Do Unto Others Part 5: What This Means for Democracy

When Shared Reality Dissolves, Only Power Remains

---

Introduction: The Foundation Is Cracking

Democracy rests on three pillars that most Americans take for granted:

1. Shared reality – We can disagree about solutions while agreeing on basic facts
2. Universal empathy – All human lives have equal value, regardless of politics
3. Consistent standards – Rules apply equally to everyone, especially the powerful

Over the course of this series, we’ve documented how all three pillars are systematically eroding.

Part 1 showed empathy has become transactional – Melissa Hortman gets “I don’t know who she was,” Charlie Kirk gets a Medal of Freedom. Who deserves sympathy is determined not by their humanity, but by their political utility.

Part 2 revealed “my own morality” means Stage 2 moral development – pure self-interest masquerading as principle. The 81% evangelical support exposes a transactional relationship: votes for judges, silence for sins.

Part 3 demonstrated that while both sides engage in hypocrisy, the scale and systematization differ dramatically. Individual failings versus platform-level contradictions. Reactive responses versus strategic deployment.

Part 4 documented how authoritarian propaganda techniques – accusation in a mirror, firehose of falsehood, flooding the zone – have migrated from Putin’s playbook into American politics.

Now we must confront what this means.

When shared reality dies, fact-based governance becomes impossible.

When empathy becomes transactional, society fractures beyond repair.

When standards collapse, power operates without accountability.

This isn’t about partisan preference. This is about whether democracy can survive the systematic destruction of its foundations.

---

Section 1: The Death of Shared Reality

When Video Evidence Doesn’t Matter

January 7, 2026. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Multiple cameras capture Renee Nicole Good’s final moments from different angles. The footage is clear. The sequence is documented. The facts are unambiguous.

She waves ICE vehicles past: “Go around.”

She says to Agent Jonathan Ross: “That’s fine dude, I’m not mad at you.”

Ross walks in front of her vehicle.

Good turns her steering wheel away from him and attempts to drive away.

Ross shoots her three times.

Good dies from gunshot wounds.

Ross walks around the scene afterward, uninjured.

These are not interpretations. These are recorded facts.

Yet the President of the United States, after watching this video in the Oval Office, posts on Truth Social:

“Renee Nicole Good violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer.”

The video he shared showed no officer being run over.

The Department of Homeland Security Secretary calls it “an act of domestic terrorism.”

A DHS spokesperson claims Good “weaponized her vehicle” and that there was coordinated training to kill agents with vehicles.

The video contradicts every element of this narrative.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, having watched the same video, responds:

“Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.”

Here we have a documented situation where:

• Video evidence exists
• Multiple camera angles confirm the same sequence
• Local officials verify what the video shows
• The federal government creates an alternative narrative
• The alternative narrative becomes official reality
• Those pointing to video evidence are called “gaslighters”
• The agent who killed her is defended
• Good’s widow is investigated instead

This is what the death of shared reality looks like.

The Pattern: Power Defines Truth

This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a pattern:

Election Fraud Claims:

• 60+ court cases filed
• All dismissed for lack of evidence
• Multiple recounts confirm results
• Trump’s own Attorney General: “No evidence of fraud”
• Alternative narrative persists: “The election was stolen”
• Evidence doesn’t penetrate
• Facts don’t matter
• Belief maintained despite total absence of proof

Melissa Hortman’s Killer:

• Documented Trump supporter
• Evangelical preacher with hit list of Democrats
• Wife confirms: “Betrayal of our Christian faith”
• Federal prosecutors: “Political assassination”
• Alternative narratives spread: “He was a leftist” / “False flag” / “Antifa”
• Evidence doesn’t change beliefs
• Facts irrelevant to narrative
• Trump seven months later: “I don’t know who she was”

Charlie Kirk’s Assassination:

• Immediate: “This is the radical left”
• “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis”
• Shooter’s actual affiliations: Never clarified
• Narrative established before facts
• Used to justify crackdown on left-wing groups
• 600+ people fired based on narrative
• Investigation serves political purpose regardless of facts

What Happens When Evidence Loses Authority

In a functioning democracy:

1. Event occurs
2. Evidence is gathered
3. Facts are established
4. Debate occurs within shared understanding of reality
5. Policy made based on facts
6. Accountability based on truth

When shared reality dies:

1. Event occurs
2. Multiple contradictory narratives emerge immediately
3. Evidence is politicized
4. “Facts” become tribal markers
5. Power determines which narrative becomes “true”
6. No accountability because no agreed-upon reality

The Renee Good shooting demonstrates the endpoint:

• Video evidence exists → Doesn’t matter
• Multiple witnesses → Doesn’t matter
• Local officials contradict narrative → Doesn’t matter
• Medical examiner’s report → Doesn’t matter
• Federal prosecutors resign in protest → Doesn’t matter

What matters: Power’s narrative.

That’s not democracy. That’s authoritarianism with a democratic facade.

The Role of “Fake News” in Destroying Shared Reality

We documented in Part 4 how “fake news” accusations function as a meta-technique that protects all other propaganda methods. But the deeper effect is more insidious.

When the President calls factual reporting “fake news” thousands of times:

• Washington Post documents 30,573 false claims → “Fake news”
• Video contradicts official narrative → Critics are “gaslighters”
• Court findings disprove claims → Courts are “corrupt”
• Fact-checkers verify information → Fact-checking is “biased”

The goal isn’t to make you believe the lie. The goal is to make you doubt everything.

If all media is “fake news,” there’s no trusted arbiter of truth.

If all fact-checking is “biased,” there’s no way to verify claims.

If video evidence can be dismissed, there’s no objective reality.

If courts are “corrupt,” there’s no institutional authority.

When everything can be dismissed, only power determines truth.

Why This Matters for Democracy

Democracy cannot function without shared reality. Here’s why:

Legislation requires facts:

• Can’t address climate change if facts are political
• Can’t reform healthcare without agreeing on problems
• Can’t create economic policy without shared data
• Can’t govern based on evidence if evidence is tribal

Accountability requires truth:

• Can’t hold officials accountable if facts are disputed
• Can’t investigate crimes if investigations are “witch hunts”
• Can’t prosecute corruption if prosecutions are “political”
• Can’t maintain rule of law if law serves power, not justice

Elections require legitimacy:

• Can’t accept results if facts are unknowable
• Can’t trust process if everything is “rigged”
• Can’t have peaceful transfer if losers claim fraud
• Can’t maintain democracy if elections are only legitimate when your side wins

The documented reality:

We’re not at Russian levels of alternative reality. Our free press still functions. Courts still operate with some independence. Evidence is still accessible.

But we’re adopting the techniques that destroy shared reality:

• Official narratives that contradict video evidence
• “Fake news” accusations delegitimizing fact-checking
• Projection creating permission for actual crimes
• Volume overwhelming ability to track truth
• Exhaustion replacing engagement

The trajectory is clear. The question is: Will we reverse it?

---

Section 2: The Transactionalization of Empathy

When Humanity Becomes Conditional

Four people killed. Four dramatically different responses. The determining factor: political utility.

Charlie Kirk – Conservative activist

• Immediate presidential address
• Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously
• Presidential attendance at memorial
• National mourning period
• 600+ people fired for insufficiently respectful comments
• Visa revocations for “derisive” speech
• Federal crackdown on left-wing groups
• Standard set: “Celebrating political death is fireable offense”

Melissa Hortman – Democratic lawmaker

• Generic statement: “Horrific violence will not be tolerated”
• Two months later: “I’m not familiar. The who?”
• No flags lowered
• No presidential attendance
• Seven months later: Shares conspiracy theory blaming political opponent
• Her children beg for removal, post remains
• No federal response to right-wing violence
• Standard: Amnesia and misinformation

Renee Nicole Good – U.S. citizen

• Called “domestic terrorist” by DHS Secretary
• Death justified by false narrative
• Widow investigated instead of agent
• Protests met with chemical munitions
• No accountability for killing
• Standard: Federal agents can kill citizens with impunity

Rob Reiner – Trump critic

• Death mocked by president day after murder
• Blamed for his own killing
• Made about Trump’s victimhood
• Family tragedy weaponized
• 72% of Americans call it inappropriate
• Standard: President can mock murder of critics

The Pattern: Empathy as Political Calculation

This isn’t inconsistency. It’s systematic calculation.

The formula is clear:

• Political ally killed = Maximum empathy, national response, consequences for critics
• Political opponent killed = Amnesia, mockery, or blame
• Citizen killed by federal agent = Justify killing, investigate victim
• The determining factor = Political utility, not humanity

This represents the complete transactionalization of empathy.

What This Does to Society

When empathy becomes transactional:

Shared humanity dissolves:

• People are valued based on political alignment
• Deaths become opportunities for political gain
• Tragedy is weaponized rather than mourned
• Human beings reduced to political utility

Tribalism replaces citizenship:

• “Our side” deserves sympathy
• “Their side” deserves contempt
• No common humanity transcending politics
• Society splits into warring tribes

Compassion becomes conditional:

• Mourning requires ideological purity
• Sympathy is political statement
• Empathy reserved for allies
• Opponents denied basic dignity

Violence becomes inevitable:

• If opponents aren’t fully human
• If their deaths don’t matter
• If killing them is justified
• If tragedy is opportunity
• Then violence is only matter of time

The Christian Betrayal

The evangelical support for this transactional empathy represents a profound betrayal of Christianity’s core teaching.

Jesus’s actual words:

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” – Matthew 5:44

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40

The documented reality:

At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, his widow embodied these teachings:

“On the cross, our savior said: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man—that young man—I forgive him. I forgive him because it’s what Christ did. And it’s what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer—we know from the Gospel—is love.”

At the same memorial service, Trump explicitly rejected Christian values:

“He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. I don’t want the best for them.”

81% of white evangelicals voted for the man who said “I hate my opponent.”

Not the widow who said “I forgive him.”

This reveals transactional empathy extending to faith itself:

• Christianity becomes tribal identity, not moral framework
• Religious language serves political power, not spiritual values
• “Christian” means “on our team,” not “follows Christ’s teachings”
• Judges and power matter more than love and forgiveness

When even Christianity becomes transactional, what remains sacred?

The Documented Consequences

Policy level:

• Border policy separates nursing infants from mothers
• Healthcare cuts harm vulnerable populations
• Climate denial threatens future generations
• Policies maximize harm to opponents, regardless of morality

Social level:

• Political affiliation determines worthiness of sympathy
• Neighbors become enemies based on yard signs
• Families fracture over political differences
• Communities split along tribal lines

Individual level:

• 600+ people fired for comments about Kirk
• Zero consequences for celebrating Renee Good’s death
• Standards apply to opponents, never to allies
• Cruelty rewarded when directed at “correct” targets

Why This Matters for Democracy

Democracy requires recognition of shared humanity.

The founders understood this:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

“All men” – not “men on our political team.”

“Unalienable Rights” – not “rights when politically convenient.”

When empathy becomes transactional:

• Opponents become enemies, not fellow citizens
• Compromise becomes betrayal
• Common ground becomes impossible
• Democracy becomes zero-sum warfare
• Violence becomes acceptable

The trajectory is documented:

• January 6th showed where this leads
• Chants of “Hang Mike Pence” showed how quickly allies become targets
• Gallows built at Capitol showed violence following dehumanization
• Continued defense of violence shows no lessons learned

If opponents aren’t fully human, their deaths don’t matter.

If their deaths don’t matter, democracy is already dead.

---

Section 3: The Collapse of Consistent Standards

Rules for Thee, Not for Me

The Charlie Kirk case established a standard. Or appeared to.

September 2025 – After Kirk’s Assassination:

VP JD Vance: “When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out and, hell, call their employer.”

Stephen Miller: Called mocking Kirk’s death “domestic terrorism,” vowed to “use law enforcement to go after Americans.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson: Fair game for employers to fire people for “celebrating heinous murder.”

Senator Marco Rubio: Strip visas – “Why would we want people who engage in negative behavior?”

Senator Ted Cruz: Reactions proved left has worse political violence problem.

The documented consequences:

• 600+ Americans fired from jobs
• Teachers, firefighters, Secret Service members, military personnel terminated
• Student expelled from Texas State University
• 6 people had visas revoked
• Man arrested for sharing meme (charges later dropped, sued county)
• ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel show off air after FCC threats
• Thousands investigated, lives destroyed

The standard seemed clear: Political deaths are sacred. Disrespect has severe consequences.

Three Months Later: The Standard Evaporates

December 2025 – After Rob Reiner’s Murder:

Rob Reiner and wife Michele killed by their son. Family tragedy, drug addiction, no political motive whatsoever.

Trump’s response, day after the murders:

“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director… has passed away… together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”

He blamed Reiner for his own murder. Made a family tragedy about Trump’s victimhood. Mocked the dead.

The documented response:

VP JD Vance: No “call their employer” statement. Silence.

Stephen Miller: No “domestic terrorism” accusation. Silence.

House Speaker Johnson: No condemnation. Silence.

Senator Rubio: No visa revocations. Silence.

Senator Cruz: No outrage. Silence.

Consequences for those celebrating Reiner’s death: Zero.

Consequences for Trump mocking murder: Zero.

Firings: Zero.

Investigations: Zero.

Visa revocations: Zero.

The standard that applied to Kirk’s critics didn’t apply to Trump mocking Reiner.

Even MAGA Objects – Briefly

Some Trump allies actually criticized the Reiner post:

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY): “This is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “This is a family tragedy, not about politics.”

Jenna Ellis (Trump’s former lawyer): “This is a horrible example from Trump… should be condemned by everyone with any decency.”

YouGov poll: 72% of Americans said Trump’s post was inappropriate.

Trump’s response: Doubled down. Refused to delete. No consequences.

The message: Standards don’t apply to power.

The Systematic Pattern

This isn’t one incident. It’s documented pattern.

“Law and Order”:

The claim: Republicans are party of law and order. Support police. Hold criminals accountable.

The reality:

• Trump: 34 felony convictions
• Found liable for sexual abuse
• Convicted business fraudster
• January 6: Attacked Capitol Police
• Now pardons January 6 attackers
• Calls for “defunding the FBI” when it investigates Republicans
• Led by convicted felon who attacks law enforcement

The standard:

• Law and order for opponents
• Excuses for allies
• “Back the blue” unless they investigate our side

“Fiscal Responsibility”:

The claim: Republicans are party of balanced budgets, deficit reduction, fiscal conservatism.

The reality:

• Reagan: Tripled national debt
• Bush Sr.: Increased deficit
• Bush Jr.: Turned Clinton surplus into massive deficit
• Trump: Added $8 trillion in 4 years
• Every modern Republican president increased deficit
• Clinton and Obama both reduced deficits

The standard:

• “Fiscal responsibility” means cutting programs for poor
• Massive tax cuts for wealthy
• Blame Democrats for debt Republicans created
• Platform itself is contradiction

“Family Values”:

The claim: Party of traditional marriage, Christian morality, family sanctity.

The reality:

• Trump: Three marriages, cheated on all wives
• Paid porn star hush money
• “Grab them by the pussy”
• Separated families at border (including nursing infants)
• Roy Moore (pursued teenage girls) defended by party

The standard:

• Values apply to controlling others
• Not to own behavior
• “Family values” = political weapon, not lived principle

“Small Government”:

The claim: Limited government, individual freedom, states’ rights.

The reality:

• Government control of women’s bodies (abortion bans)
• Government control of classrooms (book bans, curriculum mandates)
• Government interference in healthcare
• Government control of marriage (opposition to gay marriage)
• Massive military and police spending

The standard:

• Small government for corporations
• Big government for controlling individuals
• “Freedom” means corporate freedom, not individual freedom

The Documented Asymmetry

Yes, Democrats exhibit hypocrisy:

• Environmental advocates who fly private jets
• Wealthy politicians advocating higher taxes (while benefiting from system)
• Corporate money accepted while criticizing dark money
• Rhetoric about police reform, then increased police budgets

But the scale differs:

Democratic hypocrisy:

• Individual behavior contradicts rhetoric
• Policies still align with stated values
• Base often calls it out
• Progressive wing challenges moderate Democrats
• Kerry’s jet vs. environmental policy

Republican hypocrisy:

• Entire platform contradicts stated values
• Systematic, not individual
• Base defends contradictions
• Platform itself is the problem
• Every GOP president increasing deficit while claiming fiscal responsibility

This isn’t “both sides are the same.”

This is: Individual failings vs. systematic contradictions.

Trying to solve problems imperfectly vs. using “problems” to gain power.

Behavior not matching values vs. values used as weapons against opponents.

Why This Matters for Democracy

Democracy requires:

• Laws that apply equally to everyone
• Standards that constrain power
• Accountability for violations
• Justice that is blind
• Rules that protect the vulnerable from the powerful

When standards collapse:

• Power operates unconstrained
• Laws become tools of oppression
• Accountability disappears
• Justice serves the powerful
• Rules protect power from accountability

The documented trajectory:

• Kirk standard: Severe consequences for criticism
• Reiner standard: No consequences for power mocking death
• Good standard: Federal agents can kill citizens with impunity
• Hortman standard: Amnesia and conspiracy theories

The pattern is clear: Standards apply to opponents. Power gets exceptions.

That’s not democracy with flaws. That’s authoritarianism with elections.

---

Section 4: The Authoritarian Toolkit in American Democracy

Not Theoretical – Documented and Deployed

In Part 4, we documented five propaganda techniques from Putin’s playbook now being systematically deployed in American politics:

1. Accusation in a Mirror (Project your crimes onto opponents)
2. Firehose of Falsehood (Multiple contradictory narratives)
3. First-Mover Advantage (Control narrative before facts emerge)
4. Flooding the Zone (Overwhelm with volume and pace)
5. Weaponizing “Fake News” (Destroy trust in truth-seeking)

The question isn’t whether these techniques exist in American politics. They do. It’s documented.

The question is: What does their presence mean for democracy?

What Makes These Techniques Authoritarian

These aren’t normal political tactics. They’re specifically designed to:

Destroy shared reality:

• Can’t have democracy without agreed-upon facts
• These techniques make facts unknowable
• When everything is disputed, power determines truth

Overwhelm resistance:

• Can’t fact-check hundreds of false claims
• Can’t investigate dozens of scandals simultaneously
• Can’t maintain focus when flooded
• Exhaustion becomes strategy

Preempt accountability:

• Accuse opponents of what you’re doing
• Creates “both sides” permission structure
• Makes investigation seem political
• Projection protects actual crimes

Cultivate cynicism:

• “Everyone lies” means no accountability
• “Both sides do it” means no standards
• “You can’t trust anyone” means trust power
• Cynicism is authoritarian goal

The Constraints That Still Exist

America is not Russia. Yet.

We still have:

• Free press that investigates power
• Independent judiciary (though under pressure)
• Elections that can remove officials (though legitimacy questioned)
• Protests that are allowed (though met with force)
• Evidence that is accessible (though contradicted by power)
• Institutions that resist (though weakening)

These constraints matter immensely.

Putin can imprison journalists. Trump calls them “enemy of the people” but can’t jail them.

Putin controls courts completely. Trump’s legal cases still proceed despite pressure.

Putin’s elections are shams. American elections still function (barely).

The trajectory, however, is documented:

• Techniques escalating
• Constraints weakening
• Resistance exhausting
• Norms eroding
• Authoritarianism normalizing

Why the Comparison Matters

Critics say: “Comparing Trump to Putin is hysterical. America isn’t Russia.”

Correct. We’re not Russia.

But we’re using Russian techniques.

The question isn’t: “Are we Russia?”

The question is: “Are we adopting authoritarian propaganda methods, and if so, where does that lead?”

History provides the answer:

Weimar Germany:

• Started with democratic institutions
• Gradually adopted propaganda techniques
• Normalized authoritarian methods
• Cynicism replaced engagement
• By the time threat was clear, too late

Putin’s Russia:

• Started with democratic façade
• Systematically deployed propaganda techniques
• Destroyed independent media
• Created alternative reality
• Now: Full authoritarianism

Rwanda:

• Started with political manipulation
• Accusation in mirror justified violence
• Radio propaganda created alternative reality
• Dehumanization enabled genocide
• Happened in weeks, not years

The pattern across history:

1. Propaganda techniques introduced
2. Norms erode gradually
3. Opposition becomes exhausted
4. Cynicism replaces engagement
5. Authoritarianism consolidates
6. Recovery becomes extremely difficult

The lesson: By the time everyone recognizes the danger, institutions are too weak to resist.

The Documented Escalation

January 2026 – A Single Week:

Monday: U.S. military invades Venezuela, captures Maduro

Tuesday: Threats against Colombia, Cuba, Mexico

Wednesday: Plans announced for Greenland (by force if necessary)

Thursday: Warnings to Canada about annexation

Friday: Renee Good killed by ICE agent in Minneapolis

Saturday: Protests met with chemical munitions

Sunday: Trump says in NYT interview: “My own morality” is only limit

This pace of events:

• Floods the zone
• Overwhelms resistance
• Exhausts opposition
• Normalizes extremism
• Makes authoritarianism familiar

Each event would have dominated news cycles in previous administrations.

Now: Just another week.

That’s not normal political chaos. That’s authoritarian technique: flooding.

Why This Matters for Democracy

Democracy requires:

• Time for deliberation
• Fact-based debate
• Institutional processes
• Checks and balances
• Public engagement

Authoritarian techniques destroy these:

• Volume overwhelms deliberation
• Alternative realities prevent fact-based debate
• Flooding circumvents institutional processes
• Projection undermines checks and balances
• Exhaustion ends public engagement

The goal isn’t to create belief in lies.

The goal is to make truth unknowable, opposition exhausted, and resistance futile.

When that succeeds, only power remains.

That’s the endpoint of authoritarianism.

---

Section 5: What Democracy Requires

The Three Pillars – Revisited

We began this part by identifying three pillars of democracy. Now we can see how each is under systematic attack.

Pillar One: Shared Reality

Democracy requires:

• Agreement on basic facts
• Evidence as arbiter of truth
• Respect for expertise and investigation
• Willingness to correct when wrong
• Trusted institutions for verification
• Media that investigates without fear
• Courts that rule based on law
• Scientists and experts who inform policy

Without shared reality:

• No reasoned debate possible
• No fact-based accountability
• No common ground for compromise
• No way to solve actual problems
• Only raw power remains
• Democracy becomes impossible

Current status: Under systematic attack

• Video evidence contradicted by official narrative (Renee Good)
• “Fake news” delegitimizes fact-checking
• Courts attacked as “corrupt” when rulings unfavorable
• Expertise dismissed as “bias”
• Alternative reality maintained despite evidence
• Media called “enemy of the people”

The trajectory: Moving from “disputed facts” toward “power determines truth”

Pillar Two: Universal Empathy

Democracy requires:

• All human life has equal value
• Tragedy mourned regardless of politics
• Compassion not dependent on agreement
• Shared humanity transcending partisanship
• Opponents are citizens, not enemies
• Common good matters more than tribal victory

Without universal empathy:

• Society fractures into warring tribes
• Deaths become political opportunities
• Humanity conditional on loyalty
• Violence becomes acceptable
• Compromise becomes impossible
• Democracy becomes zero-sum warfare

Current status: Transactionalized

• Kirk gets Medal of Freedom, Hortman gets amnesia
• Good called “terrorist,” agent defended
• Reiner’s death mocked by president
• Empathy distributed based on political utility
• Dehumanization of opponents normalized
• Christian values betrayed for political power

The trajectory: Moving from “universal rights” toward “rights for our side only”

Pillar Three: Consistent Standards

Democracy requires:

• Laws apply equally to everyone
• Standards constrain power
• Accountability for violations
• Justice that is blind
• Rules protect vulnerable from powerful
• Same rules for allies and opponents

Without consistent standards:

• Power operates unconstrained
• Laws become tools of oppression
• Accountability disappears
• Justice serves the powerful
• Might makes right
• Democracy becomes facade

Current status: Systematically collapsed

• Kirk critics fired, Reiner mockers face nothing
• Trump convicted felon leading “law and order” party
• Deficit spending by Republicans, fiscal responsibility preached
• Standards for opponents, exceptions for allies
• Rules enforced politically, not equally
• Power rewrites rules when convenient

The trajectory: Moving from “flawed justice” toward “power is justice”

The Interconnection

These three pillars support each other:

Shared reality enables consistent standards (can’t enforce rules without agreed facts)

Universal empathy supports shared reality (care about truth for all, not just our side)

Consistent standards reinforce universal empathy (equal treatment affirms equal humanity)

When one pillar weakens, others follow:

No shared reality → No way to enforce standards equally → Standards become political → Empathy becomes tribal → Society fractures → Alternative realities solidify → Shared reality dies completely

This is the death spiral of democracy.

We’re in it now.

---

Section 6: Where We Are Now – An Honest Assessment

Not Full Authoritarianism

Let’s be clear about what America still has:

Free press:

• Journalists investigate without imprisonment
• Critical coverage still published
• Multiple news sources available
• International media accessible
• Fact-checking organizations operate

Independent judiciary:

• Courts still rule against executive branch
• Judges maintain some independence
• Legal processes still function
• Appeals available
• Rule of law still partially operative

Democratic elections:

• Votes are counted
• Transitions of power occur
• Opposition can win
• Multiple parties compete
• Results generally respected

Civil liberties:

• Protests still allowed
• Free speech still protected (mostly)
• Assembly rights maintained
• Privacy partially preserved
• Civil society organizations function

Institutional resistance:

• Bureaucrats resist illegal orders
• Prosecutors resign rather than corrupt investigations
• Military leaders maintain apolitical stance (so far)
• Career officials uphold democratic norms
• Whistleblowers can still come forward

These differences from Russia are real and crucial.

But We’re Adopting Authoritarian Techniques

And that’s what should terrify us.

Because authoritarianism doesn’t arrive overnight. It arrives through the normalization of authoritarian techniques while democratic institutions still exist.

The documented pattern:

Projection (Accusation in Mirror):

• “Election fraud” while attempting to overturn election
• “Domestic terrorism” accusation while justifying state violence
• “Fake news” while spreading thousands of false claims
• Used systematically, not occasionally

Firehose of Falsehood:

• Hortman killer: Multiple contradictory narratives (leftist/false flag/amnesia)
• Alternative realities maintained despite evidence
• Volume prevents comprehensive fact-checking
• Contradictions don’t matter; confusion is the goal

First-Mover Advantage:

• Kirk: Immediate “radical left” narrative before investigation
• Good: “Domestic terrorist” label before facts emerge
• Control narrative before evidence can contradict
• Later corrections never catch up

Flooding the Zone:

• Venezuela invasion, Good killing, protests, international threats – all same week
• Volume overwhelms scrutiny
• Opposition exhausted
• Normalization through pace
• Each outrage buries the last

Weaponizing “Fake News”:

• Video evidence dismissed
• Fact-checking called “bias”
• Investigative journalism attacked
• Court findings rejected
• Trust in truth-seeking destroyed

Alternative Reality Creation:

• Official narrative contradicting video (Good)
• Conspiracy theories replacing facts (Hortman)
• “My own morality” replacing law
• Power determining truth

The Trajectory Is Clear

We’re not at the endpoint. We’re on the path.

Early Weimar Germany had:

• Democratic elections
• Free press
• Independent courts
• Civil liberties

But propaganda techniques normalized.

Opposition became exhausted.

Cynicism replaced engagement.

By the time everyone saw the danger, institutions were too weak.

Early Putin Russia had:

• Democratic facade
• Some press freedom
• Contested elections
• Opposition parties

But propaganda techniques systematized.

Independent media gradually destroyed.

Alternative reality created.

Now: Full authoritarianism.

We have the warning. History provides it. Will we heed it?

What Makes This Time Different – And Dangerous

Previous American threats:

Watergate:

• Institutions functioned
• Media investigated
• Congress held accountable
• Courts ruled impartially
• President resigned
• System worked

Iran-Contra:

• Hearings held
• Evidence gathered
• Officials testified
• Prosecutions occurred
• Accountability (some) achieved

Clinton Impeachment:

• Process followed
• Standards debated
• Both sides argued within shared reality
• System functioned

What’s different now:

Institutional capture:

• Congress abdicates oversight
• DOJ pressured to serve president
• Courts under unprecedented attack
• Media delegitimized as “enemy”
• Norm violations normalized

Reality fragmentation:

• No agreed facts
• Evidence disputed
• Multiple contradictory narratives
• Video evidence insufficient
• Truth unknowable

Exhaustion:

• Too many scandals to track
• Overwhelmed by volume
• Outrage fatigue
• Resignation replacing resistance
• “This is fine” replacing “This is wrong”

Scale:

• Not one scandal, but systematic pattern
• Not one technique, but coordinated deployment
• Not aberration, but strategy
• Not bug, but feature
• Not mistake, but method

This is what makes now different: The systematic nature of the assault on democratic foundations.

---

Section 7: The Choice Ahead

This Is Not Inevitable

Everything documented in this series shows a trajectory toward authoritarianism.

But trajectories can change. If we choose to change them.

The question is: What do we actually care about?

Path One: Defend Democracy

This requires:

Defending Shared Reality:

Demand evidence-based governance:

• Reject alternative realities
• Insist on proof for claims
• Support investigative journalism
• Defend fact-checkers
• Call out propaganda techniques when used
• Maintain epistemic standards

Support institutions that seek truth:

• Subscribe to quality journalism
• Donate to fact-checking organizations
• Support whistleblowers
• Defend career professionals
• Respect expertise
• Value evidence over emotion

Reject “fake news” cynicism:

• Truth is knowable through evidence
• Not all sources are equally reliable
• Distinguishing fact from fiction is possible
• Exhaustion is goal of manipulation
• Maintain critical thinking
• Don’t surrender to cynicism

Maintain Universal Empathy:

Mourn all victims equally:

• Human life has value regardless of politics
• Tragedy is tragedy, not opportunity
• Compassion crosses tribal lines
• Shared humanity transcends partisanship

Resist dehumanization:

• Opponents are citizens, not enemies
• Disagree without denying humanity
• Criticism without cruelty
• Stand for human dignity universally

Defend religious integrity:

• Call out transactional faith
• Demand consistency with stated values
• Reject Christian nationalism
• Support actual Christian witness
• Stand with Kirk’s widow over Trump’s hatred

Enforce Consistent Standards:

Demand accountability for power:

• Same rules for allies and opponents
• No one above the law
• Power constrained by standards
• Justice applies equally

Support institutional independence:

• Career prosecutors
• Nonpartisan judges
• Professional bureaucrats
• Investigative bodies
• Apolitical military

Reject selective application:

• Kirk standard applies to Reiner mockery
• “Law and order” includes president
• “Fiscal responsibility” measured by deficits
• “Family values” apply to leaders
• Standards or nothing

Resist Authoritarian Techniques:

Name them when you see them:

• “That’s projection”
• “That’s firehose of falsehood”
• “That’s flooding the zone”
• “That’s first-mover advantage”
• “That’s fake news weaponization”

Don’t engage on their terms:

• Refuse alternative reality
• Don’t chase multiple false narratives
• Demand evidence
• Maintain focus
• Return to facts

Understand the goal:

• Not belief in lies
• But cynicism about truth
• Not convincing you they’re right
• But exhausting you into silence
• Recognition prevents surrender

Path Two: Accept Authoritarianism

This is also a choice. Let’s be honest about what it means.

Accept alternative realities:

• Give up on shared facts
• Let power determine truth
• Abandon evidence-based discourse
• Retreat into tribal narratives
• Surrender to propaganda

Consequences:

• Can’t solve actual problems (no agreed facts)
• Can’t hold power accountable (no truth)
• Can’t maintain science, medicine, engineering (requires reality)
• Can’t educate children (in what facts?)
• Can’t govern (based on what information?)

Embrace transactional empathy:

• Mourn only “our side”
• Weaponize every tragedy
• Dehumanize opponents
• Tribal loyalty over humanity
• Partisan identity over citizenship

Consequences:

• Society fractures completely
• Every issue becomes warfare
• Compromise impossible
• Violence inevitable
• Democracy ends

Tolerate selective standards:

• Rules for opponents only
• Power without accountability
• Corruption when convenient
• Justice serves powerful
• Might makes right

Consequences:

• Rule of law ends
• Institutions corrupted
• Democracy becomes facade
• Authoritarianism consolidates
• No peaceful way back

Surrender to cynicism:

• “Everyone lies”
• “Both sides are the same”
• “You can’t know what’s true”
• “Why even try?”
• “Nothing matters”

Consequences:

• Civic engagement ends
• Authoritarianism fills vacuum
• Resistance becomes impossible
• Future generations inherit ruins
• No recovery without crisis

The Stakes Could Not Be Higher

If we choose Path One:

• Hard work
• Constant vigilance
• Exhausting resistance
• Daily choices
• Uncertain outcome
• But: Democracy possible

If we choose Path Two:

• Easy surrender
• Tribal comfort
• Partisan certainty
• No more thinking
• Predictable outcome
• But: Authoritarianism inevitable

The honest truth:

Most people will choose Path Two. Not because they want authoritarianism. But because Path One is exhausting. Because calling out propaganda techniques is tiring. Because demanding evidence is work. Because maintaining empathy for opponents is hard. Because enforcing standards consistently is uncomfortable.

Authoritarianism wins through exhaustion, not conversion.

The question is: Will enough people choose Path One?

---

Section 8: What History Teaches

The Pattern Across Time and Place

Every democracy that fell to authoritarianism followed similar patterns:

Weimar Germany (1930s):

Early stages:

• Democratic institutions functioning
• Free press operating
• Opposition parties competing
• Civil liberties protected

Propaganda techniques deployed:

• Jews blamed for Germany’s problems (projection)
• Multiple contradictory narratives normalized
• “Lügenpresse” (lying press) attacked media
• Volume overwhelmed resistance
• Alternative reality created

Key moments:

• Reichstag fire used to justify emergency powers
• Enabling Act passed while institutions weak
• Opposition exhausted and divided
• By the time threat clear, too late

Lesson: Propaganda techniques normalized while democratic institutions still existed. Resistance came too late.

Soviet Union (1920s-30s):

Early stages:

• Revolutionary fervor
• Idealistic promises
• Popular support (initially)
• Democratic rhetoric

Propaganda techniques deployed:

• “Enemies of the people” eliminated
• Alternative reality through state media
• Expertise dismissed as “bourgeois”
• Show trials created fear
• Cynicism replaced hope

Key moments:

• Lenin’s centralization of power
• Stalin’s consolidation
• Great Purge eliminated opposition
• Gulags silenced dissent
• Lasted 70 years

Lesson: Revolutionary rhetoric masked authoritarian consolidation. Idealism manipulated for power.

Rwanda (1990s):

Early stages:

• Ethnic tensions managed
• Government functioning
• International presence
• Relative stability

Propaganda techniques deployed:

• Radio propaganda dehumanized Tutsis
• “Cockroaches” language normalized
• Accusation in mirror (blamed victims for planning genocide)
• First-mover advantage controlled narrative
• Alternative reality created

Key moments:

• President’s assassination triggered violence
• Prepared militias mobilized
• Radio directed massacres
• International community hesitated
• 800,000 dead in 100 days

Lesson: Propaganda techniques made genocide possible. Dehumanization enabled atrocity. Speed prevented intervention.

Modern Russia (2000s-present):

Early stages:

• Democratic facade after Soviet collapse
• Free press briefly flourished
• Opposition parties competed
• Hope for democracy

Propaganda techniques deployed:

• Independent media destroyed systematically
• “Fake news” laws imprisoned journalists
• Projection normalized (accuse West of what Russia does)
• Alternative reality maintained through state control
• Cynicism cultivated deliberately

Key moments:

• Putin’s consolidation of media
• Oligarch control of opposition
• Apartment bombings blamed on Chechens
• Ukraine invasion justified by lies
• Now: Full authoritarianism

Lesson: Systematic deployment of propaganda techniques destroyed democratic potential. Currently active example.

The Common Pattern

In every case:

1. Propaganda techniques introduced while democracy still functions
2. Norms erode gradually – each violation smaller than last
3. Opposition becomes exhausted by volume and pace
4. Cynicism replaces engagement – “everyone lies” wins
5. Authoritarianism consolidates while resistance weakened
6. Recovery extremely difficult – took decades or never occurred

The Warning for America

We are in Stage 1-2:

• Propaganda techniques introduced: ✓ (documented in Part 4)
• Norms eroding: ✓ (documented throughout series)
• Opposition exhausting: In progress
• Cynicism growing: Measurable
• Authoritarianism consolidating: Early stages
• Recovery: Still possible

The crucial insight from history:

By the time everyone recognizes the danger, institutions are too weak to resist effectively.

Weimar Germans in 1938: “How did we let this happen?”

Answer: Gradually, then suddenly. While institutions still existed but norms had eroded.

Russians in 2010: “How did democracy die?”

Answer: Propaganda techniques destroyed independent media while democratic facade maintained.

Rwandans in 1994: “How did this become possible?”

Answer: Dehumanization normalized through radio propaganda while international community dismissed warnings.

The question for Americans in 2026:

Are we recognizing the danger while institutions still function?

Or will we wait until they don’t?

What’s Different This Time

America has advantages previous cases lacked:

Strong institutions:

• Over 200 years of democratic tradition
• Constitutional protections
• Separation of powers
• Federal system
• Civil society

Free press:

• Multiple independent media outlets
• Investigative journalism tradition
• International coverage
• Internet access
• Whistleblower protections

Civic culture:

• Democratic values deeply held
• Protest traditions
• Civil rights legacy
• Rule of law expectation
• Educated population

These advantages matter.

But they’re not magic shields. They’re resources that require active defense.

Germany had democratic traditions. Soviet Union had educated population. Rwanda had international observers. Russia had free press briefly.

All fell to authoritarianism because:

• Techniques deployed while institutions existed
• Opposition exhausted before consolidation
• Warnings dismissed as alarmist
• Recognition came too late

Our advantages make resistance possible. They don’t make it inevitable.

The choice remains ours. For now.

---

Section 9: Conclusion – The Verdict

What This Series Has Documented

Part 1: The Politics of Victimhood

Empathy is transactional, applied based on political utility, not universal humanity.

• Melissa Hortman: “I don’t know who she was”
• Charlie Kirk: Medal of Freedom
• Renee Good: Called “domestic terrorist”
• Rob Reiner: Death mocked by president

Who deserves sympathy determined by political alignment.

Part 2: “My Own Morality”

Trump’s morality is Stage 2 development – pure self-interest, not Christian values.

• “I hate my opponent. I don’t want the best for them.”
• “I don’t forgive people.”
• “My own morality… is the only thing that can stop me.”
• 81% evangelical support despite complete contradiction of Christian teaching

Transactional relationship: Votes for judges, silence for sins.

Part 3: Both Sides, Different Scale

Manipulation exists across spectrum, but scale and systematization differ dramatically.

• Democrats: Individual hypocrisy, policies align with values
• Republicans: Platform-level contradictions, systematic strategy
• Asymmetry is measurable, not asserted
• Base accountability differs fundamentally

Not “both sides are the same” – documented differences in scale, systematization, intent.

Part 4: Out of Putin’s Playbook

Authoritarian propaganda techniques systematically deployed in America.

• Projection (Accusation in mirror)
• Firehose of falsehood
• First-mover advantage
• Flooding the zone
• Weaponizing “fake news”

Same playbook, different constraints (so far).

Part 5: What This Means

Three pillars of democracy under systematic attack:

• Shared reality: Video evidence contradicted by power
• Universal empathy: Transactionalized based on politics
• Consistent standards: Collapsed into “rules for thee, not for me”

Trajectory toward authoritarianism is documented and clear.

This Is Not Partisan Opinion

Every claim in this series:

• Documented through primary sources
• Verifiable through video evidence
• Confirmed by court records
• Reported by multiple outlets
• Observable in public statements

The patterns are measurable:

• Differential treatment of victims: Documented
• Propaganda technique deployment: Documented
• Asymmetry in manipulation: Documented
• Trajectory toward authoritarianism: Documented
• Comparison to historical patterns: Evidence-based

This is not:

• “Democrats are perfect” (explicitly documented their issues)
• “America is exactly like Russia” (acknowledged crucial differences)
• “Authoritarianism is inevitable” (resistance still possible)
• “Both sides are the same” (measured and documented asymmetry)

This is:

• Factual documentation of patterns
• Evidence-based analysis
• Historical comparison
• Warning based on trajectory
• Choice presented while choice still exists

The Central Question

Not: “Are Democrats perfect?” (They’re not)

Not: “Is this exactly like Putin?” (Not yet)

Not: “Do both sides have issues?” (They do)

The question is:

Are authoritarian techniques being systematically deployed in America?

Yes. Documented in Part 4.

Is shared reality dissolving?

Yes. Video evidence contradicted by official narrative.

Is empathy becoming transactional?

Yes. Differential treatment based on political utility.

Are standards selectively applied?

Yes. Kirk standard vs. Reiner standard.

Is democracy eroding?

Yes. All three pillars under systematic attack.

The Choice Is Stark

We can:

Defend shared reality:

• Demand evidence-based governance
• Support investigative journalism
• Reject alternative realities
• Call out propaganda techniques
• Maintain epistemic standards
• Resist cynicism about truth

Maintain universal empathy:

• Mourn all victims equally
• Resist dehumanization
• Defend human dignity
• Reject transactional compassion
• Remember shared citizenship
• Stand for humanity over tribalism

Enforce consistent standards:

• Demand accountability for powerful
• Support institutional independence
• Reject selective application
• Defend rule of law
• Maintain justice equally
• Power must be constrained

Or we can:

Accept alternative realities:

• Surrender to tribal narratives
• Let power determine truth
• Abandon evidence-based discourse
• Give up on shared facts
• Live in separate realities
• Democracy becomes impossible

Embrace transactional empathy:

• Mourn only “our side”
• Weaponize tragedy
• Dehumanize opponents
• Tribal loyalty over humanity
• Society fractures completely
• Violence becomes inevitable

Tolerate selective standards:

• Rules for opponents only
• Power without accountability
• Corruption when convenient
• Might makes right
• Democracy becomes facade
• Authoritarianism consolidates

What Happens Next

If we choose defense:

• Hard, constant work
• Daily resistance to propaganda
• Exhausting maintenance of standards
• Demanding evidence despite fatigue
• Defending opponents’ humanity
• Uncertain outcome

But: Democracy remains possible

If we choose surrender:

• Easy tribal comfort
• No more exhausting fact-checking
• Partisan certainty replaces doubt
• Dehumanization feels righteous
• Standards only for enemies
• Predictable outcome

But: Authoritarianism becomes inevitable

History’s Lesson

The pattern across time:

By the time everyone sees the danger clearly, institutions are too weak to resist effectively.

Weimar Germans learned: Propaganda normalizes while democracy exists. Recognition came too late.

Soviet citizens learned: Cynicism and exhaustion enable authoritarianism. Resistance became impossible.

Rwandans learned: Dehumanization makes atrocity possible. Genocide happened in weeks.

Russians are learning: Alternative reality destroys resistance. Opposition dangerous and futile.

What will Americans learn?

Option 1: We recognized the danger while institutions still functioned. We chose to defend democracy. It was hard, but we preserved it.

Option 2: We dismissed warnings as alarmist. We chose tribal comfort over shared reality. By the time we saw the danger clearly, it was too late.

The difference between these outcomes:

Choices made now. While we still have the power to choose.

The Final Question

Do you care about:

• Truth over tribalism?
• Evidence over emotion?
• Consistency over convenience?
• Humanity over politics?
• Democracy over power?

Or do you care only about:

• Your team winning?
• Justifying your side?
• Defeating opponents?
• Accumulating power?
• Tribal victory?

The answer to this question determines everything.

Because democracy requires:

People who value truth even when inconvenient.

People who maintain empathy even for opponents.

People who enforce standards even on allies.

People who resist propaganda even when exhausting.

People who defend democracy even when hard.

Authoritarianism requires only:

People who value winning over truth.

People who abandon empathy for enemies.

People who excuse allies’ violations.

People who surrender to exhaustion.

People who choose tribal comfort.

History suggests most will choose the easier path.

The question is: Will you?

---

Coda: The Moment We’re In

January 2026.

A democratic lawmaker lies murdered, her killer a documented supporter of the president who doesn’t know her name.

A U.S. citizen lies dead, shot by a federal agent, video evidence contradicted by official narrative calling her “terrorist.”

A conservative activist lies murdered, 600+ people fired for insufficient mourning, standard set then immediately abandoned.

A film director lies murdered, death mocked by the president, family tragedy weaponized.

The President says “my own morality” is the only constraint on power, while demonstrating Stage 2 moral development.

Evangelical Christians support this with 81% approval, betraying every principle Christ taught.

Authoritarian propaganda techniques – projection, firehose of falsehood, flooding, fake news weaponization – deployed systematically.

Three pillars of democracy – shared reality, universal empathy, consistent standards – under coordinated attack.

This is the moment we’re in.

Not future dystopia. Not theoretical threat. Not paranoid fantasy.

Documented present reality.

The question is simple:

What will you do about it?

Will you defend democracy while it still exists?

Or wait until it doesn’t?

History is watching. And it will record our answer.

---

Resources & Further Reading

Primary Sources Referenced

Court Documents:

• Trump criminal conviction records (34 felony counts)
• Sexual abuse civil case verdict
• Business fraud conviction
• January 6 charging documents

Video Evidence:

• Renee Good shooting (multiple camera angles)
• Trump rally speeches
• Presidential interviews
• Memorial services

Official Statements:

• Truth Social posts
• White House press releases
• DHS statements
• Prosecutor resignation letters

News Coverage:

• Washington Post fact-checker database
• Multiple outlet verification
• Local Minneapolis coverage
• International reporting

Academic Research

On Propaganda Techniques:

• RAND Corporation: “The Russian ‘Firehose of Falsehood’ Propaganda Model”
• Studies on authoritarian information tactics
• Research on projection and accusation in mirror

On Moral Development:

• Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
• Dr. Kristen Monroe (UCI Ethics Center) analysis
• Research on transactional vs. principled morality

On Democratic Erosion:

• “How Democracies Die” – Levitsky & Ziblatt
• Studies on norm violation and institutional decay
• Research on authoritarian consolidation patterns

Historical Context

Weimar Germany:

• Propaganda technique documentation
• Timeline of democratic erosion
• Analysis of institutional failure

Rwanda Genocide:

• Radio propaganda transcripts
• Dehumanization studies
• Rapid violence escalation

Soviet Union:

• Information control methods
• Cynicism cultivation
• Alternative reality maintenance

Putin’s Russia:

• Current authoritarian techniques
• Media control documentation
• Opposition suppression methods

For Fact-Checking

• Washington Post Fact Checker
• PolitiFact
• FactCheck.org
• Snopes
• International fact-checking networks

For Media Literacy

• News Literacy Project
• First Draft
• Center for Media Literacy
• Critical thinking resources
• Propaganda recognition guides

---

This series is dedicated to:

• Melissa Hortman, who served Minnesota for 20 years
• Renee Nicole Good, poet and mother of three
• Charlie Kirk, whose widow embodied Christian forgiveness
• Rob Reiner, whose family tragedy was weaponized

And to all those who choose truth over tribalism, humanity over politics, and democracy over power.

May we be worthy of their example.

---

The choice is ours. The time is now. History is watching.