Seeing a Tide of Fascism: Flee or Fight?
Re 'We Study Fascism, and We're Leaving the U.S.' (Opinion video, nytimes.com, May 14):
As a British historian and the author of a book on totalitarian Russia and the fall of Communism, I am worried that there have been too few coherent warnings of the isolationism and the threats to American democracy posed by the Trump administration — until I saw this eloquent video.
Here in France there is talk of demanding that the Statue of Liberty — that beacon of freedom given to the United States by this country — be returned to Europe. As a child of a diplomatic family living in Communist Bulgaria in the 1960s, I witnessed directly the fear that a totalitarian state can induce in a population.
I worry for America, and I desperately hope that it can reverse the tide of fascism threatening the independence of its universities, courts and admirable media. This video clearly lays out the challenges posed to the United States, which we Europeans have for so long respected and admired.
Myles Sanderson
Paris
The writer is the author of the book 'Secret Service in the Cold War.'
To the Editor:
What Profs. Marci Shore, Timothy Snyder and Jason Stanley say is undeniably true: The United States is rapidly descending into fascism.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gardner Preliminary Election Guide: What you need to know, from deadlines to early voting
Before Gardner residents vote for the next mayor in November, voters will have to cast a ballot at the preliminary election on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The preliminary election will determine which two candidates will move on to the general city election ballot for mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Voters will also elect five city councilors for wards 1-5, six city councilors at large, and three school committee members during this year's general city election. All candidates running for the city councilor and school committee positions are uncontested, which means no preliminary election is required. All candidates are current city officials seeking re-election. Here's what to know about the upcoming preliminary election next month and the general election in November, as well as deadlines and where to register to vote. What's a preliminary election? If there are more than two candidates for a position, a preliminary election will be held automatically in September. The two candidates with the highest total votes will be placed on the general city election ballot in November. A primary election is held for political parties to decide who will run for their party if there is more than one candidate running for office. This year, three candidates running for mayor will be on the preliminary election ballot on Sept. 16: Kimberly Blake, Ann Debarros, and Michael Nicholson. When is the deadline to register to vote Residents who haven't registered to vote must do so by the registration deadline before they can cast a ballot at either the preliminary or general mayoral election. The last day to register to vote for the preliminary election is Saturday, Sept. 6 by 5 p.m. If you don't plan to vote in the preliminary election but want to vote in the city's general election in November, you need to register by Saturday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. To check your voter registration status and register to vote, go to the Secretary of State's website. Residents can also register to vote at the City Clerk's Office during operating hours: Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. How do I vote early or through absentee or mail-in ballots? Mail-in and absentee ballots are available for both the preliminary election and the general city election. The last day to request a mail-in ballot for the preliminary election is Tuesday, Sept. 9 by 5 p.m. Mail-in ballot requests for the general city election in November are due Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. Gardner City Clerk Titi Siriphan said that the reason for not offering in-person early voting is that it has not been well-attended in the past, with more voters opting for mail-in voting. There is a key difference between an absentee ballot and a mail-in ballot. Siriphan said voters request an absentee ballot when they will not be in the city during the election. She said that mail-in ballots are intended for voters who aren't leaving the city but are unable to reach their polling location on election day. When are polls open for the preliminary election in Gardner? All polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. in Gardner. Anyone standing in line at 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote. What if I have specific questions about my voter registration status or polling location Siriphan said the Secretary of State's website is the place where residents can get their basic election day questions answered about voter registration, vote by mail, absentee ballots, and where to vote. Siriphan said on both election days, signs will be posted all over the city to guide voters to the polls. "Of course, people can always give the Clerk's Office a call if they can't find what they are looking for on the website," she said. "We also have city election information posted on our website, but people can always give us a call." Voters can call the City Clerk's Office at 978-630-4058 or email Siriphan at tsiriphan@ This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Election 2025: Gardner preliminary vote for mayor is Sept. 16 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Guilty Conscience': Trump's Raw Confession About 'Heaven' Has People Wondering
President Donald Trump surprised his critics on Tuesday by revealing that he's worried about what will happen to him after he dies. 'I want to try and get to heaven if possible,' Trump confessed during a Fox News interview. 'I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole.' Trump made the unexpected comments while he spoke about efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Doing so, he said, would save lives and give him a better chance of passing through the Pearly Gates. 'If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons,' he said. Trump met last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and this week met with European leaders as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ending a conflict he once said he could solve in 24 hours. However, he has so far received no commitments from Putin, who launched the war by invading Ukraine in early 2022. But for Trump's critics, it was his sudden concern about a potential afterlife and how he'll spend it that caught their attention. Emmanuel Macron Reacts To Trump's Hot Mic Comment On Vladimir Putin Texas Democrat Sues After Republicans Lock Her In Capitol 'Yikes': GOP Lawmaker Jeered Relentlessly As Voters Give Her An Earful
CNN
29 minutes ago
- CNN
Corporate America is silent as Trump abandons free-market principles
Donald TrumpFacebookTweetLink Follow A version of this story appeared in CNN Business' Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Not long ago, American conservative orthodoxy held that when it comes to doing business, the government that governs least governs best. The orthodoxy manifested itself in familiar ways. Groups that claimed the mantle of individual liberties would decry new legislation. Talk radio and podcasts would mock unnamed bureaucrats for ham-fisted overreach. And powerful business lobbies were quick to denounce — in press releases and even lawsuits — regulations or taxes they saw as government overreach. But when faced with President Donald Trump's efforts to seize control of private enterprise — such as his recent arrangement to have the US pocket a portion of Nvidia's sales to China, his social media outbursts at individual executives, his moves to take a stake in Intel, and his use of executive powers to cajole banks and law firms he perceives as insufficiently loyal — those same groups have gone quiet. Take the US Chamber of Commerce, the largest business advocacy group in the country. Last year, the Chamber sued a federal consumer watchdog group for attempting to cap credit card late fees at $8 a month, claiming the agency 'exceeded its statutory authority.' In 2023, it sued the Biden administration over provisions for Medicare price negotiations in the Inflation Reduction Act, claiming the move would consolidate 'unfettered and unchecked power' to the department of Health and Human Services. But under Trump's second term, the Chamber has had little to say publicly about Trump's aggressive meddling in the private sector. Similarly, the Business Roundtable, another DC-based lobbying group that represents hundreds of chief executives, has rarely been shy about denouncing what it sees as presidential overreach in the form of taxes and environmental regulations. This year, though, the group has been largely MIA on the MAGA shift toward a style of capitalism that more closely resembles the autocratic regimes of Russia and China. Both groups have criticized Trump's trade war, warning that tariffs hurt American businesses. But neither has spoken out about the president's more direct assault on free enterprise. Neither the Chamber of Commerce nor the Business Roundtable responded to multiple requests for comment. The president, a self-styled dealmaker, has thrown out the standard free-market playbook in ways that have alarmed lawmakers, investors and legal experts. And suddenly, the legal protections businesses have long counted on appear shaky, said Philip M. Nichols, a professor of legal studies and business ethics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. 'Any business that sticks its head up, or any business person that sticks their head up, is taking a risk that can't be calculated,' Nichols said in an interview. 'What's the smart thing to do — what do the wildebeest do when they get to the crocodile-infected river? They wait for the other wildebeest to jump in, and then follow.' Several trade groups have privately drafted plans to push back against the Trump administration in defense of their business interests, people familiar with the matter told CNN. But those plans were shelved at the request of members that are worried about drawing White House ire. 'There's an 'Eye of Sauron' element here that everyone is very aware of,' one manufacturing CEO told CNN, referring to the 'Lord of the Rings' character that brought all subjects to heel. 'But there's also a recognition that this is an administration that is transactional if they believe you're on board with their agenda.' When it comes to exerting his influence over Corporate America, no matter appears too small or too large for Trump's input. Last month, the president took credit for Coca-Cola's decision to roll out a cane-sugar-sweetened product that aligns with his allies' 'Make America Healthy Again' philosophy. He regularly criticizes CEOs in public for perceived slights, demanded that Intel's boss resign over unspecified conflicts, and urged Goldman Sachs to fire its top economist after the bank said tariffs would raise consumer prices (a fact virtually all economists agree to be true, and which we are now seeing borne out in reality). While much of that bluster is run-of-the-mill Trump rhetoric, the president shocked trade experts when he announced an unorthodox (and potentially illegal) arrangement with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD earlier this month. In exchange for export licenses that allow them to sell their products in China, the companies agreed to funnel 15% of their China sales to the US government — a setup that some analysts called a 'shakedown' of private enterprise. The White House's push into private businesses took another turn Tuesday when officials confirmed the administration was considering using taxpayer money to acquire a stake in struggling chipmaker Intel. The primary reason for such a move, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, was the president's desire to reduce US dependence on Taiwan for chip production. But he also said Trump believes the government should have 'equity' in tech giants. The silence from Corporate America to Trump's incursion into private businesses isn't entirely unexpected. Businesses have lost their appetite for the kind of socially progressive rhetoric many adopted in response to the 2020 murder of George Floyd. At the same time, Trump's return to the White House came with a cost-benefit analysis for any business leaders thinking of speaking out: Make yourself a target, or fall in line and wait for the massive tax cuts the president has promised. 'Corporate citizens are harmed just like flesh and blood citizens are harmed when you have a leader who… actively seeks to monetize public office and actively seeks to use the power of the presidency to harm perceived enemies or anyone who doesn't appropriately capitulate,' Donald Sherman, executive director of the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told CNN. 'In some ways, this is the natural and predictable result of failing to appropriately stand up to President Trump's anti-democratic and authoritarian tendencies during his first term.'
