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Johan's avatar

This is the kind of clarity that cuts through the fog.

The metaphor of an abusive relationship isn’t just apt, it’s behavioral truth. Systems don’t collapse all at once; they erode through denial, deflection, and the slow normalization of harm. And America, right now, is staring into that mirror.

What you’ve named, fatigue as the fuel of authoritarianism, is the core insight. Trump doesn’t need loyalty. He needs distraction, despair, and the quiet resignation that comes when people confuse catharsis with change. That’s the genius of the chaos machine: it overwhelms the public until outrage becomes ambient noise.

Marches matter. But as you said, democracy isn’t self-cleaning. It doesn’t respond to hashtags, it responds to sustained, organized, behavioral pressure. And if we don’t convert spectacle into structure, we’re not resisting. We’re rehearsing.

The real protest starts the day after.

— Johan

Professor of Behavioral Economics and Applied Cognitive Theory

Former Foreign Service Officer

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Public Servant's avatar

Excited to protest tomorrow with brave defenders of democracy! Here is a no kings anthem we can sing together. No kings, no fear, democracy is here! https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/no-kings-anthem-no-crown-no-throne

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Carl Selfe's avatar

The only way forward is to take the House and Senate. We can do this if we work together toward those missions. The October 18, 2025 protest is d tomorrow. I made a batch of 126 free protest signs for you and your group to get printed today. Please share, restack, copy, and paste the link. Have a printing company do these for you! Subscribe for updates to the file. Here they are:

http://bit.ly/483Qrd4

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Sandra Wallace's avatar

"Faux King Joke" - good one!

So was "Beans not Beef" - Texas, that is (paraphrasing). Boycott the sinew out of them.

Plus, Yes on CA Prop 50! Take that, you TX gerrymandering yahoos!

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Patricia Reed's avatar

Bravo, Professor! Thank you for this.

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Merry's avatar

UNITED WE STAND!!!

Queen - We Are The Champions (Live Aid 1985)

The immortal Freddie Mercury

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP808MiJUcM

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Glenda C.'s avatar

Real change will become possible when a critical mass gets to the point of sustained economic withdrawal and general strikes. But, that said, the mass protests are also a necessary step...

Indivisibles: This is it. No Kings Day is TOMORROW ❌👑

Since our last day of action in June, the Trump regime has escalated their attacks on our democracy -- weaponizing the DOJ, targeting pro-democracy groups (including our own), and deploying American troops into American cities.

But the backlash is growing too. We have just under 3,000 events planned for this weekend. Millions of people will peacefully and defiantly take to the streets tomorrow -- and we hope you'll be one of them.

Click here to view our full map of events: http://lil.ms/ouum/ada09g

Or REPLY with your zip code and we'll send you a list of the closest events in your area!

Already registered? Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join you or ask them to text NO KINGS to 59798 to find the closest events near them.

Together, we'll make No Kings Day the largest day of protest in modern US history.

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WJB Motown's avatar

Learn from us up here in the Great White North........We have been boycotting ever since Cankles made th 51s threat to us.........

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Glenda C.'s avatar

Yes, I know, and thank you so much!

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Karin Montes's avatar

Please, please DO! A German grandma.

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Aaron Roman's avatar

Yeah America was born out of defiance to a king, not some half baked nationalism. ✊💙✊.

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Mike's avatar

The No Kings Day can be a landmark day for our Democracy. I caution everyone to be on the lookout for people planted among us that could be there to cause harm. Tomorrow is a day of Peace and there is no place for ANY violence. We can get our point across without causing harm to anyone. I will be praying for all of us and may God bless and shine His light on us tomorrow.

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Susan Troy's avatar

Thanks. Dictators are allergic to joy and peace.

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Bill Gallagher's avatar

It's the American way.

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Heather.B's avatar

It is expected to be the largest peacetime protest in American history. I think It’s gonna to be HUGE!

Trump can’t stand looking weak or unpopular so he’s already trying to spin the “No Kings” protest by claiming no one is showing up. Let that motivate you to prove him wrong and help make this one of the BIGGEST protests EVER. It will show America (and the world) the true meaning of "strength in numbers." There will be more people showing up for No Kings day than have been to ALL Trump rallies combined.

Why do you think they are so scared of the estimated number of people attending? It speaks for itself! They're calling it "hate America rally", although using our First Amendment rights to protest against an authoritarian government seems the MOST American thing.

You can get ideas for your signs here 👇

https://libtees.dashery.com/t-shirts

Peaceful protest and joyful resistance is always the antidote to abuse of power and corruption. Be loud, be proud. Get out and make your voice heard!

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Merry's avatar

WE GOT THIS! UNITED WE STAND!!!

Queen - We Are The Champions (Live Aid 1985)

The immortal Freddie Mercury

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP808MiJUcM

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Lisa's avatar

I plan on going tomorrow. I can walk to where they are having one.Thank you Meidas for always informing us with actual facts.

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Merry's avatar

Revolution is obstructed evolution!!?

UNITED WE STAND!!! UNSTOPPABLE!

Queen - We Are The Champions (Live Aid 1985)

The immortal Freddie Mercury

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP808MiJUcM

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Barking Justice Media's avatar

No Kings Day is a reminder that power belongs to the people.

Play it Loud

Barking Justice Music present ♫ Songs for No Kings Day

Voices raised for dignity, courage, and the work of self-government.

https://thefiringline.substack.com/p/barking-justice-music-presents-no

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Libby's avatar

I shall be cheering you on from across the pond. Stay safe. Be well. Kick that wannabe's behind.

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Leah Baum's avatar

I read other countries will be having their own No Kings protests to support the USA. I am happy to hear that. We need all the help we can get.

💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷

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Shelley's avatar

The rest of the world knew how bad it was when he was elected and I wonder if Americans had acknowledged the danger he posed if they could have ended this months ago

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Sunny's avatar

Yea we’re cheering 📣 alright! 🤣FREEDOM!!

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Protect the Vote's avatar

State Supported Vigilante Registered Voter Attack Turning Into Federal Scheme

Months before the 2024 election there was a documentary done by Greg Palast’s Vigilante Challenge(bit.ly/41UelTx) privately supported by a couple of celebrities After the 2024 election Palast, a well respected investigative journalist, shows that Harris would have won the election had it not been for the vigilante challenge of registered voters(specifically targeting AfroAmerican voters) by 40,000 vigilantes(these were MAGA private citizens could challenge the registration of a voter just because they could) This Georgia vigilante experiment evolved out of the Jim Crow era and the racial undertones that they had

Marc Elias in his Democracy Docket interviews Prof of Law David Noll(bit.ly/3KQpT5D) who wrote about a state legislative vigilante effort and warned before the 2024 election with his co-authored book Vigilante Nation that this would take place at the state government level Now Noll is bringing up the concern that the federal government will take on this state supported vigilante attack on registered voters

Cheeto and the Nazis in the BH(Black House) learned from their Georgia experiment that this vigilante scheme can be federalized to fit their totalitarian strategy to stay in power

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Lynda Rees Kling's avatar

Yes.. protesting tomorrow. With a group of friends. NONE of our husbands will go….

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WJB Motown's avatar

Wow.......Real women married to pussy's..........Time for separate rooms and papers to sign.

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Margaret Redus's avatar

💙💙💙

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Daniel Boone's avatar

Trump and the rest of the fascist Republicans are hoping for another Kent State. We need to make every one of those criminals pay for their sins in 2026 & 2028. We need to make damn sure they don’t cheat again.

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Kelvin Hobbs's avatar

Political and economic boycotts are likely to have the largest impact on a dictator. Political noncooperation ... implies that citizens refuse to acknowledge the political system the dictator advocates. … Economic noncooperation is perhaps even more effective as it has the capacity to paralyze an entire nation. Through strikes, embargos, and boycotts, workers can bring a nation’s industries to a halt, thus causing an internal crisis to the state machinery. The methods of economic noncooperation increase in effectiveness with a nation’s increased reliance on a capitalist form of economy. [The] more economically developed a nation is, the more likely it is to be disturbed by economic noncooperation. …Social, political, and economic noncooperation constitute [important elements] of nonviolent movement.

Burmese pro-democracy movement, Helvey identified nine pillars—religious organizations, civil servants, police, military, media, youth, business, workers, and nongovernmental organizations—which, collectively, provide the state with coercive power, tax revenue, administrative expertise, and moral authority, among other things. Because almost everyone participates in one or more pillars—as workers, congregants, students, veterans, and so on—this affords them real influence over political outcomes.

If the pillars (or elements thereof) can be persuaded to “defect”—withdrawing or redirecting their support away from the incumbent government—then even the most authoritarian leaders will struggle to maintain their power and legitimacy. … [Once] the number of defections reaches a critical mass, the roof of government will collapse. … “Until the [regime’s] primary pillars ... are undermined, neutralized or destroyed, there is little prospect of political reform.”

Those who expose the administration’s authoritarian abuses may be dismissed or discredited by their peers, making it harder to build mass support. Defection away from the MAGA movement will itself carry significant costs, likely being viewed as a serious violation - even - treasonous—by members of one’s “in group.” It is additionally difficult to be a “first mover” who defects before others. [There] is no unified movement for defectors to join. [Yet], strategic, coordinated action across the pillars of support has succeeded in undermining or ousting authoritarian governments ... far more repressive than the Trump administration.

Sources:

Economic Boycott, Science Direct https://tinyurl.com/dtk4x4ct

Resisting Authoritarianism: How to Activate Civil Society’s Pillars of Support, Nonprofit Quarterly July 15, 2025 https://tinyurl.com/95392uy7

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Kelvin Hobbs's avatar

With this in mind, what we can do peacefully (some sacrifice but look at the alternative):

1. Boycott Black Friday. Big on-line and brick and mortar retailers will get the message.

2. Boycott Cyber Monday. We can let the tech-bro billionaires share our EOY delight.

3. Joyfully support neighbors and friends in your community on Small Business Saturday.

Must we buy in to demonstrating our feelings by making the rich richer? 125 years ago:

“Christmas in 1900 America was a time for families to come together, celebrate their faith, and enjoy each other's company. It was a much simpler and less commercialized holiday than it is today, but no less festive and joyful. Candles and lanterns were also commonly used to add light and warmth to the festivities. Gifts were usually simple and handmade, such as knitted scarves or hand-sewn quilts. Christmas was a time for families to come together, often traveling long distances to be with their loved ones. Children would go door to door, singing carols and spreading holiday cheer. Large, festive meals were a central part of the celebrations, and people would often spend hours cooking and preparing food. Children and adults alike would participate in games and activities such as sledding, ice skating, and snowball fights. https://tinyurl.com/mphvewtc

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Jamie Casey's avatar

Not once has tRump or any of his administration even the Republican party mentioned the word DEMOCRACY no everyone of them go on national TV and ironically call WE THE PEOPLE of being "Antifa" short for Anti-Facist. At 63 I could have never in my worst nightmares believed our government could be overtaken by a bunch of fascists so easily and that there are Americans supporting it. I don't believe all who voted for tRump actually believed he would turn this country inside out but I do believe those same ppl still believe in our constitution and most definitely our Democracy. God Bless The People Of This Country and all who have had to suffer at the hands of DJT and his so-called administration. 🇺🇸🗽💙💜❤️🧡💛💚🤎🖤🩷🤍💪

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