In These Perilous Times of Mass Protest, Can Democracy Triumph? That Goes for America, Too.

NOTE: I had to switch from Gmail to MailChimp because Google blocked the list

A moment of tranquility in Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat LOOKING BACK AT THE WEEK: Around the world we have entered a new era of mass protests that represent a huge test for nonviolent movements. In many places they have appeared successful, but in Russia and Hong Kong, I think we can expect to see increasingly violent responses by the threatened regimes. My latest column asked a question that's been on many minds as we've watched huge and incredibly courageous demonstrations from Hong Kong to Khartoum, Algiers to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Why have we seen so few mass protests against the Trump administration, which is working relentlessly to weaken American democracy? And why did those that took place — some of the biggest in history — prove so ineffectual? THE PHYSICS OF DISSENT OPINION To Take Down Trump, Take to the Streets CHRISTOPHER DICKEY Published 08.11.19  The formula p=mv might just be the E=mc2 of protest. A new study shows it's not how many turn out for a demonstration that counts, it's also how often. I had been inspired by this article written by Brendon Hong in Hong Kong ... ENTER THE DRAGON Hong Kong Protesters, Inspired by Bruce Lee, Stun Beijing BRENDON HONG Published 08.06.19  Groups of "front line" protesters have adopted tactics and strategies of their own to express their dissent in ways that resemble guerrilla warfare rather than planned rallies. ... and this research by Erica Chenoweth and Margherita Belgioioso on "The Physics of Dissent": https://socialsciences.nature.com/users/269200-erica-chenoweth/posts/51786-the-physics-of-dissent?utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_source=hksfacebook&fbclid=IwAR0YOMj4jnskmxAotOJVfDWi5gjoQtjfTp2UknD4Iq2uT8XIGAxNA4myRCc But perilous times lie ahead, as suggested by this update from Brendon Hong: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Hong Kong Protesters Capture Infiltrators in Airport Chaos BRENDON HONG And this article by Amy Knight: SILOVIKI Street Protests Might Make Putin More Dangerous to U.S. AMY KNIGHT By coincidence, the day my column appeared organizers in the U.S. announced a huge #WeThePeopleMarch being planned for September 21 in D.C. But even if that is the biggest demonstration in Washington's history, it needs to be followed by more concerted and continuous action if protestors really want to try to bring Trump down, and that is a high-risk proposition. https://wethepeoplemarch.org In the meantime, I am happy to say that David Crosby, who is one of the people on this list, took a look at the related matter of Russian influence on Trump and America and explained it in terms anyone can understand: OPINION David Crosby: Trump Is 'Under the Control of Russia' DAVID CROSBY Published 08.10.19  The iconic singer-songwriter behind the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash writes about President Trump's curious relationship with Russia—and why he must be defeated in 2020.