From Nate McMurray, a must read and share it widely.
AN OPEN LETTER: DEMOCRACY LOST—NOW, THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHETHER WE CAN REVIVE IT. THIS IS MY SOLUTION—AND IT’S NOT AN EASY ONE.DEMOCRACY ON PAPER IS NOT ENOUGH
A lot of countries claim to be democratic. North Korea’s constitution states:
“The state power of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea belongs to the people.”
Russia’s constitution guarantees free elections and individual rights. China’s constitution talks about democracy and the rule of law.
But words on paper mean nothing without a society that demands they be followed. We need to make some demands.
WE FAILED THE TEST.
I keep hearing that democracy is “in danger,” that we’re “facing a test.” That’s outdated. The test is over. We lost. And whether we lost by one percent or fifty percent doesn’t matter—we lost.
January 6th wasn’t just a riot—it was a coup.
• They beat cops.
• They smeared feces on the walls of Congress.
• They stockpiled weapons across the Potomac, hoping chaos would delay the certification of the election.
It wasn’t the most organized coup—but it was a coup. But in 2024, Trump didn’t steal power—he was handed it. By the slimmest of margins, the people validated his coup.
That 1% margin was the difference between Trump being in exile and Trump once again defiling our democracy, trampling on our institutions, and metaphorically smearing filth across the very foundations of our government once again.
The people chose this. It will take a lot of work to win that 1% back. And if we keep going down this road, hoping our institutions save us, it will not happen.
THERE IS NO SAVIOR COMING—AND TRUMP DOESN’T FEAR PAPER.
For years, people waited for someone to stop the decline.
They waited for Robert Mueller to expose Trump.
They waited for Merrick Garland to bring justice.
They waited for Jack Smith to finally hold him accountable.
None of it stopped him.
Now, people are begging the courts to save us.
Newsflash: they won’t.
Because Trump doesn’t fear paper.
A court ruling? Just another piece of paper he can ignore.
A judge’s decision? A suggestion, not a command.
TRUMP ONLY FEARS POWER—AND HUMILIATION.
Trump doesn’t live for law, policy, or governance.
He lives for the applause of the crowd.
He is a secondhand person, surviving off celebrity, adoration, and the illusion of power.
Take that away, and he will bend.
His power is not in himself—it comes from the rage and vengeance of his followers. He feeds it, but he also feeds on it.
WE HAVE TO MATCH THEIR ENERGY—AND GIVE HIM SOMETHING BIGGER TO FEAR.
We need to create what the Chinese call the “Mandate of Heaven”—the feeling in the air that Trump is not valid, that what he is doing is not valid.
That means matching the energy of the 1% that beat us and validated this coup. We can’t sit around waiting for some institutional savior—we have to create that shift in perception ourselves.
And that starts with making Congress fear us more than they fear Trump.
THE ONLY CHECK LEFT IS US.
The Founding Fathers knew that the ultimate check on power isn’t the courts, the Senate, some prosecutor, or even the Constitution—it’s the people.
“A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government.”
—James Madison, Federalist No. 51
Because democracy doesn’t survive on process alone—it depends on the virtue and strength of the people.
• Thomas Jefferson warned that a nation without an engaged people would collapse:
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”
• George Washington emphasized that morality is the backbone of democracy:
“It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”
• John F. Kennedy reminded us that government is a reflection of the people:
“We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”
Right now, Congress fears Trump more than they fear us. He’s the boss—not the people.
THAT HAS TO CHANGE.
CONGRESS NEEDS TO FEAR THE PEOPLE MORE THAN TRUMP.
The Roman Senate knew Caligula was a lunatic, but they feared him because he had the support of the people.
He staged spectacles—gladiator fights, lavish feasts, grotesque public executions—designed to inflame the worst passions of Roman society.
And the tactic worked. The Senate, despite knowing the danger he posed, did nothing. They bowed, obeyed, and allowed the empire to rot from within.
And he humiliated them.
That’s where we are now.
Congress sees the 1% margin. They know it’s vocal, angry, and loud.
That’s why they grovel before him.
WE NEED TO PROVE THEM WRONG.
If members of Congress fear losing their jobs, their reputations, their social standing more than they fear Trump, they will turn on him.
They will stand up to him.
Not because they’re brave.
Not because they suddenly found a moral compass.
But because they are cowards who will do whatever it takes to save themselves.
That’s the strategy.
• Not the courts.
• Not waiting.
• Not hoping for a savior.
It’s that simple—Congress, like Trump, craves adoration.
I always say, they are the ugliest group of wannabe celebrities—inside and out. They just want to be loved.
Make them feel like pariahs in their own districts.
They hide behind the illusion of power and respectability, but they depend on being seen as legitimate. Take that away.
• Protest their offices (not the Capital where they can hide). Not violently—not like the other side. I don’t want that insanity.
• Make them uncomfortable. When you see them, videotape them. Ask them hard questions in public.
• Remind them they serve the people—not some idiot in Mar-a-Lago.
Write letters. Document their stupidity.
Call them out online, in person, in their communities.
Match the energy of the decadent 1% that validated this coup—don’t validate their nonsense—humiliate them for it.
MAKE TRUMP’S CELEBRITY ENABLERS UNCOMFORTABLE TOO.
Trump’s legitimacy comes from normalization.
Every celebrity and media figure who continues to stand by him, who treats him as if he is a regular political figure, is giving him legitimacy.
They need to feel the heat, too.
Make them fear being associated with him.
Make them feel the reputational cost of propping up a wannabe emperor.
Shame them. Call them out. Post on social media. Write to the companies they sell products for.
They are desperate for money, but more desperate for adoration.
Take it from them.
IT’S US OR NOTHING.
Trump has already made it clear that he will never leave power willingly.
• He will run for a third term, even if it’s unconstitutional.
• If there even is an election, and he loses, he will claim fraud and incite violence again.
• His allies are already laying the groundwork for mass purges.
• His supporters are already being told to prepare for war.
This isn’t some distant crisis—it’s happening now.
We can either prove that the people are still the ultimate check on power—or we can accept that America as we knew it is over.
“In the final analysis, a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals. It cannot be better than they are.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
If we want democracy to survive, we must be better.
We must get uncomfortable.
And we must remind the people in Congress, the media, and Trump’s enablers who the real boss is.
The patient is on the operating table.
The heart has stopped.
We need to revive it.
Get out the shockers.
Best,
Nate
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