As we relish these two days free of toil, those of us at Obeying in Advance wanted to take a moment to reflect upon the long roller coaster we’ve been on since June 16, 2015. And to remind Americans of one thing:

This is still not normal.

An America divided like never before. George Washington’s fear of political parties taking turns taking revenge on each other each election cycle fulfilled. Projection upon one’s enemies that would make Mussolini blush. Exploitation of any weak link in our democratic institutions, checks and balances, and political norms. The end of any sense of shared reality. The evisceration of truth. A literal cult of personality. Allegiance to a man rather than the Constitution. An American Beer Hall Putsch. The self-termination of democracy. And finally, the inevitable falling-in-line.

While it has been part and parcel in other regimes throughout time and throughout the world, Obeying in Advance is a completely new precedent in the United States. In our system of government, we have been used to our politicians contorting themselves to accommodate the constituency, even if it was unduly towards the most affluent and influential among us. As bleak as that was, it pales in comparison to what comes next when we have to contort to accommodate our politicians.

And what is mind-blowing is we know what comes next. Yet we rushed willingly toward the cliff.

We see the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and other titans of industry and media kneeling before the feet of a strongman who is averse to dissent and a champion of domination. A man seeking to put himself not alongside the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or JFK… but Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un.

A First in US History

Business leaders and media executives seeking to align with President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his term represents an unprecedented shift in the United States. Historically, the U.S. has maintained a tradition of independent media and a business environment largely insulated from overt political coercion, partly due to a strong emphasis on democratic institutions and the separation of powers.

However, Trump’s governing style—marked by public feuds, targeted criticism, and his ability to dominate media narratives—has created a dynamic where many see alignment as not just strategic, but necessary to avoid potential targeting. This shift could mark the first time in modern U.S. history that pre-inaugural engagements of this nature have mirrored patterns seen in less democratic systems.

It is very likely we citizens will soon feel pressure to warp ourselves to the liking of this regime as a means of survival.


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