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A Nation on It's Knees
“Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor, a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.
The detention of Ekrem Imamoglu was a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.” - AP News - March 19th
On Monday this past week, Donald Trump claimed without evidence that his predecessor’s pardons for members of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol are invalid because then-President Joe Biden didn’t use a real pen. - PBS News - March 18th
Trump has previously accused members of the January 6th Committee of treason.
In a social media post from July 2024, he specifically targeted former Representative Liz Cheney, the committee's vice chair, labeling her actions as "treasonous" and advocating for "televised military tribunals" to address such alleged offenses.
We are now living in a country where the President of the United States is actively seeking to arrest, charge, and throw his political opponents in jail. It’s not just reminiscent of Turkey, it’s exactly the same thing.
Meanwhile, the media was busy debating the legality of autopens.
This would be like if reporters had been on the Titanic, obsessing over the china patterns while the ship sank beneath them, arguing about whether the floral motif on the dinner plates met protocol as the iceberg tore through the hull.
We are long past the point of distress signals. The consequences are real and they are coming.
The Wounded Child at the Helm: How Trauma Breeds Tyranny
Trump is consumed by a singular, burning obsession - retribution. He’s settling scores and wielding power to crush anyone who dares to oppose him.
His authoritarian instincts are not just a quirk of personality, they are a pattern as old as tyranny itself, one rooted in a darker psychology.
Throughout history, some of the most ruthless authoritarian leaders have emerged from brutal, dysfunctional childhoods that shaped their obsession with dominance and control.
Joseph Stalin grew up in poverty, relentlessly beaten by his alcoholic father. Humiliation was a constant companion, and he learned that only absolute control could shield him from being broken again.
Adolf Hitler faced a similarly violent upbringing, repeatedly beaten and belittled by his father. Hitler internalized a belief that failure was a kind of death. He built a grandiose vision of dominance to mask his own inadequacy.
Trump was raised by a ruthless father who believed that weakness was unforgivable.
He was taught that vulnerability was a sin, failure was disgrace and anyone who didn’t play to win was destined to be crushed. He learned early on that life was a battlefield where only the strong survived.
Like other authoritarian leaders before him, Trump’s early experiences of harsh judgment and conditional love cultivated a fixation on dominance and a visceral fear of appearing weak.
He isn’t just driven by a desire to win, he’s trapped in a relentless cycle of crushing dissent. Because to him opposition is a threat to his very sense of self.
THE ROT AT THE CORE: HOW POWER CORRUPTS AND ENDANGERS THE NATION
When retributive instincts take hold at the highest level of power, they rot the core of every pillar of governance; the military, the judiciary, foreign policy, and national security.
Trump has stuffed his cabinet with loyalist cowards who will not challenge his authority. The result is a government that bends to his will, abandoning its duty to protect the nation.
With every decision made to appease his ego, the American people are left increasingly exposed to the chaos and danger of a leader driven by vengeance and control.
Military Readiness: When Loyalty Becomes a Liability
In the military, leaders chosen for their allegiance rather than their competence cripple operational readiness. Strategic decisions become skewed by personal loyalty rather than tactical necessity.
Officers who dare to speak out or offer candid assessments face public humiliation or removal, fostering a culture of fear instead of innovation and accountability.
And as adversaries watch this disarray unfold, they see a weakened and divided military. An inviting target that doesn’t just threaten troops on the ground but jeopardizes all of us.
A nation perceived as vulnerable becomes a magnet for aggression, and it’s the American people who will ultimately bear the consequences.
Judiciary: A Justice System Held Hostage
The judiciary’s role as an independent branch is essential for democracy. But for Trump, the courts have become an extension of personal power, a means to validate grievances and punish enemies.
Trump is openly calling for the impeachment of judges, defying court orders and riling up his base to back him on dismantling the rule of law.
In a recent display of defiance against the judiciary, Tom Homan, President Trump's border czar, openly declared, "I don't care what the judges think," in response to federal court orders aiming to halt deportation flights of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
When the rule of law collapses, society teeters on the brink of anarchy.
Without the stability that laws provide, people feel unsafe.
Left to fend for themselves in a world where protection is no longer guaranteed. In that vacuum, self-defense becomes survival, and widespread violence and crime take hold.
And the fallout doesn’t end there.
A breakdown of the rule of law would wreak havoc on the U.S. economy, shattering confidence in our financial systems.
The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency would be at risk, and the markets would spiral into free-fall, dragging livelihoods and entire industries down with them.
Foreign Policy: From Stabilizer to Rogue State
Foreign policy under Trump has stopped being about strategy and has become a personal vendetta. Allies who dare criticize are cast as enemies, shattering alliances and isolating America on the world stage.
Decisions aren’t based on geopolitical reality, they’re driven by personal loyalty and spite. America’s global standing is crumbling under trump.
We’ve gone from being a stabilizing force to a rogue player, abandoning allies and handing power to our adversaries. It’s a shift that is wrecking decades of diplomatic progress.
National Security: Loyalty Above Safety
A president obsessed with loyalty above all else, cannot effectively protect the nation.
National security demands clear sighted assessments and adaptability, not revenge driven power plays.
When intelligence agencies become politicized, they’re pressured to deliver intelligence that aligns with the leader’s narrative rather than objective reality, leading to intelligence degradation.
Analysts and officials feel compelled to self censor, fearing that uncomfortable truths might be seen as disloyalty, creating a culture of internal distrust.
Meanwhile, the relentless focus on punishing internal enemies inflates perceived threats and leads to mismanagement, leaving the nation dangerously exposed.
Final Warning: America at the Brink
They said it couldn't happen here. They said America was too strong, too stable, too rooted in democracy to ever succumb to the kind of vengeful, authoritarian rule that topples nations and breaks societies.
They said our institutions would hold, that the checks and balances were too entrenched to ever be overthrown by one man's obsession with power. They said we were safe.
They were wrong.
The reality unfolding in front of us is darker than anyone wanted to believe.
A leader who thrives on revenge is dismantling our institutions piece by piece.
We’re witnessing the calculated erosion of democracy, where dominance replaces justice as the highest goal.
What we are not seeing, is that it’s likely already too late. The damage is done, and the foundations are crumbling while we’re still clinging to the illusion that everything will be okay.
It won’t.
Thanks for reading Crisis Point - Democracy on the Edge ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-mayor-police-search-ead3dd38aa547ecd13bc336e7d6c4d58
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-bidens-pardons-jan-6-committee-are-void-used-autopen-rcna196670
https://ses.edu/why-is-abandoning-the-rule-of-law-so-dangerous/#:~:text=When%20the%20public%20discovers%20that,anarchy%20and%20tragedy%20will%20ensue.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-news-live-updates-musk-hegseth-doge-pentagon-deportation-b2719442.html
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marychrismelli.substack.com
View all episodes
By Marychris Melli“Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor, a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links.
The detention of Ekrem Imamoglu was a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.” - AP News - March 19th
On Monday this past week, Donald Trump claimed without evidence that his predecessor’s pardons for members of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol are invalid because then-President Joe Biden didn’t use a real pen. - PBS News - March 18th
Trump has previously accused members of the January 6th Committee of treason.
In a social media post from July 2024, he specifically targeted former Representative Liz Cheney, the committee's vice chair, labeling her actions as "treasonous" and advocating for "televised military tribunals" to address such alleged offenses.
We are now living in a country where the President of the United States is actively seeking to arrest, charge, and throw his political opponents in jail. It’s not just reminiscent of Turkey, it’s exactly the same thing.
Meanwhile, the media was busy debating the legality of autopens.
This would be like if reporters had been on the Titanic, obsessing over the china patterns while the ship sank beneath them, arguing about whether the floral motif on the dinner plates met protocol as the iceberg tore through the hull.
We are long past the point of distress signals. The consequences are real and they are coming.
The Wounded Child at the Helm: How Trauma Breeds Tyranny
Trump is consumed by a singular, burning obsession - retribution. He’s settling scores and wielding power to crush anyone who dares to oppose him.
His authoritarian instincts are not just a quirk of personality, they are a pattern as old as tyranny itself, one rooted in a darker psychology.
Throughout history, some of the most ruthless authoritarian leaders have emerged from brutal, dysfunctional childhoods that shaped their obsession with dominance and control.
Joseph Stalin grew up in poverty, relentlessly beaten by his alcoholic father. Humiliation was a constant companion, and he learned that only absolute control could shield him from being broken again.
Adolf Hitler faced a similarly violent upbringing, repeatedly beaten and belittled by his father. Hitler internalized a belief that failure was a kind of death. He built a grandiose vision of dominance to mask his own inadequacy.
Trump was raised by a ruthless father who believed that weakness was unforgivable.
He was taught that vulnerability was a sin, failure was disgrace and anyone who didn’t play to win was destined to be crushed. He learned early on that life was a battlefield where only the strong survived.
Like other authoritarian leaders before him, Trump’s early experiences of harsh judgment and conditional love cultivated a fixation on dominance and a visceral fear of appearing weak.
He isn’t just driven by a desire to win, he’s trapped in a relentless cycle of crushing dissent. Because to him opposition is a threat to his very sense of self.
THE ROT AT THE CORE: HOW POWER CORRUPTS AND ENDANGERS THE NATION
When retributive instincts take hold at the highest level of power, they rot the core of every pillar of governance; the military, the judiciary, foreign policy, and national security.
Trump has stuffed his cabinet with loyalist cowards who will not challenge his authority. The result is a government that bends to his will, abandoning its duty to protect the nation.
With every decision made to appease his ego, the American people are left increasingly exposed to the chaos and danger of a leader driven by vengeance and control.
Military Readiness: When Loyalty Becomes a Liability
In the military, leaders chosen for their allegiance rather than their competence cripple operational readiness. Strategic decisions become skewed by personal loyalty rather than tactical necessity.
Officers who dare to speak out or offer candid assessments face public humiliation or removal, fostering a culture of fear instead of innovation and accountability.
And as adversaries watch this disarray unfold, they see a weakened and divided military. An inviting target that doesn’t just threaten troops on the ground but jeopardizes all of us.
A nation perceived as vulnerable becomes a magnet for aggression, and it’s the American people who will ultimately bear the consequences.
Judiciary: A Justice System Held Hostage
The judiciary’s role as an independent branch is essential for democracy. But for Trump, the courts have become an extension of personal power, a means to validate grievances and punish enemies.
Trump is openly calling for the impeachment of judges, defying court orders and riling up his base to back him on dismantling the rule of law.
In a recent display of defiance against the judiciary, Tom Homan, President Trump's border czar, openly declared, "I don't care what the judges think," in response to federal court orders aiming to halt deportation flights of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
When the rule of law collapses, society teeters on the brink of anarchy.
Without the stability that laws provide, people feel unsafe.
Left to fend for themselves in a world where protection is no longer guaranteed. In that vacuum, self-defense becomes survival, and widespread violence and crime take hold.
And the fallout doesn’t end there.
A breakdown of the rule of law would wreak havoc on the U.S. economy, shattering confidence in our financial systems.
The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency would be at risk, and the markets would spiral into free-fall, dragging livelihoods and entire industries down with them.
Foreign Policy: From Stabilizer to Rogue State
Foreign policy under Trump has stopped being about strategy and has become a personal vendetta. Allies who dare criticize are cast as enemies, shattering alliances and isolating America on the world stage.
Decisions aren’t based on geopolitical reality, they’re driven by personal loyalty and spite. America’s global standing is crumbling under trump.
We’ve gone from being a stabilizing force to a rogue player, abandoning allies and handing power to our adversaries. It’s a shift that is wrecking decades of diplomatic progress.
National Security: Loyalty Above Safety
A president obsessed with loyalty above all else, cannot effectively protect the nation.
National security demands clear sighted assessments and adaptability, not revenge driven power plays.
When intelligence agencies become politicized, they’re pressured to deliver intelligence that aligns with the leader’s narrative rather than objective reality, leading to intelligence degradation.
Analysts and officials feel compelled to self censor, fearing that uncomfortable truths might be seen as disloyalty, creating a culture of internal distrust.
Meanwhile, the relentless focus on punishing internal enemies inflates perceived threats and leads to mismanagement, leaving the nation dangerously exposed.
Final Warning: America at the Brink
They said it couldn't happen here. They said America was too strong, too stable, too rooted in democracy to ever succumb to the kind of vengeful, authoritarian rule that topples nations and breaks societies.
They said our institutions would hold, that the checks and balances were too entrenched to ever be overthrown by one man's obsession with power. They said we were safe.
They were wrong.
The reality unfolding in front of us is darker than anyone wanted to believe.
A leader who thrives on revenge is dismantling our institutions piece by piece.
We’re witnessing the calculated erosion of democracy, where dominance replaces justice as the highest goal.
What we are not seeing, is that it’s likely already too late. The damage is done, and the foundations are crumbling while we’re still clinging to the illusion that everything will be okay.
It won’t.
Thanks for reading Crisis Point - Democracy on the Edge ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-mayor-police-search-ead3dd38aa547ecd13bc336e7d6c4d58
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-bidens-pardons-jan-6-committee-are-void-used-autopen-rcna196670
https://ses.edu/why-is-abandoning-the-rule-of-law-so-dangerous/#:~:text=When%20the%20public%20discovers%20that,anarchy%20and%20tragedy%20will%20ensue.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-news-live-updates-musk-hegseth-doge-pentagon-deportation-b2719442.html
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marychrismelli.substack.com