How Donald Trump benefits from a weak opposition

Nancy is just stunned, she says. She expected a lot, just not with such a comprehensive political clear cut. Trump Go against the democracy before. « That scares me, » she says.

Nancy is around the seventy years old and as a die-hard voter of the Democrats, a decisive trump opponent like her husband ken. Both invited two couples to dinner in their apartment on the coast of South Carolinas. This state belongs to the core country of Trump’s Maga movement. Politically dissenters quickly find together. Liz and George are also democrats, just like Ida and Tom.

You read the article by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Zlatt in the New York Times. « Autocrats have never been defeated by the sidelines »wrote the two politicalologists from the Harvard University in early May and talked to liberal America in conscience. The two scientists are authors of the bestseller « such as democracies die », which appeared in Trump’s first term.

They warned of the creeping decomposition of democratic systems through the choice of populist parties. Now they appealed to the collective spirit of the Americans in Times. Protests are more important than ever before, but they wrote, but « the relegation of the United States to the authoritarian state » has not yet been a public outcry. The hope of a strong and closed protest movement was not fulfilled.

Many small protests without traction

This also worries the three couples in South Carolina. Tom has organized local demonstrations, he says. On the nationwide protest day in early April, there were also a few thousand people in the capital Columbia. « It was considerable for South Carolina, » says Tom. Nationwide, 500,000 people took part in the street protests in over a thousand US cities.

A negligible number measured in terms of protest marches in 2017, when millions of millions were on the streets after Trump’s first election victory. « I don’t know what is going wrong now, » says Tom.

This is also about sociologists and politicalologists. The Harvard Crowd County Consortium, Erica Chenoweth, recently tried to dispel the growing doubts about the mobilization capability of the Trump opponents. The political scientist and peace researcher referred to the statistics of her institute in the British « Guardian »according to which Trump’s took office more than twice as many street protests as eight years ago.

They were organized by dozens of small groups and may have remained just below the hoped -for attention threshold. « The reaction of the American society to Trump’s authoritarian offensive has so far been disappointing, » said Levitsky and Ziblatt soberly.

Why is it that America This is how silent – although it gives up at all corners and ends: in personally thinned offices and authorities, in universities, in so -called townhalls, the citizens’ meetings that Republican MPs and Senators now avoid fear of vocal criticism.

Is it due to the size of the country and the difficulties to effectively organize protest? Is it due to a lack of citizenship, the lack of awareness given the tumbling democracy? The weakness of the Democratic Party, which has still not recovered from the devastating election defeat and fails to mobilize their followers?

The “Stop-Oligarchy” ranges organized by the non-left-wing Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took part in thousands. Overall, however, they were more of an expression of the intra -party wing struggles than the identification of a closed liberal resistance.

Trump’s retaliation actions

The shock of Trump’s re-election is the most important factor for the historian and Pulitzer award winner Jefferson Cowie from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. « Many people are demoralized, » says Cowie in an interview, Trump’s rigorous political style overwhelm them. To be confronted with the political barrage from the White House every day, ensure exhaustion and resignation. « Many are wondering: What else can demonstrations do? »

Nancy is not satisfied with these explanations in South Carolina. She believes that « many are simply afraid of looking at demos ». You can see how aggressively Trump deals with his opponents. What is meant are Trumps Remandes and repression towards critics. However, the many advances are also meant to tighten the right to demonstrate.

According to a preliminary record of the « Guardian », five federal laws and 32 draft laws are now available in 16 states to sanction protests more. The pretext offered actions by climate activists and the protest campaigns against the Gaza war at US universities.

Because of them are Harvard and elite universities such as Columbia get into the crosshair of the cultural struggle from the White House. Trump accuses you of anti -Semitism, shortens the funding and overwhelms them with harassment.

Threats and intimidation gestures Like this, it has long been widespread. Trump wanted to « prevent people from demonstrations and criminalize the constitutional right to freedom of expression, » warned the ACLU human rights organization. Politologist Cheno -Werth, as a reflex, interprets the lack of mass events as a reflex to a stricter domestic climate. « Road protests are increasingly being monitored, » wrote the political scientist, « going on demonstrations is much more risky today than before ».

Ex-presidents remain silent

In fact, demonstrations are repeatedly picked up, checked and checked by demonstrations. In addition, members of the right-wing extremist “Proud Boys” militia are regularly shown on the edge of demonstrations. Although they stay at a distance, they have a fear of fear.

Against this background, Tom wants a motivation boost for the protest movement. He misses a more determined attitude of the Democrats. « You still haven’t found a conclusive strategy against Trump, » he says. And finds it questionable that so few prominent voices speak up.

The rock icon Bruce Springsteen remained a single voice with his courageous criticism of Trump’s “Rogue government”, as he said in concerts. « Where’s Obama? » Asks Tom, « Where’s George W. Bush? Why is Hollywood silent? »

Nancy becomes very thoughtful at this point. « Perhaps most have not yet understood how serious the situation really is, » she says. And adds: « Maybe we Americans take our democracy too granted – we would have to fight for them now ».