This week, Lisa and David talk about a friend arrested at SF ICE protests; lawmaker shootings in Minnesota; Nichols urges a strategy of de-escalation in protests while critics say the only way to shift public opinion is by exposing the regime’s brutality—often through tragic but galvanizing confrontations; does military recruitment prove high support for Trump?; Lisa supports Republican proposal to make colleges share student loan risk; how ready are Trump supporters for dictatorship?; and more.
Contrasting Views on Protest Strategy
In his article, Tom Nichols argues that street protests and confrontations play into President Trump’s hands by providing a pretext for military crackdowns. He advocates for a strategy of de-escalation—keeping the streets calm—to deny the administration the justification it seeks for authoritarian action under the Insurrection Act.
However, the counterargument strongly rejects Nichols' premise, asserting that Trump does not need a real pretext—only the appearance of one, which the media and administration can manufacture. This view holds that standing down won’t prevent repression; it will only validate the narrative that force works. Instead, the only way to shift public opinion is by exposing the regime’s brutality—often through tragic but galvanizing confrontations, as seen throughout American history.
In essence, while Nichols calls for calm to prevent escalation, the opposing view argues that without visible resistance and the risk of real consequences, authoritarianism advances unchecked.
Military Recruitment Trends and Trump (according to AI)
Recent Surge in Recruitment:
Military recruitment has rebounded in recent years, reaching levels not seen in decades. However, this turnaround began before Trump's most recent election victory and was largely attributed to reforms and incentives introduced during the Biden administration, such as enhanced recruitment strategies, larger bonuses, and preparatory courses.
Experts and official data indicate that while recruitment numbers have continued to rise under Trump, the so-called "Trump Bump" is more accurately the result of these earlier initiatives.Trump's Claims vs. Reality:
President Trump and some supporters have claimed that record-breaking recruitment is due to his leadership and popularity. However, fact-checks and Defense Department data show that these claims are exaggerated. The increase in enlistment started prior to his reelection, and while numbers have improved, they remain below historic highs from previous decades.
While military veterans as a group tend to support Trump and Republicans more than the general population, the recent increase in military recruitment does not prove high support for Trump. Recruitment trends are shaped by a variety of factors, and attributing them solely to support for Trump is not supported by the data or expert analysis
Are Many Americans Ready to Abandon Madisonian Democracy?
There’s growing evidence that frustration with Madisonian democracy — with its checks and balances, deliberate slowness, and institutional gridlock — is real and growing, across both left and right. This discontent isn't always expressed as "we want a new system," but rather through signals like low trust in government, interest in strongman leaders, and apathy or anger toward democratic processes.
Here’s some drivers:
Gridlock Fatigue
Declining Faith in Institutions
Left and Right Are Both Looking for Alternatives
Strongman Appeal
Madisonian Democracy Is Hard to Defend When It Fails to Deliver
January 6 as a Case Study
The January 6, 2021 Capitol riot offers a real-world glimpse into how far some Trump supporters were willing to go to overturn democratic outcomes. While this was a minority of supporters, it was significant enough to demonstrate:
A willingness to act on false claims of election fraud.
Support for Trump’s continuation in office despite his loss.
So Are Americans Ready to Try Something New?
Perhaps not in a formal, conscious way — but I would argue that in mood and mindset, yes. There's a growing willingness to:
Sacrifice procedural norms for perceived outcomes.
Concentrate power in executives or courts.
Rewrite or ignore parts of the system seen as outdated or unjust.
Americans may not be demanding dictatorship, but there are signs of constitutional fatigue. Many folks are ready to try something else, and that might be effectively dictatorship, intentionally or by erosion, even if not framed as such.
Links:
The lawmaker shootings in Minnesota are a disturbing trend: Analysis (ABC News)
Minnesota shooting suspect was deeply religious and conservative (NPR)
Chilling details emerge in Minnesota shootings (ABC News)
House Republicans want colleges to share the student loan risk (NPR)
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