For context, the author is a historian specialized in the mechanisms of authoritarianism: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Snyder" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Snyder</a>
If it is a coup, it can be easily stopped if Congress and the Courts get off their butts and do something. How about force Musk to testify under oath in Congress.<p>Oh, it was tried but the GOP blocked it.
Not to mention this same president allowed people who did attempt a violent coup (of the "usual" kind) to get out of jail despite being convicted. (And despite previous assurances, i.e., from Vance that "of course" violent offenders would not be freed.)<p>And the GOP-controlled Senate just stood by.
One torment on an individual level, is that none of us have any particular agency to do anything about it. Not alone, not even with many. Overwhelming numbers accompanied by intense societal disfunction could, maybe, possibly work. Signs and angry chants won't stop these loons. Strategic occupations might help, like MLK overburdening jails during sit-ins, but even that is an annoyance they will put down violently if it inconveniences people in the west wing. Be very careful.
It's a coup that is being allowed and empowered by the party that already controls all 3 branches of government. It's very clear what's happening: what's less clear to me is how to stop it.<p>EDIT: this post keeps getting flagged. The techbros who are currently destroying our democracy are upset that they're being called out.
It looks like this post is unflagged finally.<p>I left this comment on another version that was also flagged, so I figured i'll repost it here:<p>I took the time to write an email to both of my senators, and congress person (i'm in FL, they are all R's).<p>Absolutely unconscionable for them to abdicate their responsibilities and oath to the constitution.<p>I don't expect it to change any minds, but some pressure is never a bad thing.<p>If anyone wants to use it as inspiration to write their own: <a href="https://gist.github.com/Tostino/6cb89b58ca4070ab7520a64b5ac770a2" rel="nofollow">https://gist.github.com/Tostino/6cb89b58ca4070ab7520a64b5ac7...</a><p>edit: I mean...Musk isn't even denying what it is: <a href="https://xcancel.com/elonmusk/status/1887258455037387257" rel="nofollow">https://xcancel.com/elonmusk/status/1887258455037387257</a>
Trump delegated to Musk to do this. I'm not sure if it's gone beyond his legal powers but the fact that the recently elected president delegated things to his assistant is a weak argument that we have a coup.