely personal and separate from “politics.” The former defines and fuels the latter. Trump the person embodies Trumpism the political project. Trump has aggressively made the personal political. 2026-08-26T13:14:42Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0n0g5trxjhj2r3qfp2h66cze69hnvarfmqqvv0nkpnztk04hc0sgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2f7p960 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfs372esqhc32lrj6qnq3kvdvefq2pu6spwqd0v76m5j4p2suuh6cqprw83'>nevent1q…rw83</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The notion that democratic society should have a right to put any restraint whatsoever on people like him is fundamentally alien to Trump’s worldview. He is convinced a man like him is entitled to do as he please – in the family, in his business, as president. With impunity. 2026-08-26T13:13:49Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfs372esqhc32lrj6qnq3kvdvefq2pu6spwqd0v76m5j4p2suuh6czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2jqsm4x In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxkk9arr9ud9afg6kjyq39qj3n8f7fxzmgrw03t62wq0ytglrpgfcu37zz6'>nevent1q…7zz6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Trump knows only friends and enemies. Only people like him, or those aligned with him, deserve respect: They are owed deference, they get to do as they please. Any attempt to level these hierarchies, any criticism of this distribution of power is perceived as a personal affront. 2026-08-26T13:12:39Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxkk9arr9ud9afg6kjyq39qj3n8f7fxzmgrw03t62wq0ytglrpgfczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2muurax In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqwdl2layms49mczrcqun6srz9a67xhmqkyge7f68fgd9ssq565kqxgls2l'>nevent1q…ls2l</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Trump has a very clear view of how society should be ordered, how power and status should be distributed, and who should be at the top. His worldview is fundamentally anti-egalitarian and strongly authoritarian. It is built on the idea of hierarchies – and coercive power to impose them. 2026-08-26T13:11:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqwdl2layms49mczrcqun6srz9a67xhmqkyge7f68fgd9ssq565kqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2cp7l2e In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs825p34ea2tetspq9z4xqzsacerzryamgvlfyh2ted9grxh5ftj7ggtvg37'>nevent1q…vg37</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Trump is obviously not the kind of guy who would ever sit down to flesh out his ideology in a grand manifesto. There is, however, a worldview that structures how he perceives the world – and animates how he acts in it. It is located at a sub- or pre-intellectual level, almost instinctive. 2026-08-26T13:10:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs825p34ea2tetspq9z4xqzsacerzryamgvlfyh2ted9grxh5ftj7gzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qp5j3u In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsftezsynjvtlg5ltf68y76xmws85k3agtlyg99daqma2wzqxvxznqwxvppd'>nevent1q…vppd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>However, it is one thing to avoid intellectualizing Trump – quite another to suggest that there is no political project at all, no political conviction whatsoever.<br/><br/>Trump’s record indicates something different: A consistent pattern of bigotry, racism, sexism and misogyny, authoritarian desires. 2026-08-26T13:09:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsftezsynjvtlg5ltf68y76xmws85k3agtlyg99daqma2wzqxvxznqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx28mvsmt In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8s5kccy4mtw27h4uukyl48v3xu08svwmjpvcvmn8xmv07u46qctcgrf9nk'>nevent1q…f9nk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Neither Donald Trump nor the movement he leads are driven by ideas. Trump and MAGA are defined by grievance and resentment towards a society that has been moving away from them – and by a desire to restore dominance over those they deem lesser. 2026-08-26T13:08:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8s5kccy4mtw27h4uukyl48v3xu08svwmjpvcvmn8xmv07u46qctczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2ac87q9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs825fsux4dk9695atlqe4k5gl6dyk38g54zdpzjyp7gcm8etnqxcg62d99f'>nevent1q…d99f</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>When I say underneath the madness lies a fairly consistent worldview, I am not suggesting we should contribute to the rather bizarre attempts to intellectualize Trump and whatever comes out of his mouth. 2026-08-26T13:07:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs825fsux4dk9695atlqe4k5gl6dyk38g54zdpzjyp7gcm8etnqxcgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx232pvnt In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsghefcuhpczwjrksrx8feg9x3e44v4dpjhwfg09ssprmxlldl2g9c5q7vzv'>nevent1q…7vzv</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>As he is retreating deeper into his own unreality, Trump’s behavior is, euphemistically put, erratic. But I contend it is not random: His actions, his raging, his unhinged ranting… all of it has a consistent direction, targeting his personal enemies and the many enemies of the Right. 2026-08-26T13:06:34Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsghefcuhpczwjrksrx8feg9x3e44v4dpjhwfg09ssprmxlldl2g9czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qs87am In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgmznswwyal34v4z8kclckjydw324rzhelsrudrhsdkzendfq2nxqntnse7'>nevent1q…nse7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Do we need more analysis of Trump? Then again, you’ll encounter a wide range of assumptions and interpretations – many of which I find rather misleading or even dangerously off the mark.<br/><br/>Consider this my attempt to provide an operating theory of what drives this man. 2026-08-26T13:05:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgmznswwyal34v4z8kclckjydw324rzhelsrudrhsdkzendfq2nxqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2zkvgy5 Does Donald Trump Have an Ideology? <br/><br/>No, not exactly. But he has a consistent, grievance-fueled idea of how power and status should be distributed, and that aligns him with the Right’s ideologues just fine.<br/><br/>Some thoughts from my new piece:<br/><br/>🧵<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/955a3f59-06c5-4dfe-a0e4-c66405bc56e3">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/955a3f59-06c5-4dfe-a0e4-c66405bc56e3</a> 2026-08-26T13:03:01Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxkhqh0txgfn6gc32dec8zz0he2frce6662ahs2dppefj9vlz0teszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx28dqqq5 ICYMI yesterday:<br/><br/>On why we need to approach MAHA as a form of extremism that stands in a long tradition of paranoid conspiracism on the Far Right, how it channels vague grievances into a radical project – and why we must stop it.<br/><br/>Some thoughts from my piece:<br/><br/>🧵<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/06961553-0881-46b0-b0fa-5672ca718eae">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/06961553-0881-46b0-b0fa-5672ca718eae</a> 2026-08-17T13:07:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst4hlrzqkrkjuny7z69uyavwwua6dxwtt6pr8rptg5e8fu43xxzkqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2hjgfmt RE: <a href="https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/117001984492529797">https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/117001984492529797</a><br/><br/>Ich hoffe sehr, Demokratie Americana findet ein Publikum, dass groß genug ist, die deutsche Version meines Newsletters zu tragen.<br/><br/>Bitte helft mir dabei, die Nachricht unter die Leute zu bringen. Dafür bin ich euch aufrichtig dankbar!<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts">https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts</a><blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/note1qp4fakcy2mr20mgp090pakq3zmhmkpxszml4yw07skmhjvqk9jpsd3f7tr" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">note1qp4…f7tr</a></span><br/> </div> Macht, Opportunismus und Ideologie in der Republikanischen Partei <br/><br/>Über Feiglinge und Überzeugungstäter, die Komplizenschaft konservativer Eliten - und wie diese sich selbst die Erlaubnis zur Radikalität erteilen.<br/><br/>Neuer Essay, auf Deutsch:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b">https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b</a> </blockquote> 2026-07-29T08:35:19Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqq657mvz9d348a5qhjhs7mqg3dmamqngpdl6j88lgtdmexqtzeqczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2uph3jg Macht, Opportunismus und Ideologie in der Republikanischen Partei <br/><br/>Über Feiglinge und Überzeugungstäter, die Komplizenschaft konservativer Eliten - und wie diese sich selbst die Erlaubnis zur Radikalität erteilen.<br/><br/>Neuer Essay, auf Deutsch:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b">https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/138c09f0-6ddd-464c-a15f-ac77e904b93b</a> 2026-07-29T07:03:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp73fzhxrf6anx9dn35s44cnzmwdszrrvdv37xtwpxgev52urddwczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2fjhdkj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqst4a8mp5s48dsr3sz5qpeck2clh08tu0uj5wus4pwe7jrhkec96xqs56739'>nevent1q…6739</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It’s obvious that the country is deeply divided – but it is not a 50:50 split.<br/><br/>Today, America is much more adequately described as a two-thirds/one-third nation, with the larger share of the population firmly in the camp of pluralism. 2026-07-19T13:24:34Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst4a8mp5s48dsr3sz5qpeck2clh08tu0uj5wus4pwe7jrhkec96xqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx20sg8y7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszlcvvmgpnffvcv5scusmw0jeq4fe6qhaptquhqvmp89dtnm9wefspw4cvw'>nevent1q…4cvw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I sort through the latest survey data to figure out what kind of society most Americans really want.<br/><br/>The contrast between “real Americans” as they exist in the feverish minds of the Trumpists and the majority of people who call this country home is so stark. 2026-07-19T13:23:31Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszlcvvmgpnffvcv5scusmw0jeq4fe6qhaptquhqvmp89dtnm9wefszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2fm8f6h In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv0l48rpgjtx6gsy2yltpu4pwlemd9ny0a6ywvk0vj7ffme2ztu7s2szlqt'>nevent1q…zlqt</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>And no matter how loudly they insist to be representing the “will of the people” in pushing back against these developments, their reactionary ideas are opposed by a stable majority of Americans who prefer and affirm pluralism and diversity. 2026-07-19T13:22:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsv0l48rpgjtx6gsy2yltpu4pwlemd9ny0a6ywvk0vj7ffme2ztu7szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2c8zm3v In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsp3dln2xxadzm9ucswr4vdnqucnhuwuxj9vq2g9e62m0xe25zkjpcpxqps7'>nevent1q…qps7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>In that sense, it was not the perfectly stable liberal democracy that suddenly fell into crisis (because such an order had never existed), but white Christian patriarchal dominance – what the Right likes to call the “natural order” – that has been coming under pressure. 2026-07-19T13:21:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp3dln2xxadzm9ucswr4vdnqucnhuwuxj9vq2g9e62m0xe25zkjpczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2luhm8a In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsym9ty7egesn5g9r8l4xnavl2qx5d03qpatrxcxlr693lc5q2mgpcwwk0ch'>nevent1q…k0ch</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The anti-democratic radicalization of the Right has not been fueled by a sense of strength, but by a pervasive sense of weakness. They are feeling their backs against the wall. And they are reacting to something real: Our “Western” societies have indeed become more pluralistic. 2026-07-19T13:20:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsym9ty7egesn5g9r8l4xnavl2qx5d03qpatrxcxlr693lc5q2mgpczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2rdhxx5 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqjwveq3kglnwycgfkz2zs8yxtvdt4dhzqaxmvjv29uj6knqx096c507nhz'>nevent1q…7nhz</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Reality has been moving away from those who refuse to imagine “America” as anything other than a land defined by white Christian patriarchal domination. And they know this too. Which is precisely why they are escalating their assault - believing they’re running out of time. 2026-07-19T13:18:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqjwveq3kglnwycgfkz2zs8yxtvdt4dhzqaxmvjv29uj6knqx096czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2hm4qx9 This week’s piece: The glass is half-full. Or at least this is my attempt to argue it might be.<br/><br/>We are confronted with a world-historic chance.<br/><br/>I am taking down the paywall for this one, as I believe it remains relevant as a potential antidote to cynicism and declinism.<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9</a> 2026-07-19T13:12:53Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswvgznc0s0602la34huz0adj5388jrgtjmcmr3rhl26c4zr28kuhgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2h0fmex In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdnhvp8e8ejylcymzyrwne8n7x5e39dfaqcvu7qhmflkezq79zlcg84rcsx'>nevent1q…rcsx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I’d be very grateful if you could help me get the word out to people who might be interested in reading Democracy Americana in German.<br/><br/>I am trying hard to build a readership large enough to carry this experiment of offering my work in two languages.<br/><br/>If you want to read the essay in English, you find it here:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9</a> 2026-07-15T18:51:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdnhvp8e8ejylcymzyrwne8n7x5e39dfaqcvu7qhmflkezq79zlcgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2f79xpu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvu3qmtcdx63z9hshldj88lk37h56y5aes2u6d3q9c46d9s6zzjcstyzdqp'>nevent1q…zdqp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The reactionary retrenchment might succeed. The forces of reaction might be in charge for quite some time.<br/><br/>But let us discard this defeatist posture. There is good reason to believe the glass is half full. And we should be defending democratic pluralism with pride and confidence. 2026-07-15T18:49:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvu3qmtcdx63z9hshldj88lk37h56y5aes2u6d3q9c46d9s6zzjcszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2xgkne7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstd4gcmsv0fxrq8wwrwvy74dkn0r6s83eckdd6hwcezkwqh8z4azcktxh0h'>nevent1q…xh0h</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>In that sense, it was not the perfectly stable liberal democracy that suddenly fell into crisis (because such an order had never existed), but white Christian patriarchal dominance – what the Right likes to call the “natural order” – that has been coming under pressure. 2026-07-15T18:47:59Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqstd4gcmsv0fxrq8wwrwvy74dkn0r6s83eckdd6hwcezkwqh8z4azczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qyqr6s In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszv4fetqk27gcfxnxq5x66rlxus2jd2hjw6l7yxxag8xnc57jqvxq384l70'>nevent1q…4l70</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We find ourselves in a situation that is immensely dangerous. But the radicalization of the Right has not been fueled by a sense of strength. It is driven by a pervasive sense of weakness.<br/><br/>Because reality has indeed been moving away from those who refuse to accept pluralism. 2026-07-15T18:46:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszv4fetqk27gcfxnxq5x66rlxus2jd2hjw6l7yxxag8xnc57jqvxqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2xafu00 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgfm493p5etpgughz94049ymnscenwefw82w0u90553wmnsvtaf4qcc8ss0'>nevent1q…8ss0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It’s obvious that the country is deeply divided – but it is not a 50:50 split.<br/><br/>Today, America is much more adequately described as a two-thirds/one-third nation, with the larger share of the population firmly in the camp of pluralism. 2026-07-15T18:45:25Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgfm493p5etpgughz94049ymnscenwefw82w0u90553wmnsvtaf4qzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qdgx5g In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfysgk5tashjk8q85wjumwutqe9y2yajlmafe60has6mtrtm6699cedgujc'>nevent1q…gujc</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I sort through the latest survey data to figure out what kind of society most Americans really want.<br/><br/>The contrast between “real Americans” as they exist in the feverish minds of the Trumpists and the majority of people who call this country home is so stark. 2026-07-15T18:44:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfysgk5tashjk8q85wjumwutqe9y2yajlmafe60has6mtrtm6699czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2uunwnn The German version of my latest essay is out - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment:<br/><br/>The Right is freaking out because they know we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible.<br/><br/>We are facing a world-historic chance:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/3ca0c464-1c7a-4af5-b7eb-e393101bc6d4">https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/3ca0c464-1c7a-4af5-b7eb-e393101bc6d4</a> 2026-07-15T18:41:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrz3gl9vdwy2ypp9cw0q6aweh8qul0asd93j2tdtmy0mkw4wmquvqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2y03pld My new piece - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment:<br/><br/>The Right is freaking out because they know we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible.<br/><br/>We are confronted with a world-historic chance:<br/><br/>🧵<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9</a> 2026-07-14T13:02:19Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqpxaqltem5zyuck2f0ffws9hh95xafetdnrucglq3lsvnt226atczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2durz3r In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2uqq49yvlxych97674d5ymjrcw458r6utgfjahtl0v6ctum9p2kqmph6wk'>nevent1q…h6wk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We may yet prove to ourselves and all future generations that it is indeed possible to build a society worthy of that grandest and noblest of ideas: That all people are created equal.<br/><br/>A society that finally keeps its promise. Wouldn’t that be quite something? 2026-07-13T22:18:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2uqq49yvlxych97674d5ymjrcw458r6utgfjahtl0v6ctum9p2kqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2n9lke8 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx5nh2904chyuq632g20qxvs5jfe389yccf7fj7gp8g4cfrvxl7rs54dms6'>nevent1q…dms6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The reactionary retrenchment might succeed. The forces of reaction might be in charge for quite some time. But let us get out of this defensive, defeatist posture that too many who should be proudly defending a vision of democratic pluralism have adopted. 2026-07-13T22:16:37Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsx5nh2904chyuq632g20qxvs5jfe389yccf7fj7gp8g4cfrvxl7rszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qxcedy In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq6swslg4y65p2ef52y7znw36emz4wmhg043jhdjjl6em5c5v9mhsjzz67x'>nevent1q…z67x</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>MAGA delivers more evidence every day that the movement exists in a constant state of rampant anxiety and self-victimization even as they control the government.<br/><br/>What a bunch of pathetic creeps. Theirs is an empire of white male fear, panic, and desperation. 2026-07-13T22:14:28Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq6swslg4y65p2ef52y7znw36emz4wmhg043jhdjjl6em5c5v9mhszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2wx24ca In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2j9n6z0lklrs3mjk2sklkhxuw47e996ruehz2h329alavjnz3uksvv6wmn'>nevent1q…6wmn</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>In crucial ways, it is the conception of “real America” as a white Christian patriarchal homeland that has come under enormous pressure. And that is precisely why the Right is freaking out and why they are giving themselves permission to openly embrace authoritarianism. 2026-07-13T22:13:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2j9n6z0lklrs3mjk2sklkhxuw47e996ruehz2h329alavjnz3ukszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2nklg54 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvt47tp3fy0ewq6nlmcexta2hwjtyvcht64nfq2l65gfg8zjyspcc6hn0lh'>nevent1q…n0lh</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We find ourselves in a situation that is immensely dangerous, no doubt. But the idea of a “crisis of liberal democracy” that has dominated the political and broader public discourse over the past decade tends to miss something important about this moment. 2026-07-13T22:12:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvt47tp3fy0ewq6nlmcexta2hwjtyvcht64nfq2l65gfg8zjyspcczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx267px8x In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgutc5srzztlrpjjhpveuty4qtwqyr2e3n2hyr9lerqa2a7rrd5mcr3xdez'>nevent1q…xdez</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It’s obvious that the country is deeply divided – but it is not a 50:50 split. Today, America is much more adequately described as a two-thirds/one-third nation, with the larger share of the population firmly in the camp of pluralism. 2026-07-13T22:11:48Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgutc5srzztlrpjjhpveuty4qtwqyr2e3n2hyr9lerqa2a7rrd5mczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2dgnuah In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs200ghhmju7luarhwlj7f08srcmwh6qne9lnzst5pc4rk7jw0puhq3s2mex'>nevent1q…2mex</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>And no matter how loudly they insist to be representing the “will of the people” in pushing back against these developments, their reactionary ideas are opposed by a stable majority of Americans who prefer and affirm pluralism and diversity. 2026-07-13T22:11:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs200ghhmju7luarhwlj7f08srcmwh6qne9lnzst5pc4rk7jw0puhqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2x93plu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdd2hawhgmg46zk2mq452d5lsmhyuf0jusqwrq85tlst9h6njt82crpcra0'>nevent1q…cra0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>In that sense, it was not the perfectly stable liberal democracy that suddenly fell into crisis (because such an order had never existed), but white Christian patriarchal dominance – what the Right likes to call the “natural order” – that has been coming under pressure. 2026-07-13T22:10:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdd2hawhgmg46zk2mq452d5lsmhyuf0jusqwrq85tlst9h6njt82czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2glgt4s In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqhszscxahe06009k8dz5x8c5fyklhd4c532yfcy83qnjzc5xuz5sarvc5q'>nevent1q…vc5q</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The anti-democratic radicalization of the Right has not been fueled by a sense of strength, but by a pervasive sense of weakness. They are feeling their backs against the wall. And they are reacting to something real: Our “Western” societies have indeed become more pluralistic. 2026-07-13T22:09:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqhszscxahe06009k8dz5x8c5fyklhd4c532yfcy83qnjzc5xuz5szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2kfpurg In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs06x48w077yns2tjr4ssznvsdhc0rvqsqup5zmvhhtz6h5e7n9dqcvpnm6w'>nevent1q…nm6w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>After a talk I gave last week, I was challenged by someone in the audience to offer something hopeful, something to carry us all forward. And here it is: Building on the latest survey data about what kind of society Americans really want, I make my case for (cautious) optimism. 2026-07-13T22:08:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs06x48w077yns2tjr4ssznvsdhc0rvqsqup5zmvhhtz6h5e7n9dqczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx27lsm7t A World-Historic Chance<br/><br/>The Right is freaking out because we could be on the brink of proving that egalitarian, pluralistic democracy is possible.<br/><br/>My new piece - a glass-half-full interpretation of our moment:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/812a42b1-dc13-4e26-b659-736ce7c146b9</a> 2026-07-13T22:04:08Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq60ppgk7fpang4nkm3tycv5gcame6dfwstv7l0ne2nw6xkfjpvmczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qn0m6x In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0wzmpts9ghmfxr7j3uwm2nvx6mygujhdldulra9l7vxq2cq9u4rc8xslqz'>nevent1q…slqz</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Please help me get the word out to people who might be interested in reading Democracy Americana in German: I hope I can build a readership large enough to carry this experiment of offering my work in two languages (it’s a struggle!).<br/><br/>If you want to read the essay in English, you find it here:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e</a> 2026-07-01T13:28:19Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0wzmpts9ghmfxr7j3uwm2nvx6mygujhdldulra9l7vxq2cq9u4rczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx23vud02 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9njtq9z3k9pmlv682d6sadz26fajwxx04wmwsxfaneajlmyrjlsqs3qnda'>nevent1q…qnda</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The old world is dying. Defending the status quo is no longer an option: It is neither an adequate response to the challenge we face nor is it viable electorally. We live in a profoundly disruptive moment. Restoration won’t do.<br/><br/>A credible transformation is the only way forward. 2026-07-01T13:26:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9njtq9z3k9pmlv682d6sadz26fajwxx04wmwsxfaneajlmyrjlsqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2cf4v4t In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvhtclw9jyza3emnuknl9pltmregaeh5vga2wqhe89jxhk5tsuk6s0saqzj'>nevent1q…aqzj</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>This is a scary moment. I understand the temptation to cling to the idea that the established strategies and patterns of behavior might yet work still. And perhaps it is unfair to have all this put on the plate of this generation of political leaders. But fair’s got nothing to do with it. We need better. 2026-07-01T13:25:07Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvhtclw9jyza3emnuknl9pltmregaeh5vga2wqhe89jxhk5tsuk6szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx26s44ux In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqem64jwjah6fzrcmg5gpke40xu5pkk2gcdjdx3he0xhdkgkezhwgp3exdr'>nevent1q…exdr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>A political project of restoration centered around defending “the system” and restoring the status quo ante is destined to fail. It is incapable of winning elections. And frankly, the status quo ante isn’t worth restoring anyway, considering that it got us into this mess in the first place. 2026-07-01T13:20:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqem64jwjah6fzrcmg5gpke40xu5pkk2gcdjdx3he0xhdkgkezhwgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2ks2u8e In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsx2j3f0g4vzt6844x6uhdg0lzehk8c5kgfpxyulaqt5nccxcsrxrsfw34g4'>nevent1q…34g4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The challenge is to counter the Right’s promise of “revolution” with a progressive vision that is adapted, both in substance and temperament, to the disruptive challenges we are facing – and therefore capable of channeling the widespread desire for transformation rather than merely reform. 2026-07-01T13:15:33Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsx2j3f0g4vzt6844x6uhdg0lzehk8c5kgfpxyulaqt5nccxcsrxrszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx25l3095 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszs43gs44p8q08em3trffwng58p5cddmx5y92kfg5hjldc9delpqq2s9xye'>nevent1q…9xye</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Even beyond those who are ideologically attracted to the Right’s vision of cruel hierarchies, the rightwing project appeals to a sense of discontent and disaffection – to those who may feel that *any* revolution is better than maintaining the status quo or perpetuating “the system.” 2026-07-01T13:14:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszs43gs44p8q08em3trffwng58p5cddmx5y92kfg5hjldc9delpqqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx26can5s In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq2482njl39t6llja24va4dg85lxgma3539pwy2wtkjmweq886p0g8wrq6w'>nevent1q…rq6w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>One big advantage the Right possesses is that they are pursuing a transformative vision that entails the promise of overcoming - of tearing down! - the status quo. They have a revolutionary theory of the moment and are committed to a (counter-) revolutionary political project. 2026-07-01T13:13:39Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq2482njl39t6llja24va4dg85lxgma3539pwy2wtkjmweq886p0gzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx29n2xdw In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdpwt5kktz8dc9v84afd7u69s240aw6mvsvhdwsjrr67jukruudtsznrcf2'>nevent1q…rcf2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We are at an inflection point not just in the history of the American Republic, but indeed in recent global history.<br/><br/>Unless we get that diagnosis right, we are doomed to fumble about in the dark. Unless we grasp the assignment, our response is destined to fall woefully short of the task ahead. 2026-07-01T13:12:43Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdpwt5kktz8dc9v84afd7u69s240aw6mvsvhdwsjrr67jukruudtszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx29ge0mw In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqst72078vxe4d6g36mdvqls8xe6fzgqwhvj9rnh38kk8zm85yh3v0s2hadj7'>nevent1q…adj7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We are not witnessing some accidental departure – the crises we are facing have discernible pre-histories we can trace and study. But we are living through a profound disruption nevertheless, one that makes any attempt at “politics as usual” largely obsolete. 2026-07-01T13:11:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst72078vxe4d6g36mdvqls8xe6fzgqwhvj9rnh38kk8zm85yh3v0szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2wqg6wl The German version of my latest essay is out: <br/><br/>I wrote about how the political, economic, technological, and environmental crises intersect – and about the political implications of recognizing the profound disruption we are witnessing.<br/><br/>Eight propositions about this inflection point in history:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/61a827ea-a4d9-48fd-9851-5c5cfe16f2b6">https://steady.page/de/demokratie-americana/posts/61a827ea-a4d9-48fd-9851-5c5cfe16f2b6</a> 2026-07-01T13:09:24Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsql5av03jq460jfa7r9p7na6fhew9rrruwyznhhp0y336gwf3pmtqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2jv2v9m Understanding Our Disruptive Moment in History – and What It Requires<br/><br/>The old order is dead. The Right has a revolutionary theory of the moment that promises renewal. Unless we can counter it with a transformative vision, we will lose.<br/><br/>My new piece:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/59b197fa-1a03-44e5-b155-2c221e2a3c0e</a> 2026-06-29T12:01:47Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsft6qua5xxnz9q5w8h0gq89tellsdg4spnq0cx33udkv7pvavz7eczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2n6wgd2 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqztfrql7p9wgyyezv5pswqj6znzxkzchwgr2akkhrsqsw08pdadsdvj6am'>nevent1q…j6am</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>If Vance were to emerge victorious from what is likely to be a prolonged, chaotic, and dirty struggle between several radical factions for the leadership of post-Trump MAGA, we might be looking at a more coherently extreme and more ideologically disciplined movement. 2026-06-21T14:06:38Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqztfrql7p9wgyyezv5pswqj6znzxkzchwgr2akkhrsqsw08pdadszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2kpvkgh RE: <a href="https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116788249443459695">https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116788249443459695</a><br/><br/>This is also a reminder that JD Vance is a proper extremist who believes his right to rule and impose a reactionary order transcends the law and the constitution.<br/><br/>Had he been president in the spring of 2025 or in January 2026, he and Miller likely would have escalated further.<blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/note157723mtxrm6nk99qery0f8c9drpu67rc8ackuuk3u8y042ux3zvswff99u" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">note1577…f99u</a></span><br/> </div> Sunday reading: I wrote about how the Trumpists have been contemplating despotism, the fault lines within the regime, and the prospects for a post-Trump MAGA.<br/><br/>This week’s piece - on crucial inflection points, the remaining barriers against extremism, and Miller/Vance lusting for escalation:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92</a> </blockquote> 2026-06-21T14:05:25Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2009ga4npaafmzjsv3j85nuzk3s7d0pur7utwwtg7rj864wrg3xgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2hfw0jl Sunday reading: I wrote about how the Trumpists have been contemplating despotism, the fault lines within the regime, and the prospects for a post-Trump MAGA.<br/><br/>This week’s piece - on crucial inflection points, the remaining barriers against extremism, and Miller/Vance lusting for escalation:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92</a> 2026-06-21T13:07:43Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqv7fpc9ugk76dhny3c6k4qa52whzfk9rmqgxyll8x9ljt43wwthszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx28azazd Why the Right Hates Juneteenth<br/><br/>Wrote this three years ago - but worth reiterating now, as America is ruled by a regime seeking to restore complete white male dominance in all spheres of life:<br/><br/>Today’s MAGA GOP stands in the political, ideological, and spiritual tradition of the (neo-) Confederacy.<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/d0ccb3a5-7dec-4a2f-ab33-0604f5ef9431">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/d0ccb3a5-7dec-4a2f-ab33-0604f5ef9431</a> 2026-06-19T19:58:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy30vpprmnvy6c98v79g6q363wdl6xnhu5srwsfxznwadvnpe0mfczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qllmff In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxn94kamk20va75l8d9fug36z8wf79y9pgh768rj6r24s6n4v26hg79qrk8'>nevent1q…qrk8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>But in hindsight, we can see how time was working against the Trumpists. They had risen to power with a short-term strategy aimed at quickly overwhelming the system, hoping to force a comprehensive regime change before anyone could really react. 2026-06-18T13:12:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxn94kamk20va75l8d9fug36z8wf79y9pgh768rj6r24s6n4v26hgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qka3dv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsznd9jarehstdlj8l49fgyr7c9jy0skg6t422r8ac70ztcrc9edgs4wyw0a'>nevent1q…yw0a</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I know it feels ages ago. But let us remember where the country stood. The speed and the scope of the early assault on the constitutional order was unprecedented. Political institutions and civil society seemed to prove a lot less resilient than it should have been on paper. 2026-06-18T13:11:53Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsznd9jarehstdlj8l49fgyr7c9jy0skg6t422r8ac70ztcrc9edgszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2gysnvv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqs9jan9thzsavzqq3yr99glx3tqh0vey4z9zsc2wtnmay7urdndc6xzjdr'>nevent1q…zjdr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>What are the main takeaways from this reporting?<br/><br/>First, the spring of 2025 emerges as the key inflection point: Had Trump actually suspended habeas corpus unilaterally, without authorization from Congress, it would have been a potentially lethal blow to the American Republic. 2026-06-18T13:10:56Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqs9jan9thzsavzqq3yr99glx3tqh0vey4z9zsc2wtnmay7urdndczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx23wvezt In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrxwcp9q54y0xwuc3nlpjr66565esgx5a0vaqnsghpyeqwrvqyxjqzt4c8n'>nevent1q…4c8n</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The day after Trump subjected the nation to his deranged birthday party spectacle of violence, the New York Times dropped new reporting that sheds light on how the MAGA government internally contemplated radical steps that would have potentially ended the American Republic. 2026-06-18T13:09:58Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrxwcp9q54y0xwuc3nlpjr66565esgx5a0vaqnsghpyeqwrvqyxjqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx27yexcy When the Republic Almost Fell<br/><br/>What we can learn from new reporting on how the Trumpists have been contemplating despotism, the fault lines within the regime, and the prospects for a post-Trump MAGA.<br/><br/>Some thoughts from my new piece (free to read, no paywall):<br/><br/>🧵<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/71475e17-b44e-43ec-83de-f17533e5bf92</a> 2026-06-18T13:07:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsptv266hukxla9akt58nusty40leeee3hlwtv34j6vn2fzjstexkszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2r24dxm 🚨<br/><br/>My newsletter on American politics and history is now also available in German<br/><br/>Same analysis, same content. But in German. And with a slight tweak to the title: Demokratie Americana is now live.<br/><br/>Please help me spread the news!<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/demokratie-americana/posts/c3204e00-f2ca-43cd-bd00-2c4fe12cc541">https://steady.page/en/demokratie-americana/posts/c3204e00-f2ca-43cd-bd00-2c4fe12cc541</a> 2026-06-13T13:18:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsv503k7vxymk44gsn5juqg42nfw9gya6sff7ugn9vn77f2h88mnjszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx233k6se Was wird aus Amerika?<br/><br/>Ich hatte das Vergnügen und die große Ehre, in Berlin mit Adam Tooze und Robert Habeck über Geschichte, Gegenwart und Zukunft der USA zu sprechen – und was das alles für den Rest der Welt bedeutet.<br/><br/>Das Gespräch gibt es nun als Video und Podcast:<br/><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcBcCQsvHFc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcBcCQsvHFc</a> 2026-06-11T15:10:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszx5l3ws446uel08uuv9nwa6fs8aw335vanp87lz5rsqe2xphxntgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx29zcata In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0j3h9fny4e9qs2d4h5vslml73gt6x435p4aej084p72363ltfmngezwwf8'>nevent1q…wwf8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Over the past month, I wrote a series of long essays that can hopefully serve as a framework for how to think about the long struggle over how much democracy, and for whom, there should be in this country – and help us put the end of the civil rights era in historical perspective. 2026-06-03T14:16:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0j3h9fny4e9qs2d4h5vslml73gt6x435p4aej084p72363ltfmngzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2ln2q76 In light of the Roberts Court emphatically clarifying that the voting rights era really is OVER and that the nation’s laws and constitution can henceforth only be used to *curtail* the right of minorities to vote, I am reposting my series of essays on the history of multiracial democracy:<br/><br/>🧵<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/b0eafc14-f68d-4499-8108-b440bad1af7f">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/b0eafc14-f68d-4499-8108-b440bad1af7f</a> 2026-06-03T14:15:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspug4umafc36f4y9e974tk0en2g6tqua0cjxsfurxnlpq7ttx928szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2vwrl2l In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsy86rtr6vtr0hva98h365gz7tlrgurtwhens60hudamekyawaw7dg7l8v9h'>nevent1q…8v9h</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Here’s where we are: A president initially lifted into office by a minority, backed by a Senate elected by and representing a minority, created a hard-right majority on the Supreme Court that nullified the most important law ever passed in U.S. history against the will of a clear majority. 2026-06-02T13:20:33Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy86rtr6vtr0hva98h365gz7tlrgurtwhens60hudamekyawaw7dgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2svtjth In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsz5m720238yg8uty8lspgxklrmf43k43k8drskygvead322f7srtsy3hky0'>nevent1q…hky0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The aggravated assault on minority political representation exacerbates the ongoing crisis of legitimacy American democracy has been suffering for quite some time by making the country’s political institutions even less representative, less responsive. 2026-06-02T13:19:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz5m720238yg8uty8lspgxklrmf43k43k8drskygvead322f7srtszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx25h3xzh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsf84trx2969jlmdx82g4axz7uwssezh593t2y9spwer2tsghltdwqt8gfa9'>nevent1q…gfa9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>For anyone who believes in the promise of egalitarian pluralism, the goal should be to create a society where the status of the individual is not massively determined by race, gender, religion, or wealth. America is now aggressively moving in the opposite direction. 2026-06-02T13:16:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsf84trx2969jlmdx82g4axz7uwssezh593t2y9spwer2tsghltdwqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2nt2dfy In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxn938xqqg9dvgndcsdxkzr5k9qeddq2jrrgtnu57lz0mjhrf7s0sl4dq04'>nevent1q…dq04</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The basic point is this: As long as our political leaders don’t look anything like the people they are supposed to represent, as long as white men are vastly overrepresented in the halls of power (in politics and beyond), we cannot pretend to be living in a fair, truly democratic society. 2026-06-02T13:15:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxn938xqqg9dvgndcsdxkzr5k9qeddq2jrrgtnu57lz0mjhrf7s0szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx20fh6ek In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq02kuqsxg50uh8yd4te25pw453hd4uklcnyhskuevcmmh57xgxtqag42ge'>nevent1q…42ge</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>America is already facing significant discontent across the political spectrum and a widespread resentment towards political elites. Trust in established institutions more generally has been declining massively. These trends are only going to be exacerbated now. 2026-06-02T13:14:14Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq02kuqsxg50uh8yd4te25pw453hd4uklcnyhskuevcmmh57xgxtqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2rs83t9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsr8sr8el57fpqv0z7y57p5c45era79nxny5n7jd2gxl5upf69cusqn4t07e'>nevent1q…t07e</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Descriptive representation is not a panacea. But it significantly increases the legitimacy of political institutions among minority and traditionally marginalized groups. Conversely, the lack of descriptive representation undermines trust, destroys the perception of fairness. 2026-06-02T13:13:22Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr8sr8el57fpqv0z7y57p5c45era79nxny5n7jd2gxl5upf69cusqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2hw4yps In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgye8wmertpnqv706f2jxk4ujrluf7qnzrf50xdatlpetesv7pgss648h6g'>nevent1q…8h6g</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>An escalating crisis of representation and legitimacy:<br/><br/>I discuss the value of “descriptive representation,” when the demographics of elected officials and thus the parliamentary chambers correspond to the demographic makeup of the electorate. 2026-06-02T13:12:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgye8wmertpnqv706f2jxk4ujrluf7qnzrf50xdatlpetesv7pgsszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2znq805 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvupggdv8czehkw4p7dywf67qrpuu777a9enavrpexnnak2jsa5dc6stkfp'>nevent1q…tkfp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>As a result, counties and communities with a large Black population received a much larger share of public goods and state funding. Overall, Black economic power increased, as fiscal redistribution combined with improved employment opportunities.<br/><br/>That’s all in danger now. 2026-06-02T13:11:15Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvupggdv8czehkw4p7dywf67qrpuu777a9enavrpexnnak2jsa5dczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2e7mpky In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2f62x92n2ksyvudfea8c7h2lf3vuvad9p3dxpv4j3vypsylk34cg7uc9qe'>nevent1q…c9qe</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Through the 1965 Voting Rights Act, African Americans and other minorities became a constituency that politicians had to reckon with, they finally had a fair chance to elect representatives of their choice who would advocate for the interests of disadvantaged communities. 2026-06-02T13:10:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2f62x92n2ksyvudfea8c7h2lf3vuvad9p3dxpv4j3vypsylk34cgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx253th8h In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqswevysxhf54l26nt5nzuyk7mmvnqjsyx55g5m3660taays6c3xevq30qw7m'>nevent1q…qw7m</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The ugly post-civil rights reality:<br/><br/>It is not just in Congress, but in state legislatures, county commissions, city councils, and school boards across large swaths of the country where the effects will be most immediately felt. 2026-06-02T13:09:04Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswevysxhf54l26nt5nzuyk7mmvnqjsyx55g5m3660taays6c3xevqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2fqhtcp Taking stock of where America stands one month after the end of the voting rights era:<br/><br/>The country is facing an escalating representation crisis, a spiraling crisis of legitimacy, and an accelerating disintegration into two incompatible Americas.<br/><br/>This piece is free to read, no paywall:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/859d67c6-fa2f-4059-b4da-f93dec85c0a6">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/859d67c6-fa2f-4059-b4da-f93dec85c0a6</a> 2026-06-02T13:07:11Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2pe640vlgnkeeq5wxu97d8h5v9d786z0yypt4azqjn6uzts3jdgszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2vhe6n0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8c3nc52vd5h3vnhs78qq2av2u9ngml658k33tzwhkdpnqm4vrqpcx9u9nd'>nevent1q…u9nd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We are now into the second white reactionary “Redemption.”<br/><br/>Let’s make sure we really understand why the civil rights era was a distinct period in U.S. history, why it had such a transformative impact – and what the country is about to lose, now that it is over.<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986</a> 2026-05-18T13:37:54Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8c3nc52vd5h3vnhs78qq2av2u9ngml658k33tzwhkdpnqm4vrqpczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2tuam8n In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrz9pn70h7qvl3tvylxseuc92zallj2z9wdw3mvnk7nj0x26g62xc0ma8cn'>nevent1q…a8cn</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The crowning achievements of the civil rights struggle, which had codified America’s Second Reconstruction, are no more.<br/><br/>The struggle is not over. But the battle for democratic freedom will now have to be waged under far more difficult conditions. 2026-05-18T13:35:28Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrz9pn70h7qvl3tvylxseuc92zallj2z9wdw3mvnk7nj0x26g62xczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx254a8j7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxf6weeukykcqlet8f3ctucsmn0r8398awer88ugkfl4433q3uungdjcd5p'>nevent1q…cd5p</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It is the cumulative effect of the MAGA government’s dismantling of the federal civil rights infrastructure plus the Supreme Court’s ultimate dismantling of the Voting Rights Act that makes this such a breakthrough moment for the reactionary countermobilization. 2026-05-18T13:33:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxf6weeukykcqlet8f3ctucsmn0r8398awer88ugkfl4433q3uungzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2qlf3vh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsptfrpq3uv7zrvx2ngwem42385hq6vs9g8u7jmu8fng8rza2yzk5qvg29y6'>nevent1q…29y6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>We are dealing with a decades-long, multi-level effort to roll back the racial and social progress towards egalitarian democracy, dismantle the machinery that was built to enforce it, and re-impose structural conditions that make democratic fairness functionally impossible. 2026-05-18T13:32:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsptfrpq3uv7zrvx2ngwem42385hq6vs9g8u7jmu8fng8rza2yzk5qzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2fgn9fu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdsx4fnams89ch0ah664sycakx3ez6tlragqqwdk50qnlzlhc9n6sgrhm9w'>nevent1q…hm9w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The civil rights order was toppled by a decades-long, multi-level reactionary countermobilization that had an ideological arm, a grassroots activist arm, an institutionalized legal movement, a media/propaganda arm, funded by a donor class at war with the modern state. 2026-05-18T13:30:55Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdsx4fnams89ch0ah664sycakx3ez6tlragqqwdk50qnlzlhc9n6szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx242whv5 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvv9f2rckpuay35zryuqhmraprd33l7z5r9362pnhpc93rj24u9vqxfvhxq'>nevent1q…vhxq</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Alas, throughout U.S. history, democratic progress – any attempt at leveling existing hierarchies of race, gender, religion, and wealth – has inevitably led to a massive countermobilization orchestrated by the forces of reaction. 2026-05-18T13:28:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvv9f2rckpuay35zryuqhmraprd33l7z5r9362pnhpc93rj24u9vqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx236fw06 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgu4kk6ts2w88j63mgq3d9fmqcq9j4veay0cvqzztknvf87u4gjsg3u273s'>nevent1q…273s</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>No one needs to pretend that the 1960s civil rights legislation fixed everything. But the structural conditions under which the struggle for equality had to play out were significantly altered: The playing field became vastly more conducive to a truly democratic politics. 2026-05-18T13:26:53Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgu4kk6ts2w88j63mgq3d9fmqcq9j4veay0cvqzztknvf87u4gjsgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2r9lvqg In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq57aalfm268ragtwg8z5urs36hpl2pg6vlv7qd657zheswr4hyaqmf9mtd'>nevent1q…9mtd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>As a result, counties and communities with a large Black population received a much larger share of public goods and state funding. Overall, Black economic power increased, as fiscal redistribution combined with improved employment opportunities. 2026-05-18T13:25:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq57aalfm268ragtwg8z5urs36hpl2pg6vlv7qd657zheswr4hyaqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2ckeapr In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszvrvlw3jlahylc8ufj54qj4tg6gc2d7zpxe47xykwzrvtta4l7ncr5aywp'>nevent1q…aywp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>African Americans and other minorities were now a constituency that politicians had to reckon with; their needs and preferences needed to be factored in – and they finally had a fair chance to elect representatives of their choice who would advocate for disadvantaged communities. 2026-05-18T13:24:31Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszvrvlw3jlahylc8ufj54qj4tg6gc2d7zpxe47xykwzrvtta4l7nczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2szwx9n In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszd9kgvkctuvlxdm5ctlqaum3z2cn624n5kywe95f46cnag5jy9tckrh3e7'>nevent1q…h3e7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The impact of the Voting Rights Act was immediate and comprehensive. Voter registration among African Americans increased dramatically, the turnout-gap between Blacks and whites was practically eliminated. Minority political representation exploded on all levels. 2026-05-18T13:23:34Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszd9kgvkctuvlxdm5ctlqaum3z2cn624n5kywe95f46cnag5jy9tczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2xpdpaj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsp47djrgue5m6wfz63ewrsla06aeumfmngyrdurere9lqm80kmahgz7f8lr'>nevent1q…f8lr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>But in practice, any success at extending the promise of equality beyond white people depended on forceful enforcement through the state – on the federal government imposing it against the enemies of democracy. 2026-05-18T13:22:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp47djrgue5m6wfz63ewrsla06aeumfmngyrdurere9lqm80kmahgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2tsasn4 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfq7kuueh2ttv874wv42xvdgd5972ds559nfjcnhhwvttvdrxt2qcxwg4wr'>nevent1q…g4wr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The impetus for the federal government to accept such a role came from below. Effective civil rights legislation followed public pressure. And the pressure was achieved by the tireless work and sacrifice from civil rights activists – and especially the Black freedom movement. 2026-05-18T13:21:17Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfq7kuueh2ttv874wv42xvdgd5972ds559nfjcnhhwvttvdrxt2qczyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2gxc2yu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszdea08my5sj9s2mawp00j2np8chxzuyap0hc0k84vjftd3rar5asl0hx6g'>nevent1q…hx6g</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Here was an acknowledgment that this situation needed to be remedied by active countermeasures. Political, legal, and social structures needed to be dismantled and reformed, and the federal government needed to take responsibility for enacting countermeasures. 2026-05-18T13:19:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszdea08my5sj9s2mawp00j2np8chxzuyap0hc0k84vjftd3rar5aszyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2uxn5v4 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqst2hgyqgrn9h368a9ec4knyt5m66acdllrmkzqzcmxddlus68l3mqjdksaw'>nevent1q…ksaw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The civil rights legislation of the 1960s fundamentally changed the structural conditions shaping the struggle to democratize America. It was fueled by an understanding that the inequalities of American life were the result of discriminatory intent and structures. 2026-05-18T13:18:28Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst2hgyqgrn9h368a9ec4knyt5m66acdllrmkzqzcmxddlus68l3mqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2ntgmlp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgthy23kj9egpwcsq3wg38ae783ckfczdt83jsqvys8scrqxn3c4sqykk8f'>nevent1q…kk8f</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Republicans are gleefully extinguishing Black political representation across the South. <br/><br/>None of this is subtle. None of it is new. White supremacists justified their fight against Reconstruction and against desegregation with the same arguments about the South’s “freedom.” 2026-05-18T13:17:39Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgthy23kj9egpwcsq3wg38ae783ckfczdt83jsqvys8scrqxn3c4szyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2lfuv33 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv9cw9paqky9rw2jt5wgg2ckz5zlh0qsfw25z7zmqjufm42j5mc8gfdudpf'>nevent1q…udpf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Wherever and whenever Republican lawmakers get the chance, they rush to exclude people of color from political participation and extinguish minority representation - all in service of rolling back the civil rights order and restoring unfettered white male Christian supremacy. 2026-05-18T13:15:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsv9cw9paqky9rw2jt5wgg2ckz5zlh0qsfw25z7zmqjufm42j5mc8gzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2rqcvqu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs926g3d6k8h6gx526956tw824mml50swa36m70x7c3m0kjwmfh5qgtcwhtj'>nevent1q…whtj</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The first task for observers, analysts, and citizens alike is to understand, acknowledge, and describe clearly and honestly what is happening around us.<br/><br/>I allowed myself to write angry about the endless attempts to obscure rather than illuminate what is right in front of us. 2026-05-18T13:12:38Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs926g3d6k8h6gx526956tw824mml50swa36m70x7c3m0kjwmfh5qgzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2vwwf33 Putting the end of the civil rights era in historical perspective.<br/><br/>I wrote about the Rise and Fall of the Second Reconstruction, 1964/65 – 2025/26: An attempt to really grasp what a profoundly important - and disturbing - moment in U.S. history we are currently witnessing.<br/><br/>My new piece:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986</a> 2026-05-18T13:09:44Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2hhfw4eazlpu5c2j5ynn7ltrptlvh2rx7n3u9zyv75hlpz5l434qzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2lam6yx RE: <a href="https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116590063717975282">https://mastodon.social/@tzimmer_history/116590063717975282</a><br/><br/>The first task for observers, analysts, and citizens alike is to understand, acknowledge, and describe clearly and honestly what is happening around us.<br/><br/>I allowed myself to write angry about the endless attempts to obscure rather than illuminate what is right in front of us.<blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/note156jskk5l300ny6wsfpnzyqk55vv3gccmd7eqedh85qs77077gawqgpamca" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">note156j…amca</a></span><br/> </div> The Rise and Fall of the Second Reconstruction, 1964/65 – 2025/26<br/><br/>Putting the end of the civil rights era in historical perspective: How it transformed the nation, how it was toppled by a raging reaction, and what comes next.<br/><br/>My attempt to capture the significance of this dark moment:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986</a> </blockquote> 2026-05-17T15:02:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2dfgtt20chhejd8gyse3zqt22xxg5vvdklvsvkmn6qg008l0ywhqzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx20htma4 The Rise and Fall of the Second Reconstruction, 1964/65 – 2025/26<br/><br/>Putting the end of the civil rights era in historical perspective: How it transformed the nation, how it was toppled by a raging reaction, and what comes next.<br/><br/>My attempt to capture the significance of this dark moment:<br/><br/><a href="https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986">https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/8f16b18f-41d5-41f9-884b-f76a13852986</a> 2026-05-17T13:06:29Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdryqm6d27dkvaxxj0f2m6wfcxtg6lfdrscjx7qg40fud6wjfeu8czyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx29m8gnc In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs04lwzk4fpgwl6z8mncau640grjlm2h86r2ctuzffm7zdasxeqc9q9tkwt4'>nevent1q…kwt4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>If “backlash” and “polarization” are inevitably the price to be paid for equality, we might as well do it right, make a proper push. Piecemeal reforms and half-measures are easily dismantled, they will only leave the people who will suffer most from the countermobilization defenseless. 2026-05-06T13:26:40Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs04lwzk4fpgwl6z8mncau640grjlm2h86r2ctuzffm7zdasxeqc9qzyp0aycrfajluapy3ap22pkdpxhhxavx2zsh03fxv3rqfa3d9hpdx2v45rgg In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsram63tn67ad9tvjwt00pg0k8qssnhhe4hl20rtwm8ugh7xm4aarq53lz89'>nevent1q…lz89</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Too often, a timid class of political leaders makes avoiding such “backlash” their overriding concern. But backlash politics, driven by a logic of defeatist appeasement and pre-emptive abandonment of justice and equality, is guaranteed to stifle egalitarian policies. 2026-05-06T13:25:10Z