2 books (How Democracies die, The Road to Unfreedom) highlight key steps to erode democracy: Undermine independent institutions Weaken the opposition Dismantle social protections Retreat from international alliances Weaponise nationalism Undermine science Undermine free elections (inc misinfo) 3/9

** Almost all of the actions Trump has taken over the last three weeks map directly onto those steps. ** Applebaum in her 2020 book "Twilight of Democracy" warns that democracies become incredibly fragile once their elites abandon democratic norms... 4/9

Trump never liked democratic norms but did (sometimes) pay lip service to them in his 1st term. In his 2nd term, he is revelling in burning them down. Any Republicans who resisted are long gone. The rest have either embraced the chaos or chosen complicity. Many Democrats seem frozen. 5/9

For so long the US has been the core UK & European ally, the loudest voice in proclaiming its democracy. *But the US is now a threat to the global economy, to global health and to global stability. The sooner this is acknowledged the better.* 6/9

Our leaders seem paralysed, unable to talk about the US in the same language they use for traditionally inimical countries, hoping that the bully’s eye passes them over. Before you can act on a crisis you have to recognise you are in one - it is time for our leaders, and our media, to wake up. 7/9