Tag: authoritarian playbook

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Trump’s Distraction Playbook: This Week’s Violence Is No Accident

The pattern is clear, and it’s escalating dangerously.

Trump has a documented three-step playbook when facing bad news:

  1. DENY the problem exists
  2. DIVERT attention to manufactured drama
  3. DISCREDIT anyone who calls him out

This week, he faced a perfect storm of catastrophic news:

  • GDP growth projections CUT IN HALF (2.8% to 1.6%)
  • 40% recession risk according to J.P. Morgan
  • Approval ratings collapsed to 39% – underwater on EVERY issue
  • $22 billion feud with Musk threatening national security
  • Federal courts struck down his tariff policies as ILLEGAL
  • Canada relations in freefall with retaliatory tariffs

read Substack summary here

full analysis / article (long) here

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The Authoritarian Playbook: From “Rioters” to Military Deployment in 48 Hours

In less than 48 hours, we went from ICE raids in Los Angeles to the federal government announcing plans to deploy 2,000 soldiers against American citizens. This wasn’t random—it followed a deliberate four-step strategy: conduct potentially unconstitutional raids, wait for people to protest (as the Constitution protects), label peaceful demonstrators as “rioters,” then use that false narrative to justify military force.

The piece shows how this playbook works and why it matters beyond immigration or California. Once you normalize sending soldiers against Americans exercising their First Amendment rights, that precedent applies to any future protest about any issue. The article breaks down what’s really happening and provides concrete steps for disrupting this pattern before military responses to peaceful dissent become the new normal.
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