They are paralyzed for good reason
Donald Trump and his minions (or his puppeteers) have been busy since the Inauguration. We could argue that this administration has been the most prepared administration to effect change since the USA was founded.
Already, there are calls on Medium and Mastodon for the Democratic Party to do more opposition. I say we should have a better understanding before we get too critical.
The Republican Party has a plan to distract and disorient its opposition. If you have read The Shock Doctrine, the Republicans are enacting a well-known play for neoliberal economists and their political supporters to effect their ideology into an economy. Basically it involves shocking the public and political opposition so that they cannot gather unity to challenge the new order properly. The Trump administration has taken this technique “to shock and overpower” to the biggest economy in the world. They have thrown so much stuff at the high-ranking Democrats — and American society — and at its former allies — that the Trump opponents don’t know which way to turn.
Think of your plan for tomorrow if you found out today: 1) you have cancer, 2) your son was in a car accident and will be in hospital for a week, 3) you were served a notice for a civil lawsuit, 4) your dog has been vomiting and needs to be taken to a veterinarian, (5) the IRS wants to conduct a little audit on your tax filing, and (6) your car engine light is blinking. The high-ranking Democrats are going through something like this right now. They have so much more on their political plate than what they are used to handling. In other words, the “distract and disorient” strategy is working well.
There is a second force. Politics has always been a rough business. But in these times, we should assume that high-ranking Democrats are hounded hourly with emails and phone calls with death threats. Plus there are forces within the MAGA movement just waiting to take more “patriot” action and waiting for orders. They want to be the American “brownshirts.” This social force could be easily ramped up. These Democrats have families. It is understandable if a Democrat representative does not want to be the nail that sticks out too much.
So what are the discussions in the back rooms of high-ranking Democrats? I suspect that, given the two previous forces I just described, the discussions center around whether to be aggressive or take a more subtle approach. While the aggressive approach might inspire more Americans to come out in mass protest, it might also bring out the brownshirts and martial law. The subtle approach may allow enough vestiges of democracy to remain for Election 2028 and a solid repudiation of Republican rule.
I can see pros and cons to both strategies. I don’t know which is best.
Unlike other countries that have experienced a round of neoliberal order, I don’t believe Americans will be cowed that easily. So this drama is far from over.
Ultimately, it will be mass protests that will decide USA’s future. Will these protests be led by high-ranking Democrats? Will these protests be big enough? What happens after several hundred protesters are killed? What is true and what is political theatre? All this is unknown.
Conclusion
We need to remember how we got here. The structure of American democracy has played a big role. We need a new democracy. A democracy that does not bring a nation to this point.
Published on Medium & Substack 2025
The TDG & Right to Peaceful Protest
