How to Fight Back as America Slips Toward Fascism
A Breakdown of What’s Happening and How You Can Take Action to Save Your Democracy
Pathfinders - it's been one hell of a week.
Like many of you, I’ve experienced such a complex range of emotions. I continue to oscillate between very specific anxiety, sadness, and complete and utter rage.
I want to start by saying how much I appreciate all of you following my updates and the content I'm sharing from people I follow to keep up with the insanity currently spreading deeper into our country.
Your support, especially with a free or paid subscription to the Pathfinder Chronicles, is fuel for the fight.
Before I get started with this post, in which I will summarize the week and discuss the actions we can take to fight back, I want to say that I am much more comfortable writing, so that’s what you’ll mostly get from me.
As someone with ADHD, writing helps me think through what I'm going to say, and keep it coherent as I navigate a vast web of data points I've connected together.
I thank you for being here with me for and through this.
Let's dig into it.
Holy Authoritarianism, Batman!
This week we've seen:
The rights of those we love - LGBTQIA+ and women - stripped away,
Programs meant to help level the playing field labeled discriminatory,
Federal workers being told to inform on each other while a hiring freeze was simultaneously put into place,
Federal health agencies told to cease all communication and in many cases critical work,
Highly qualified and tenured women removed from their posts after being labeled “DEI Hires”,
The unconditional pardoning of the very dangerous January 6th insurrectionists,
Elon Musk do not just one but two sieg heil’s,
White supremacist group Patriot Front feel empowered to march in D.C.,
Trumplet fired the independent inspectors general of at least 12 federal agencies,
And more.
Trumplestilskin promised “shock and awe” on day 1, along with being a dictator, and he’s more than delivered on his promise.
If you can stomach it, here’s a link to all of the Executive Orders.
So what in the hell is happening?
How does someone who can barely string together a few sentences above the 5th grade level do so much damage to democracy and our government so quickly?
The Quick and Dirty Rundown of What’s Happening to Us
When I say the U.S. is quickly descending into fascism and authoritarianism that’s accurate, however it’s happening faster than many of us, myself included, expected.
In short - Project 2025 is being implemented.
Project 2025 is a plan created by the Heritage Foundation and other far-right groups to completely overhaul our federal government. Their goal? To consolidate power under the executive branch, reduce the federal workforce, and strip away key regulations in areas like immigration, equity, the environment, and more.
One of their most alarming ideas is to reclassify thousands of federal jobs so they can fire career civil servants and replace them with people who are personally loyal to the president.
Essentially, they’re laying the groundwork to turn the executive branch into a tool for authoritarian control by hollowing out the federal government.
Sound familiar? That’s because it lines up almost exactly with what Trumplet started doing in his first term and is aggressively pursuing again.
It’s no accident—this plan has been in the works for years, and if implemented, will reshape our government in ways that put democracy itself at risk.
This isn’t just politics as usual—it’s a calculated power grab that could lead us further down the road to autocracy.
I’ve downloaded the Project 2025 playbook - “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.”
👉 Click here to download it without giving your email to anyone.
This document is a comprehensive, 900-plus-page document outlining a detailed plan to reshape the federal government under conservative principles.
It’s an extensive blueprint that covers a wide array of policy areas, including restructuring federal agencies, altering social programs, and implementing significant changes to environmental and economic policies.
This is what’s happening. It’s white christian nationalism in full effect. It’s horrifying.
That said, they’ve told us exactly what they’re going to do, and we’ve seen all this before in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and 1940’s.
How We Fight: Lessons from History and the Path Forward
Let’s get personal for a minute.
I have women and LGBTQIA+ family members I love deeply. I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit idly while their very existence is put into jeopardy by those who see them as less, or believe they shouldn’t exist in the first place.
I’ve been told to “lay low” and “keep my head down.”
That’s not in my nature.
My grandfather fought the Nazis in WWII.
My father was a civil rights attorney for 31 years.
I’ve done anti-human trafficking and anti-terrorism work and am currently putting my AI/ML/Data skills to work in cybersecurity.
As someone with ADHD, I’ve always felt everything intensely—emotions, injustices, you name it. Add to that the way I was raised, where fairness and doing what’s right were drilled into me, and it’s like I’ve got this internal justice meter that’s cranked all the way up.
I can’t ignore it. I won’t.
This is very personal for me, and it may be for you as well.
Let’s start with what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones
Before you can help anyone else, you need to make sure your own foundation is strong. This means having plans in place to deal with potential instability. Ask yourself:
Create a safety plan. Think about potential challenges—natural disasters, power outages, or other disruptions—and ensure you have a plan in place to keep your family safe.
Build a small emergency stockpile. Stock up on non-perishable foods, water, basic medical supplies, and other necessities. Aim for 2–4 weeks’ worth, if possible.
Secure your digital life. Use strong, unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and educate yourself on spotting misinformation online. This will be critical as we navigate an era of disinformation and propaganda.
It’s easy to panic, and nothing dissolves panic like action.
Get prepared.
I go into much more detail on this in Prepping for Liberals, so be sure to grab your copy for a deeper dive (free for Pathfinder Advocates).
Protecting Others
When we stand up for our communities, we stand up for democracy itself. Here are some key steps you can take:
Contact your representatives. Call, email, or show up at their offices to demand action—whether it’s voting against harmful policies, rejecting authoritarian nominations, or safeguarding voting rights. 5Calls.org is an excellent resource for this.
Be a local hero. Join or donate to organizations that are fighting for democracy, civil rights, and justice. Even small contributions of time or money can have a big impact. The ACLU has an excellent resource on protester rights.
Be the voice of truth. Talk to your friends and family. Share reliable information and counter misinformation when you see it. Helping even one person see what’s at stake can ripple outward.
Remember, you don’t have to do it all, but doing something makes a difference.
If you’re not sure where to start, Prepping for Liberals is packed with tips and tools for taking action.
More Resources for Fighting Autocracy
I don’t want to overwhelm you (I’ve already written a ton here), however I want to arm you with knowledge.
Here are some excellent books I highly recommend:
For more on Project 2025, I recommend the overview and chapter breakdowns by Stop The Coup 2025.
I also support independent journalists with my money. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News - all sycophants who have “bent the knee,” ironically making themselves non-trustworthy in my eye.
Here are the people I follow:
Be sure to subscribe to the Pathfinder Chronicles as well.
The Fight is Just Beginning
I’ll be blunt - these are challenging times, but we’re not powerless.
Each of us has our role to play in protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and the values we hold dear.
In the coming weeks here on Pathfinder Chronicles I’ll be diving into critical topics like digital security—how to protect your privacy and keep yourself safe online—as well as more ways to stay informed and take meaningful action.
If you haven’t already, please become a free or paid subscriber to get updates delivered straight to your inbox.
And don’t forget to follow us on social media, mainly Threads and Bluesky, for real-time advice, breaking news, and a community of like-minded Pathfinders working together to create change.
👉 Let’s stay connected and keep fighting for a brighter future.