Articles by: George Lakey

Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar for Norway during the Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945. Photo courtesy of The National Archives of Norway / Flickr.

How Norway Avoided Becoming A Fascist State

Donald Trump’s obvious affection for authoritarians is prompting worried comparisons of our polarized country to the polarized Germany of the 1920s and ’30s. Since I’m known to see in polarization both crisis and opportunity, my friends are asking me these days about Hitler, the worst-case scenario. I grant the possibility of the United States going fascist, but argue that will[Read More…]

by — 19/02/2017 — 1 comment — World
Reaching Trump Supporters With The Promise Of Vision

Reaching Trump Supporters With The Promise Of Vision

If these were ordinary times, progressives might get away with casual images of our political opponents. Those who disagree “lack information,” or “remain prejudiced,” or are “gripped by an emotion like hate.” Reassured, we can return to informational outreach or protests or confrontations and hope that makes a difference. These, however, are not ordinary times. I further expect more instability[Read More…]

by — 01/02/2017 — 2 comments — Book Review, Counter Solutions
The encampments at Standing Rock worked to keep prayer and nonviolence at the center of their actions. Photo by Joe Zummo.

Standing Rock And The Return Of The Nonviolent Campaign

Nonviolent campaigns are often dramatic and catch the attention of millions—think of Standing Rock water protectors resolute in the face of a brutal police force. All the more puzzling that the concept of a “nonviolent campaign” is little known and often ignored when people talk about how to mobilize power, for example, to prevent Donald Trump from erasing gains made[Read More…]

by — 09/01/2017 — 1 comment — Environmental Protection
Photo by Tony Webster. https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/

The Hopeful Thing About Our Ugly, Painful Polarization

An artist’s drawing of the American body politic in 2016 might picture furrowed brow, hand-wringing, hunched shoulders. Anxiety abounds, when not overridden by anger. Our extreme polarization is political, economic, social—but individuals feel it on a personal level. Small wonder if we seek relief in the hope that the social fracturing might be healed by one candidate or another. Certainly,[Read More…]

by — 19/11/2016 — 1 comment — World