When I look at the pattern of actions of the Trump administration over its first 100 days, my focus is on those that directly impact individuals and groups and their civil liberties. It’s not that I don’t think the damage that is being inflicted on the economy isn’t harmful or that it won’t disproportionately impact people with low incomes, because it is and will. But those impacts will be longer term, whereas the abductions and renditions are having a much more immediate impact on both the people they are perpetrated against and society as a whole.

Again, short of some stereotypical comic book villain monologue, the president and his cronies aren’t going to come right out and say what their evil plan is. Luckily, they are being so ham-handed that it’s not too hard to see what it is. They are making examples of individuals who belong to vulnerable groups that dare to speak out against what they see as injustices. As previously discussed, I believe this administration’s actions are illegal, but that doesn’t diminish their direct impact or their chilling effect on those who may wish to speak up. I mean, it’s one thing to be right in law and principle, it’s quite another to risk being snatched off the street and sent out of state/country before you can vindicate yourself in a court of law.

While I don’t know the best response to the administration’s actions, I know the worst: staying silent. That is because, as noted above, their acts aren’t purely about abusing minorities, but also intended to scare others into silence. If they can do that, we will be complicit in allowing a dictatorship to arise in America, and we will all suffer, not just the ‘others’ in society.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—Martin Niemöller

I had a strange (but mostly wonderful) childhood, and some of my main interests were politics and technology. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Solidarity movement in Poland fascinated me with how, by banding together, they could stand up to a totalitarian government and drive it from power in just over a decade. So it was pretty nostalgic for me to come across a new editorial by a Polish newspaper editor and historian titled “In Poland, we know all about fighting illiberal regimes. Here are our lessons for the Trump age.” It’s a good read, but the part most pertinent to where we are now, I believe, is this:

So, what advice did the former dissident give us? First, we started speaking publicly about what was happening. Second, we demanded that the security service officers present their actions in writing and with legal justification. As a result, the campaign disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

While I think this is solid advice, it will only work if many people speak up, especially those who aren’t currently targeted, have legal status, and have a certain social and economic standing. I am looking directly at you, my predominantly white male IT counterparts. This country needs people like you to stand up to the administration’s behavior and be LOUD ABOUT IT. Because if people who find what is going on abhorrent don’t do something, and in large numbers, we are in for a horrible time, regardless of if the economy sucks or not. We need to stop thinking only about ourselves (1) and start thinking about the collective good if we are to preserve the rights we are all entitled to. So start talking to each other, start calling/writing your elected leaders, march at protests for causes you support, try and find ways to put your tech skills to work for targeted groups, and let’s see where we can take it. If Polish shipyard workers can do it, so can US Tech workers.

Notes:

(1) If you need a bit of self-interest to get engaged, how about the fact that tech jobs aren’t safe anymore? Now that monopolization and enshittification have taken hold, we are treated like run-of-the-mill office drones. We should have unionized years ago, but here we are, subject to the same mistreatment as everyone else. The only way forward is to join like-minded folks to protect the weak and go after the bullies.