In a stunning act of political self-reflection—quickly abandoned—progressive leaders are once again warning that America is “on the brink of tyranny and authoritarianism,” urgently demanding action against Donald Trump.
The only hitch? The “brink” appears to be constructed almost entirely out of policies, norms, and precedents they poured the concrete for themselves.
Step One: Redefine Everything
First, words had to go. “Speech” became “harm.” “Disagreement” became “violence.” “Elections” became “threats to democracy” if the outcome felt icky. “Emergency powers” became “temporary,” which—like leftovers in a progressive fridge—never quite expire.
Having sanded down language into a smooth, authoritarian paste, leaders now gaze into the mirror and gasp: Who did this to democracy?
Step Two: Build the Machine
Next came the infrastructure. Social media “guidance.” Algorithmic “nudges.” Content moderation councils staffed by people who think irony is a hate crime. Bureaucracies expanded faster than an activist’s pronouns, each one sworn to protect the public from the dangerous idea that adults can hear things and decide for themselves.
Then, with the machine humming, someone noticed the switches were still there.
Step Three: Panic When the Other Guy Might Use It
Enter the emergency press conference: solemn faces, dire warnings, dramatic pauses. “We must act now,” they say, clutching pearls polished by years of selective outrage. “Authoritarianism is at the door!”
Yes. It’s ringing the bell. And it brought the spare keys you made for it.
Step Four: Demand More Power to Stop the Power You Already Took
The solution, we’re told, is obvious: more censorship to protect free speech, more prosecutions to preserve justice, more central control to save democracy. It’s like watching someone set their kitchen on fire and demand a flamethrower to put it out—for safety.
Any mention of personal responsibility, limits on government, or—God forbid—letting voters decide is dismissed as “dangerous.” After all, democracy is sacred, but only when supervised.
The Grand Reveal
What’s truly impressive is the confidence. Having normalized rule-by-emergency, moralized censorship, and blurred every line between government, media, and activism, leaders now warn that a tyrant might exploit… the exact playbook they wrote.
It’s less Handmaid’s Tale and more Home Alone, where the burglars keep tripping over their own traps and yelling that someone else booby-trapped the house.
Final Thought
If authoritarianism is indeed looming, perhaps the first step isn’t another demand for “action,” but a moment of quiet honesty. You don’t fight tyranny by expanding it. You don’t save democracy by insulating it from voters. And you definitely don’t get to act surprised when the tools you forged start looking sharp.
But don’t worry—there’s a task force forming to look into it.
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