Au·toc·ra·cy: ôˈtäkrəsē/
-- Emperor (Byzantine Greek language, c. 330 A.D.)
-- Supreme, uncontrolled, unlimited authority . . . in a single person
(Webster's Twentieth-Century Dictionary, 1938)
-- Supreme power invested in a single person
(Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, 1969)
-- System of government in which supreme political power to direct all activities of
the state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are
subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of
popular control
(Glossary of Political Economy Terms by Dr. Paul M. Johnson, 2016)
-- самодержавие, i.e., a system of government by one person with absolute power,
one of two infamous trinities of Russian cultural history -- which together
with "working intelligentsia" constituted the dogmatic definition of
"socialist realism" in the U.S.S.R. of the 1930s and Russia under Vladimir Putin
(Dictionary of Untranslatables: A Philosophical Lexicon, 2014).
If you missed it, President-elect Donald J. Trump tweetingly screamed "APOLOGIZE!" at the Broadway musical Hamilton's cast this weekend. The offense? The cast dared put a shout-out to Vice President-elect Mike Pence (who was in attendance) and plead with him for kindness, inclusivity and tolerance in Trump's Administration policies. (NOTE: Check out the video asap; numerous videos shot by audience members that were uploaded to YouTube, are being pulled off and/or their accounts deleted!)
Apparently, Trump has yet to read the U.S. Constitution and is unaware of Americans' 1st Amendment rights to free speech -- which includes the right to petition the government, or government-to-be, as was the case.
By appointing himself the new Supreme Court Justice and Chief Arbiter of what constitutes permissible and legal action, Trump continues his policy of aiming veiled threats against those he deems too critical -- further cementing his path to chief Trump advisor and strategist Steve Bannon (a self-avowed Leninst)'s stated goal of destroying American democracy . . . and replacing it with an autocracy.
With Putin puppet Trump at its head.
Just so you know what we are getting in to, here . . .
With the possible realization of George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 (not to mention, V for Vendetta) dystopian societies looming dark and deadly ahead in the new year, the urgent warnings of Russian-American journalist Masha Gesson provide a good foundation for a good ground game to survive with a modicum of integrity and self-respect. Gesson -- who has spent years dissecting Putin -- spells it out in great detail. What follows is my highly-editorialized, less articulate (and perhaps, somewhat feminized) breakdown of Gesson's voice of experience:
RULE #1 -- Believe the autocrat. This is like when the bad boy you are dating says at the beginning of the relationship that he only wants sex and is not emotionally available or "ready" to be in a committed relationship. Believe him -- he has just established his getaway back door and excuse for ending things. "I told you I was not ready . . . " So, believe whatever he says. You cannot afford to not believe him. He is going to betray you, and betray you big time.
RULE #2 -- Do not be taken in by small signs of normality. That cheap rose the bad boyfriend bought you from the hawker at the traffic light? Seems romantic, right? -- especially after you left bad boy 20 panicky voicemails about not responding to you. The rose does not mean a thing. Perhaps he heard a song on the radio while driving, one that made him nostalgic for half a nanosecond about a 7th grade girl he once danced with. More than likely, though, the gesture is meant to keep you quiet and keep the sex coming.
RULE #3 -- Institutions will not save you. No handsome knight on a white horse is going to swoop in and save you from the bad boyfriend. The mean clique you hang with is saying "told you so". Remember, Trump and his GOP majority are already laying the groundwork to dismantle immigration, the Fourth Estate, separation of church and state, Medicare, Obamacare, Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood and taxes on the filthy rich, while simultaneously decimating our national parks and the world's fragile ecosystem. Those organizations have their own hands full. And Trump & Co. have a plan for handling you, too -- like the bad boyfriend who unleashes a slurry of slut-shaming on social media, before you get a chance to blink. Be prepared to be slammed for daring speak up. Expect the worst, start building your defenses now, nurture a support network that you can support now and put a plan in place for how to not sell your soul for a stinkin' rose that does not smell right.
RULE #4 -- Be outraged. An ancillary to Rule #3. Be prepared for whatever anyone (like a bad boyfriend) can throw at you, because they (he) will. Take notes, names and numbers. Film and photograph. Evidence carries weight, but preserve your integrity and do not lie or take it out of context. Pay attention, listen actively, find common ground and learn to articulate your outrage, if possible, in short, concise sentences. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass-D) is a perfect example of the perfect storm in female form! Emulate the best, learn to live your own life, grow from your mistakes and do not go gentle into that good night!
RULE #5 -- Don't make compromises. Really. What is the price of your soul? Can you be bought for so little, let your head be turned by visions of love or money, are you willing to throw away your self-respect, your self-esteem, your very soul for the price of a lousy, stinkin', week-old, one-dollar rose? To paraphrase Katharine Hepburn: To keep your character intact, never stoop to filthy acts. It only makes it easier to stoop the next time. Do not sell out; you are worth more than you think!
RULE #6 -- Remember the future. Nothing lasts forever. So, let us make this our time! Our moment in history to define and defend the future we want to see. It will require resistance -- as Gesson states, "stubborn, uncompromising, outraged" resistance. But we are many, we are committed and we are stronger together than we know!
Resistance begins today, everyday! Do not concede the revolution!
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