America feels like a country on the brink of an authoritarian takeover

[erronis]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/25/america-feels-like-a-country-on-the-brink-of-an-authoritarian-takeover
Francine Prose

This is the news we should be paying attention to. At least for the moment, everything else is a distraction

hen we talk about our inability to pay attention, to concentrate, we often mean and blame our phones. It's easy, it's meant to be easy. One flick of our index finger transports us from disaster to disaster, from crisis to crisis, from maddening lie to maddening lie. Each new unauthorized attack and threatened invasion grabs the headlines, until something else takes its place, and meanwhile the government's attempts to terrorize and silence the people of our country continue.

So let me break it down. There is one story: our country is on the brink of an authoritarian take-over. In Minneapolis an innocent poet and an ER nurse at a VA hospital were both killed in cold blood by federal agents. It is happening now. Toddlers are being sent to detention centers; videos of their gyms for kids recall the youth choruses that the Nazis so proudly showed off at the Terezin concentration camp. Intimidation and violence are being weaponized against the citizens of Minneapolis, some of whom are afraid to leave their houses for fear of being beaten, arrested and shackled, regardless of whether they are US citizens or asylum seekers or people from another country peacefully living and working here for decades.

That is the news we should be paying attention to. At least for the moment, everything else is a distraction. I'm glad to have been informed about the heavy snow outside my window today and the local weather-travel advisory, but frankly, it's snowed here before--so why is it leading the news?

. . .

Francine Prose is a former president of PEN American Center and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

[B.See]

1. It feels that way because IT IS.

[CROW50]

2. Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation came right out and said it.

In July 2024 Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation came right out and threatened bloodshed if the left stands in the way of their agenda when he said,

""In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We're in the process of taking this country back," Roberts said. "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be.”

At the time, a variety of the major media noted it, rung their hands a bit and then moved on.

https://www.newsweek.com/project-2025-heritage-foundation-republicans-american-revolution-1920870

[RockRaven]

3. That brink is in the rear view mirror.

[orangecrush]

6. THIS

[Norrrm]

4. Those millions of republicans want an authoritarian/theocratic gov't but they mistakenly think they will be the few hund

Those millions of republicans want an authoritarian/theocratic gov't but they mistakenly think they will be the few hundred elites actually in charge.

Those millions are useful tools for those who will actually be in charge.

One poster called it a 'new social feudalism age'.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. The people of Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and elsewhere would disagree

There are certainly authoritarians in our midst, wreaking havoc, sowing chaos, and violating people’s rights with lawless abandon…

…but a takeover?

This evil clown car full of goat rodeo rejects couldn’t take over an average size city, let alone an entire country.

Despite the invasion of murderous thugs on the streets of Minneapolis, the people still control the streets, as was made clear on Friday.

Never forget this one absolute truth:

Trump is not omnipotent, and the states and the people are not powerless

[EdmondDantes_]

7. If anything the protests are evidence we aren't tipping over

Even some Republicans are starting to push back on Trump. Not a lot yet, but it's happening.

His support is dropping. We're winning elections. We're on track to do well in the midterms and if Trump keeps stumbling on rakes, he might just put the Senate in play in spite of a rough set of races.

[murielm99]

8. So you must not be one of those people

who thinks there will be no midterms.

I believe there will be midterms. We may have to fight all kinds of malice and mayhem to get everyone seated, but we will vote. There could be record turnout.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. For some weird reason I more optimistic lately.

Frightened too.

[SamuelTheThird]

11. There will be midterms

And....they will use intimidation at the polling stations. And more dire- confiscation of machines and ballots.

They see this as their golden window, expecting norms to prevail is naive

[SamuelTheThird]

10. I had people here say I was an alarmist not so long ago

He's going to severely fuck with the election.

If he keels over, Vance is very likely to do the same.