Seeking to Stop a Slide Into Autocracy

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To the Editor:

“No One Has Ever Defeated Autocracy From the Sidelines,” by Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way and Daniel Ziblatt (Opinion guest essay, May 11), is alarming — or should be — to all Americans.

As the authors point out in detail, the U.S. is already into competitive authoritarianism because of the Trump administration’s myriad actions. These actions against law firms, universities, the media, political action groups and others are quite simply un-American.

Even a Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, admits to being frightened given the administration’s desire to retaliate against those who disagree with it.

All Americans who recognize this threat must speak up and take action to preserve the country. I believe that this era is more dangerous than those that preceded it, such as the Red Scare and the McCarthy eras, since this assault is being undertaken by the current president.

We cannot stay silent. There is too much at stake.

Marc Chafetz
Washington
The writer is a lawyer.

To the Editor:

The authors of this essay paint a dark picture of what is happening to our country, and they make a compelling case for all of us who oppose President Trump’s agenda to get involved in resistance.

But how to do that? I suggest that a National Resistance Fund be established, and that Americans throughout the country be urged to contribute to it. An organization with credibility for most Americans should set up a clearinghouse to accept donations and use the money to mitigate some of the damage that Mr. Trump is creating.