The Great, Horrible Unraveling — And Heroes March 13, 2025 Tom Friedman explains what’s happening. You have to read it and decide what to do. I’ve bought more puts. The only solution I can see is for judges to continue to stay strong and for Republican Senators and Congresspersons to impeach the President and Vice President. But that is not going to happen because, increasingly, we are becoming a nation ruled by fear rather than law. Legislators afraid of angering Trump and his base (not least those MAGAs, now pardoned, who tried to kill Vice President Pence). Business people afraid. Media executives afraid. Government bureaucrats afraid. University presidents afraid. Election officials afraid. This is how it works in autocracies. The people who overcome their fear often wind up in prison or, like Navalny and dozens if not hundreds of Russian journalists, dead. Barring some extraordinary bravery on the part of Republicans, Putin has won. The American-led democratic world order he has sought to destroy is unraveling. Tiny Russia! With an economy smaller than Texas! But isn’t that how judo works? I’ve long noted that Putin is a legitimate judo black belt, whereas Trump is a fake wrestling hall of famer. See the difference? Cry, the Beloved Country, about South Africa, was on my parents’ bookshelf when I was growing up. The title has somehow always gripped me; never more than now. Maybe judges will continue to stand firm — and not be overruled by Trump’s Supreme Court. Maybe Republicans will risk their jobs — and their personal safety — to stop this horrible unravelling. Maybe a tanking stock market, ever-growing civil outrage, and a military that remembers its oath is to the Constitution, not Trump, will save us. God, I hope so! Needless to say, nothing would make me happier than to see my puts expire worthless. Amidst all this gloom — for which I apologize, but I think alarm is warranted — there are so many people to admire and applaud — beginning with Liz Cheney a while back. Another is Sarah McBride, who, when introduced as “Mister McBride” Tuesday by Keith Self, the Texas Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, calmly and without missing a beat responded, “thank you, Madam Chair.” And her Democratic colleague, Bill Keating of Massachusetts, who rose immediately to her defense. If you haven’t already seen it — watch! It’s wonderful. (Much more to say on the trans issue, but for a future post.) A third, is profiled today in Vanity Fair: How Elissa Slotkin, a Moderate Michigan Democrat, Is Fighting Trump Tooth and Nail. The contrast between her patriotism and competence and, say, Tulsi Gabbard’s, is stark. The section in the profile where newly elected Senator Slotkin (former CIA agent and so much more) questions her former House colleague Tulsi Gabbard (now, horrifyingly, Director of National Security), is worth buying a lifetime subscription to Vanity Fair — but it’s free to read. A fourth is you, if you’re doing things — in the gentlest, most respectful way — to inspire others to “join the resistance” or, if they voted for Trump, to see they’ve been betrayed. We will prevail! I don’t quite see how — but we have to, and we will. Watch Congressman John Larson crying “shame!” yesterday! Join Indivisible! Read Tom Friedman.