Mastodawn

How do you topple an autocrat?

First, identify segments of his support base that are not permanently committed to his reign, but whose backing is essential to his power.

Analyze their interests. Identify what is more important to them than maintaining his reign. Identify their vulnerabilities.

Identify a form of activity that could put that segment of the autocrat’s supporters in a situation in which they will prefer to withdraw their support.

Engage in that activity—whatever it takes.

Repeat as needed until enough sectors of society shift their commitments.

The anti-Tesla protests of spring 2025 demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy.

Facing a unified front of fascist demagogues, Christian nationalists, and tech billionaires, protesters applied pressure to Tesla dealerships and forced Musk out of Washington within just three months.

https://crimethinc.com/TurningTide

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Ivan Kwiatkowski Jan 12

@CrimethInc @catileptic Look, that's a nice sentiment but protests and pressure to Tesla dealerships didn't have much to do with this at all.

Musk was hired with the weird "Special Government Employee" status, which means he can only "work
for the government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period" (source: https://www.eff.org/files/2025/09/03/037-08_exhibit_8._feb._4_washington_post_article.pdf)

Pretending Musk left at the end of the statutory period due to protests is a bit like organizing a march against the night at 5AM and cheering when the sun comes up.

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Alex / catileptic Jan 12

@justicerage i see your point, but i think that protests have more than one purpose

there's the in-the-moment pressure, that is specific to the thing they want to achieve

and then there is the continuous communal practice of direct action and direct representation. if you stop doing this, the "muscle" atrophies and the inertia grows. so when you need to rally, it's going to be harder

also, if a country that's willing to ignore laws, showing that there are consequences is important

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Ivan Kwiatkowski

@catileptic No problem with that, I'm all for direct action and self-empowerment!
I'm just not convinced by the framing that says protests were what drove Musk out of Washington. Still hurt his Tesla sales big time though, that's something!