The United States, Autocracy and the World
The current US presidency has overseen a plethora of actions in a matter of mere months. Quite a few of these are seemingly incongruent to the objective (for example tariffs). Others follow a general theme of discrimination under the pretext of resource guarding. Some of the actions have made global headlines, others are concealed in the flux and chaos. While the deportation of Indian citizens (in the US illegally and legally have made headlines), some that haven’t are of greater consequence for India and the world. Below are some of those.
Economic actions, though contextual, come and go with governments. Also, even extreme and controversial purely economic actions (think demonetisation) don’t endanger the moral progress of humans. Being against free trade versus being against a free world – free people – are very different things. The economy of course can’t be separated from all of this, but a demarcation can be made.
The US federal government has cancelled or threatened to withhold federal funding from universities for their transgender and DEI (diversity equity and inclusion) policies and programs. While the resistance from Harvard University is making this relatively known, the US government is also going after K-12 education, threatening schools unless they attest to refrain.
The US government has established a task force to eliminate ‘anti-Christian’ bias and has illegitimised the third gender/other classification by announcing that there are only two sexes. This, and other moves planned shows intentional narrowing of the gap between Church and State – an inconvenient separation mandated by the US constitution.
The US government has fired federal workers (efficiency efforts) and has plans to rescind government funding to long-standing media stations like NPR and PBS. Deregulation is well underway, through a targeted ‘kill-list’. This list includes environmental protection, safety, fair wages, and a plethora of measures unaligned to current government priorities.
How can all this be happening so fast? Why does any of this matter to anyone currently not residing in the United States?
The method and the motive
The ‘how’ can be grouped into
1. enfeebling the judiciary at the highest level
2. using propaganda effectively, and
3. moving to action (at the right time) through force.
None of these are novel, but done together and quickly, their efficacy multiplies. Some of these were done over the years and in multiple ways. For example, the court systems of democratic nations stand in guard of the constitutions as the marshals. Weakening them first or at least in parallel, is key. In the US, over the last two presidential terms, this was done strategically – assisted by luck (example: the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg).
The US supreme court now has majority of judges sympathetic (and downright in support of) the president’s ideas. Or to be accurate – of the President, no matter the ideas. The use of selective interpretation, poor legal standing as contested positions and rewarding bad governmental behaviour are the other tactics in use.
For example, in the unconstitutional act of the federal government standing in direct violation of the SC order for return of a wrongfully deported man, the government is changing statements and using dubious and speculative justifications. As justification for threatening universities and corporations to rollback DEI and transgender friendly policies, the government is arguing violation of rights of girls under title IV and the Civil Rights Act.
Why is this government doing this?
There’s tangible backing of this administration from conservative Christian, far-right, and white-supremacist groups. But why this is happening is a different question. The motive of a nation for paving a path of possibility is complex and critical. The autocratic precedence a nation such as the US is setting will be fatal for vulnerable populations in other countries, and for democracy as an ideology. The damage done might not be hard to undo in this country (broadly speaking) with the change in administration (example past climate actions and the wait out policy most manufacturers are banking on for tariffs). But when the US establishes this as the righteous path and demonstrates how to, what does it mean for countries where there’s political violence, lack of fair elections, and risk to the peaceful transition of power? The US itself came quite close to that risk after the first Trump Presidency. Yet, a second term is happening. Why?
My latest work – Queer Chronicles – was published just as the new president was coming to term. The intention, as an ally, was to open dialogues and generate understanding towards what was relevant then – pronouns, bathrooms, participation, gender assignment versus identification, marriage and property rights for all. Now - something as basic as existence, which, for the third-gender or alternate sexuality, was not in question across cultures for centuries – is.
Why this regression?
Argument 1: the transgender rights and DEI initiatives, specifically transgender rights, are under attack because of strategic targeting. As in, there's a will to disassemble the left and transgender population size being less than 1% makes it the easiest segment to start with. But can the ‘left’ be defined as anyone not part of the 'white patriarchy'? Or is it people – groups – identities – who might be left, right, or centre ideologically who threaten the known ‘normal’? The ‘patriarchy’ is also not all white, or all male.
The Project 2025 (the plan that the Trump presidency is known to be following) was published in 2023 but it wasn’t only US right wing extremists. There was (and still is, despite ‘buyer’s remorse’) support from the masses that provided the catalyst needed.
Fear to monger and too much too soon?
Argument 2: the cancel culture which was brutal to dissenters. Ignorance wasn't forgiven; fears weren't disarmed gently. Instead, questions were criticised. In anonymous quotes, my colleagues and contacts have mentioned their confusion stemming from the lack of training on how to deal with the sudden expectations of understanding the use of plural pronouns (used for plurality and/or neutrality) and changed identities – were dealt with censure.
Concerns on safety, especially for women is another age-old tool (example: racial persecutions). But these weren’t listened to and dispersed. They were allowed to be weaponised instead. For example, a colleague shared that he wouldn’t have voted the way he did, but men in women’s bathrooms isn’t something he could allow as a father of daughters.
Similarly, unnecessary in your face normalisation (for economic gain by playing to populism) flamed fears of brainwashing. Target is facing boycott today for removing DEI policies, last year Target was putting up boards featuring of cross-dressed teens in their stores. Randomly. Just like the token black characters in older Hollywood movies or the loyal Muslim companion in Sooraj B films, they don’t work. When such presentations are tone deaf and overdone – instead of creating space, they misrepresent the numbers and the reality.
In Queer Chronicles I penned the story of a troubled father who becomes transphobic trying to make sense of a personal tragedy. The story wasn’t penned to justify transphobia. Nor is it against the father or such fathers. It was penned to drive understanding because these individuals exist.
Lastly, there is over- and poor implementation of policies. Lack of clarity and fear-mongering moved the centre to the right. Fear came from misinformation and change. The former avoidable. The latter, not. But there was fear to monger. For example: the fear that China is slowly emasculating the US by buying property (land grab), infiltrating the Universities, and using a ‘bioweapon’ of mind control using Tik Tok.
It’s undeniable that no one wanted all the terrible things that are happening today, not all at once. But most wanted ‘a bit’ of it. Here and there. Migrants coming in reducing opportunities. Taxpayer money is getting wasted. Men in women's bathrooms. Gender identification vs. assignment. Gender neutrality is not easy to conceptualise for most, let alone compromise around. I believe that is why transgender rights were targeted early on – greater the discomfort, lesser the resistance. A trial, calculated step towards more.
The US today is seeing student deportations. Despite court ordered reversals the general atmosphere is of fear. Universities from Chicago to Arizona have sent emails asking students to lie low. Many have removed themselves from social media and organizations (supporting anything from human rights to food safety policies). My Alma Mater (Cornell University) newsletter included ‘our international students are terrified’. The unconstitutional and unprecedented measures have taken away courage for most. For example, many citizens are not confident that due process will be followed if they make noise against injustice.
Globally, the model is starting to be followed: Hungary voted to amend the constitution assigning recognition to only male and female Hungarians and reinforced ban on gay pride.
To date, some of the measures have halted due to court proceedings. But for how long, and at what cost? And where do we go from here – as a race?
Tanu Ghosh who works as a technology executive in the US, is an author, activist, and columnist.
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