The “Call to Action”
We support & improve our democratic processes and institutions We take on the tough, complex intimidating issues we face in our world
America was a grand experiment – and it still is. The perseverance modeled in the second foundation block (our 250-year no quit” trajectory) kept that experiment alive for the world. We are challenged to be worthy of America, its founders and those who have sacrificed to keep it alive, and to commit to keep grinding to fully realize the vision.
We have two types of challenge to take on as citizens of a democracy and that requires honoring and modeling American Greatness. The willingness of current generations to protect and improve our democracy as well as take on the big tough intimidating issues we now face are the commitments on which the continuation of the American experiment now rests. And, those two challenges will require our best – together.
“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
So, we bring our courage, perseverance, resilience, sense of responsibility and significance along with our willingness to step outside our comfort zones to be citizens, not subjects. We fight off the authoritarian’s playbook, and we follow the citizen’s playbook to honor and model American greatness when it is needed – together – now.
What’s Here?
#1 We Say “Yes” to Being Citizens not Subjects
“We Act from Our Larger Selves”
#2 We Fight Off the Authoritarians Trying to Step on Our Throats
We Counter the 10 Strategies of the Authoritarian Playbook (we play defense)
#3 We Follow 10 Strategies in a “Citizen’s Playbook”
We protect and improve our democratic processes and institutions (we play offense)
#4 We Take on the Big Complex Intimidating Issues We Face in Our World
“We Play Large”
#1 We Say “Yes” to Being Citizens not Subjects
“We Act from Our Larger Selves”
“I am a courageous citizen, not a cowardly subject. I act from my “larger self” – my courage and values and my ability to persevere and be resilient – because I am significant and I have something to offer. And I am willing to go outside my current comfort zone to do so – now.”
“We either act as citizens of a democracy or give up and become subjects. We can’t not choose.” There is no middle ground. There are a few key characteristics that we must model as citizens to avoid sliding into the impotence and dependency of being subjects. It’s a slippery slope and it takes intention and commitment to not simply become passive subjects.
As “citizens” we must act from our “larger selves.” At this point in time we are challenged to be confident responsible “citizens” that make a difference – not weak insecure “subjects” that retreat into dependence. America won’t survive “ordinary” because democracies aren’t ordinary. They ask more of their citizens – they ask their citizens to act from their “larger selves.”
Even if we feel small, we must “play large.” Being citizens vs. subjects requires acting from our larger selves because of the scope and scale of the challenges we face. Our larger selves come from a base of courage, commitment, responsibility, perseverance, and resilience – developed over a lifetime. Those qualities are there to a surprising degree if we call for them.
"America was not built on fear, America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."
To protect the American experiment in democracy we must act from a sense that we can make a difference. That is true even if even if we don’t know exactly how or what difference we can make when we start. We just need to step up and start. We can stand upon the foundation blocks of American Greatness that we have inherited in order to draw upon our best – and we will find new “bests” in the process.
Our larger selves give us the confidence to take on the big tough issues any generation
faces as well as the security to transcend our differences and sacrifice for the common
good – just as the founders did and as Americans have done over the past 250 years when called upon.
Personal Qualities of the Founders – From Their Larger Selves
One of the foundation blocks on which we can stand as Americans committed to being citizens and not subjects is a set of qualities modeled by the citizens that founded the United States. These are qualities that most of us have within us and we just need to call on them and commit with intention to act – now.
1. Perseverance – They wavered but never quit. The revolutionaries were persistent, sustaining a long war and continued civil resistance even when hope seemed dim. They kept going well outside of their comfort zones – for a long time.
2. Courage – They risked their lives, fortunes, and reputations to resist the world’s strongest empire. Signing the Declaration of Independence was effectively treason.
3. Conviction – They had a deep belief in natural rights, liberty, and self-governance motivated individuals to act, even when odds were against them.
4. Resilience – Patriots endured hardship, including economic deprivation, personal loss, and military defeats – for years and with no guarantee of success.
5. Ingenuity – Americans relied on innovation, including guerrilla tactics in battle, and new ideas in politics, communication, and diplomacy.
6. Sacrifice – Many gave up property, status, and even family safety for the cause.
7. Trust/belief – The took the risk to trust in leaders, in themselves and in the value of the cause.
8. Shared Vision– They had a shared vision that was worth the risk, effort, and cost. They had to imagine a society that had never existed before—a self-governing republic. Though imperfect, there was a shared aspiration to build a society based on liberty, republicanism, and equality
9. Solidarity – The founders had to find common ground among different colonies, interests, classes, and ideologies.
10. Leadership – Key individuals like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin demonstrated foresight, moral clarity, and strategic thinking – and there were enough leaders with the courage to lead even in the midst of all the unknown and uncertainty.
We must counter the natural lure of acting from our “smaller selves” and becoming subjects. Our smaller selves are ruled by fear, by feeling weak, anxious, doubting, insecure, and by having little faith in our own abilities or those of our fellow citizens. These are the qualities that authoritarians prey upon and reinforce in order to create dependent “subjects.”
Our smaller selves are characterized by victimhood, grievances, the fear of “others” and a lack of confidence in our ability to carry the responsibility of governing ourselves. When we retreat to our smaller selves we basically fall victim to a strong sense of needing to be taken care of – to be dependent – to be subjects, not citizens. It is fundamentally a belief that we can’t take care of ourselves and need a “savior(s).”
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any”
To be “citizens” and not “subjects” we must directly acknowledge and counter the natural draw of giving up and retreating into our smaller selves – giving in to doubts, a lack of confidence in ourselves and each other as well as our democratic processes and
institutions – and the desire for an image of certainty regardless of how empty that image always is.
We must step up together to counter the forces of polarization and find the basic ground on which we can stand together. This does not mean ignoring our differences, but it does mean finding the way to go beyond them to do what we need to do now to protect the American experiment.
Diverse democracies are tough to build and maintain by their very nature. This is another reason why the American experiment won’t survive “ordinary.” We are tasked with transcending our differences to take on the tough challenges we face that require a high degree of solidarity.
Americans have always had serious differences, and we have handled those differences well at times and not well at others. Now is a time when we need to acknowledge and honor our differences – and find ways to build on them to protect our democracy.
#2 We Fight Off the Authoritarians Trying to Step on Our Throats
“We Counter the Authoritarian Playbook”
“I realize that the authoritarian playbook is in operation now and I commit to confronting and countering it. I refuse to feel small and weak and needing to have an authoritarian figure take care of me. I refuse to fall prey to the empty promises and will act with intent and perseverance – now.”
The American experiment has worked for 250 years, but it is now in danger of being destroyed from within – and in the short term. We are called to draw upon and model American Greatness to counter the authoritarian forces that pose this threat – as well as improve our democratic processes and institutions so that they can better meet the needs of Americans.
The powerful authoritarian forces that prey on our fears and doubts are currently driving a retreat from the big tough issues we face and, at the same time, attacking and undermining our democratic values, processes and institutions. They are trying to lure
us into being dependent subjects vs. citizens.
These forces are relying on their ability to make Americans feel small and weak and unable to care for themselves – being diminished, giving up and becoming “subjects.” They do not want us acting from our “larger selves” as citizens. They want us acting from our weak “smaller selves” as subjects. They do not want us drawing upon and modeling true American Greatness.
This is a naked powerplay. This powerplay has been seen before around the world by authoritarian forces on both the left and the right. The American experiment in democracy is surprisingly vulnerable to this classic playbook of authoritarian despots – and it is in play now.
As citizens we must understand and counter the strategies that authoritarian leaders and movements use to diminish people – and act from our larger selves to take on our tough challenges directly – now.
"The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy."
The Ten Core Authoritarian Strategies in Play – Now
#1 Authoritarians reinforce our smaller selves, our fears and insecurities, our “victimhood” – and they split us
Authoritarian figures and movements undermine true American Greatness and our democracy by splitting people and directing them to identify with and act from their “smaller selves” – their fears, anxieties, lack of influence, lack of confidence. They create or exaggerate threats, scapegoat minorities or marginalized groups, and promise order and security in exchange for freedom. They prey on people when they feel small and weak – reinforcing the belief that they cannot manage their lives effectively and “need to be taken care of” by the authoritarians.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can choose to act from our larger selves and model American Greatness to take on the big tough issues we face – as citizens, not subjects – courage, commitment, perseverance, resilience, togetherness and solidarity
● We can focus on and model the strength of our two foundation blocks – our extraordinary founding and our 250-year trajectory of perseverance
● We can directly counter polarization, anxiety, fear, the demonization of “others”
#2 Authoritarians position us as weak “victims” and themselves as “saviors”
They see people as subjects and position themselves as the natural rulers, diminishing people to drain their power, dramatically overstating or simply fabricating their own capabilities, and labeling anyone resisting as traitors, enemies, or evil and unworthy.
Authoritarian figures and movements rely on the fact that it is easy for people to “give up” on democracy and the challenges of being citizens – and become dependent upon and identify with the authoritarian figures.
They portray themselves as saviors who will rescue the “victims.” The “victims” then become dependent subjects, not independent citizens. They become actual victims or sheep, and the “saviors” simply enrich themselves.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can act to highlight and model our history of perseverance and “no quit” in the face of daunting challenges – along with our history of progress. We can challenge any sense of “victimhood” and focus on acting as citizens with influence vs being impotent subjects that need authoritarian saviors
● We can call out what the authoritarian is doing and challenge the need for a “savior”
● We can directly challenge their diminishing of people and reinforce the capability and power that people have
● We can simply challenge the self-aggrandizement and “puffery” of the authoritarian
● We can challenge the silencing of dissent and legitimize the role of dissent as well as holding leaders accountable
#3 Authoritarians undermine truth and independent media to paralyze dissent and accountability and split people
They spread misinformation and lies in order to confuse and freeze people, control the narrative, attack journalists, and establish state control over the media. This is compounded by foreign disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks on American organizations.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can support independent responsible media financially and politically
● We can educate ourselves to establish “truth”
● We can challenge the misinformation and lies with “the truth”
#4 Authoritarians destroy or co-opt democratic institutions and processes
They weaken checks and balances allowing executive overreach, undermine and gridlock legislatures and the courts, neutralize watchdog institutions, gerrymander election districts, suppress the vote, undermine the legitimacy of elections, sabotage the election processes, etc.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can counter voter suppression in its many forms
● We can actively protest attacks on democratic institutions and processes
● We can participate in the political processes locally and nationally
“The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government.”
#5 Authoritarians crush or co-opt opposition
They outlaw or suppress opposition parties and groups, use rewards and threats to neutralize or recruit key individuals, businesses, and organizations, and co-opt legal institutions and processes to cripple or destroy opposition.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can join and support threatened groups and organizations or organizations taking this issue on
● We can call out what is being done and peacefully protest to prevent it from being done unopposed or in the shadows
#6 Authoritarians control economic access and patronage
They punish or subsidize companies or industries to reward loyalty, creating dependence of people through access to jobs, capital, and opportunities – and they use corruption as a way to control and reward “insiders.”
We Counter This Strategy
● We can call it out and peacefully protest
● We can support groups and organizations fighting it
● We can support companies that refuse to be co-opted and don’t patronize or boycott those that do cave in
“Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.”
#7 Authoritarians normalize violence and co-opt the police and the military
They use the police and military to intimidate or suppress opposing voices, establish “secret police” systems of surveillance to monitor and control citizens, and normalize violence to keep people from speaking or acting.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can call it out and peacefully protest
● We can support the individuals, groups, and organizations that confront it
#8 Authoritarians undermine civil liberties to control “subjects”
They limit freedom of speech and assembly, suppress the vote, limit religious freedom, censure the media, and criminalize dissent.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can call it out and peacefully protest
● We can support the individuals, groups, and organizations that confront it
#9 Authoritarians play “bait and switch”
They play people for suckers. They promise to “save” people when in reality their goal is to “disempower and control” people. That has been the obvious pattern over centuries, yet people still fall for it. When people feel small, they want someone to take care of them and they get played as suckers. Understandable, but a trap. Always.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can act by standing up for ourselves and calling them out on their
attempts to treat us as “suckers.”
● We can literally contrast the empty promises with their behaviors that
demonstrates their belief that they are better than we are and that they can
manipulate us into becoming “subjects.”
#10 Authoritarians treat us like the frogs in the boiling water
These authoritarian strategies rarely play out quickly. They usually increase over time at a relatively slow pace and people don’t recognize the impact until it’s too late. Or they put so many strategies in paly at the same time that people are paralyzed. It’s like the old story about the frog boiling to death in boiling water. If the water heats up slowly the frog doesn’t notice and try to escape until it’s too late.
We Counter This Strategy
● We can act now – while the water is warming up, recognizing what’s going on and saying ”no” to all of the authoritarian strategies
Note. There are some common citizen actions that apply to many of the authoritarian strategies, like peaceful protest, calling out the authoritarian actions, and supporting the leaders and organizations who are fighting the authoritarian actions. Then there are
some actions that are more specific to a particular authoritarian strategy.
Some actions will be individual, some in groups, and some through organizations. Many will seem new or “not like me” and require leaving one’s comfort zone and “finding the way.”
#3 We Follow 10 Strategies in a “Citizen’s Playbook” to Protect and Improve Our Democratic Processes and Institutions
“I realize that democracies require consistent work by citizens to protect as well as improve the processes and institutions at the core of our way of life. I realize that is an extraordinary challenge and that our democracy is not currently meeting the needs of all Americans. I commit to saying “yes” to the call to step up as an independent citizen vs. being stepped on as a dependent subject – now.”
Democracy is awkward and often inefficient. Making it work is deceptively difficult. Like any system over time, a democracy wears down and currently we need significant improvement in almost all areas because it is fraying and losing too much of the credibility on which it rests.
On a personal level our democracy is not meeting the needs of too many Americans, and far too many Americans are acting out of fear and anger and seeing destruction as the only power they have. We need to offer a constructive alternative and renew our democracy.
Our democracy won’t survive “ordinary.” As citizens we can sometimes ride on the momentum of our democracy. But – sometimes we have to step up and make a difference. This is one of those times. Our challenge is to come together to act as citizens – even if we don’t feel ready or particularly powerful.
Playing offense. There are many ways to play offense and thinking of these strategies as a “Citizen’s Playbook” is one way to focus attention and action. Many of the areas of focus are similar to how we counter the strategies in the Authoritarian Playbook, but the Citizen’s Playbook is more focused on playing offense vs. defense. For example:
1. We ensure free and fair elections, countering gerrymandering, voter suppression, and misinformation
2. We maintain and develop effective and credible branches of government – Executive, Congress, and the Supreme Court
3. We ensure a fair and just “rule of law”
4. We protect a free press and a common understanding of “the truth”
5. We manage a set of healthy “dynamic tensions” among political parties, between individual rights and community needs, between government and business, among differing values, and among different levels of government
6. We hold elected officials, political appointees, and professionals in government agencies accountable for their performance and that of government
7. We counter political and social polarization, the demonization of opponents, and the fear of “others”
8. We maintain a culture of confidence and responsibility – standing on our two foundation blocks – our extraordinary founding and our “no quit” trajectory – to unapologetically champion our democracy and our tough role as citizens
9. We go into the streets peacefully when other ways of protecting and developing our democracy aren’t working well enough
10. We challenge and support each other to play our roles as citizens of our democracy and persevere as long as it takes
“The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy - the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities - which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means.”
The key is finding the specific strategies and tactics to achieve each of the goals. Fortunately, a lot of work has been done by different groups and organizations in each area, and we can build on that and/or join them in their efforts.
Most of these goals require both individual and collective action, so our task as citizens is to determine the individual actions we can take and engage with and/or support others in groups or organizations to make a difference. If we stay on the sidelines we simply become subjects and give up being citizens.
“Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy.”
#4 We Take on the Big Complex Intimidating Issues We Face in Our World – “We Play Large”
“I refuse to be intimidated by the big tough complex challenges we face in our world. I commit to facing these challenges directly and acting from my “larger self” to contribute my gifts in large or small ways. I will not be intimidated by the lack of obvious solutions and will draw upon and model the behaviors of those who founded the United States and those who persevered over the last 250 years to fully realize the vision for all Americans.”
Added to the challenge to protect and improve our democratic processes and institutions is a set of challenges that we face in our world that are big, complex, and intimidating. These are challenges that do not have evident answers in the beginning and for which there is no historical precedent. There is no history of success or certainty of future success on which to rely.
So, the path to success with these issues is unknown and we will often feel small in the face of these challenges. They naturally require us to go outside of our comfort zones to take them on. But that is what we are called to do now.
Like protecting and improving our democracy, these are challenges that require committed individual engagement and also collective alignment – as well as effort maintained over an extended period of time. This is the reason that “ordinary” is not good enough and we have to model true American greatness to be successful.
Most of these issue are focused specifically on the United States, but some are global).
For example:
1. We take on comprehensive immigration reform
2. We take on the economic revitalization of rural America
3. We take on closing wage and wealth disparities
4. We continue to counter racism
5. We build our solidarity and minimize socio/political polarization and the alienation that increasingly affects us
6. We take on the challenges of rapidly developing AI
7. We ensure the basics for people – food security, housing, equitable cost-effective healthcare, education, safe communities, etc.
8. We respect our diversity of political and social beliefs and use it to creatively deal with the new challenges constantly thrown at us – together
9. We take on climate change and deal with the various impacts
10. We hold the line against terrorism and aggressive authoritarian regimes that threaten the America and the American experiment
“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy cannot flourish among fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work, In the chill climate in which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred, and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.”
Our toughest challenges require American Greatness, and they provide the opportunities to model it and continue to develop it. They give us the chance to act from our larger selves – to be courageous, to persevere, to be increasingly resilient. They provide a chance to call on our best and to find new “bests” as we go.
We cannot take on all of these challenges in significant ways, nor do we need to in order to be effective citizens. We do, however, need to focus on one or more of the big complex intimidating challenges and commit to sustained targeted action.
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”