"He who saves his country does not violate any law."

This phrase, now repeated by the President, has been used throughout history to justify tyranny. With political dissenters persecuted and corruption excused in the name of nationalism, the administration is making one thing clear: their power is the only law that matters.

The message from those in power is simple: You can’t win, so stop trying. For many of us, the instinct is either to fight fire with fire or to surrender to survival mode, a losing binary in either direction. (And if what follows sounds like I’m suggesting civil disobedience, you’re 100% right.)

Many of us are upset with alleged opposition parties who appear to be dumbstruck. “These are the elected officials who are supposed to fight for us?” you say. “They’re not doing anything!” you say. “Well if they’re immobilized, what can I possibly do?! I’m just one person!” you say.

The problem isn’t that you don’t want to fight—it’s that you don’t know how. Most of us aren’t lawyers, we don’t control the media, and our 18th and 19th-century laws are ill equipped for this present-day domestic terrorism.

So how do you fight an enemy that rewrites the rules as they go?

Authoritarians thrive on confusion. They want you overwhelmed, misinformed, and emotionally reactive because that makes you easier to control. But strategic resistance is possible. It starts with rejecting their game altogether.

Fascism depends on disinformation. The more confused people are, the more likely they are to give up. If you don’t know what’s real, make it a priority to find out. Investigative journalists (like Associated Press, Reuters, The Guardian, or even Dan Rather’s Substack) are still doing the work, and facts are still being uncovered—though they won’t be handed to you easily. The truth is quieter than propaganda, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Question what you hear, especially when it stokes fear without offering solutions. Fact-check before repeating what’s being said, because repeating a lie—even to debunk it—can help it spread.

Perception is as powerful as policy. The government controls not just what people are allowed to do, but how they see the world around them. If enough people accept oppression as normal, it solidifies. One of the most powerful forms of resistance is refusing to let fear dictate the truth. Speak clearly about what’s happening. When people around you repeat falsehoods, correct them—not with anger, but with clarity. The more grounded and calm you are, the harder you are to manipulate.

Not everyone can march in the streets, but everyone can resist in some way. Small, strategic acts add up. Where you put your money, time, and attention matters. Supporting independent journalism, funding legal defense funds, and using your skills to protect vulnerable people may seem small, but they are essential. The systems in power depend on compliance. Starve them where you can.

This administration wants chaotic, reckless resistance. Violence gives them an excuse to tighten control. That doesn’t mean we should stay quiet—it means we should be intentional. Outrage is justified, but it doesn’t need to consume us. Not every act of resistance needs to be loud or public. Staying alive and resourced is also an act of defiance.

Fascism relies on hopelessness. If people believe they are powerless, they stop resisting. And that’s how it wins. History proves otherwise. Every oppressive system has relied on public compliance, and every one that has fallen did so because people refused to accept it. Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay in the fight, but do it on your terms.

The path forward won’t be easy. Let’s go together.

The government wants you to believe that morality is whatever they say it is. That legality is whatever serves them. That resistance is futile. But we don’t have to play by their rules.

Don’t join.
Don’t beat.
Don’t play their game.

We fight by staying informed. We fight by standing together. We fight by refusing to be consumed by fear.

And we don’t stop.

Don’t Join. Don’t Beat. Don’t Play Their Game.

Loyalty: Who Has Whose Back?