Wayne Stelk

The Global War on Democracy: A Playbook for Autocrats This article introduces an essay series about the "Global War on Democracy", arguing that autocrats are winning, and an Autocracy Playbook.

For the first time in 20 years, 91 autocracies outnumber 88 democracies, with 72% of the world’s population now living under autocratic rule.

Learn about the “why” and “how” of autocracies rising. Read this intro to my new series of posts, A Playbook for Autocrats.
unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Jason, I don't know how I missed your note from 11 months ago, but I apologize! You are absolutely right. I hadn't thought about anthropology as you framed it (living system science). Thanks for your keen insight.

Book Vibes > Fascism Rising in America: It Can Happen Here DiMaggio's 2021 warning about Trump’s fascist values in American politics is contrasted with Trump's 2024 re-election and current policies.

Is Trump 2.0 building a fascist government? Author DiMaaggio’s warning is as true today as it was in 2021. Read this book review about how fascism came to America.
#politics
#bookreview
unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Dancing at the Edge of Chaos: Finding Stability Through Change “Dancing at the edge of chaos” optimizes adaptive living in a world characterized by uncertainty and flux between stability and change.

How can we achieve stability through change? This is a puzzle (koan) for your self-identity, your relationships, and our politics.

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Donald Trump’s Business Practices: Construction or Demolition? Trump is domolishing all liberal values. Learn about Trump's business failures. Can we live in an America built on his distorted self-image?

Check out my long list of Trump’s business failings. You know this story, but as Trump takes apart our democracy, it’s a story worth retelling.

Is this a man you can trust with the American and world economies? Without resistance, liberal values are in deep trouble.

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Book Vibes >  Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World In Autocracy, Inc., Anne Applebaum writes that today’s autocrats cooperate with one another in networks of support and shared villiany.

If there is one book that illuminates the lethal trajectory of Donald Trump’s second U.S. presidency (Trump 2.0), it is Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc.

Read my in-depth review of this book that is so relevant to the debacle of Trump 2.0.

#trump2.0
#politics
#dictators

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Playbook for America, Inc.: Make America a Profit Center Again This is an paradigm for an autocrat to destroy a nation's democracy and to create a corporate-like autocracy that favors the wealthy.

Are you struggling to make sense of what Trump 2.0 is trying to accomplish?

Read my post - Playbook For America, Inc. – an outline for making sense of an autocrat tornado.

The Playbook is part of my free newsletter, Dispatches From America, Inc.
#politics
#Trump2.0
unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

American Democracy Has Fallen. Up Next? America, Inc. President Donald Trump is leading the United States toward an autocracy that will become a business-state, America, Inc.

Donald Trump doesn’t like the title “President.” He prefers “King.”

America is his Golden Goose. Geographic expansion and the graft of other nations’ mineral rights will make the goose fatter.

Welcome to the making of America, Inc. Read about how this is happening.
unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.

Hitler destroyed German democracy by using lawyers to exploit and leverage every weakness in German constitutional law. He did this in 53 days.

Don't think it can't happen in the U.S. under a MAGA Trump-Musk administration.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

I'm looking forward to reading your book. My hope in joining Bluesky is to find a virtual community of thoughtful people who apply systems thinking to everyday problems. More ordinary people need to be exposed to the worldview of living systems principles.

The Toxic Triangle: A Perfect Political Storm The Toxic Triangle describes three factors in the loss of liberal democracies. Toxic environments create fearful voters and toxic leaders.

Have you ever wondered how awful nobodies become shitty leaders with a lot of power?

No one can be a leader without followers. The real mystery is why people believe toxic nobodies who make false promises that destroy their way of life.

Why do followers follow?

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Unpuzzling Political Terrorism: Dead Catting and Gut Messaging Politics of fear and Political Terrorism: Dead Catting and Gut Messaging. Why did Trump make this bogus claim about Haitians?

Voting for a politician is not a rational decision – but it's not irrational. It’s emotional.

Liberals promise to make life better in five years. Autocrats tell lies and scare the shit out of you today.

Look for the lies. Read about gut messaging in politics.

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

I'm glad I'm old. I ducked that incoming bullet, but I fear for my grandkids.

Amen, Brother Tom. And what you describe is happening in all developed countries where gullible people are voting autocrats into public office. People believe their lies and are getting sick as a result. We live in crazy times!

Instead of critical thinking, I suggest deliberative thinking, which is mode of cognition in contrast to algorithmic thinking. Daniel Kahneman writes about Systems 1 and System 2 thinking. It’s got a theoretical base, not just a meme.

I'm not looking for a job. I just noticed that you are the only other Blueskyer using #adaptivesystems for your posts. Nice!

BTW, anthropology is the study of living systems that are no longer living. It studies adaptive systems of the past. Every living system, from cells to neighborhoods, is complex and adaptive. The principles of living systems (such as self-organization, emergence, and interdependence) apply to all.

I will commit to writing a series of brief articles more explaining these ideas. I’ll post links to these articles on my website unpuzzling.me. I’ll try to get the first article out in the next several days. Thanks for your enthusiasm.
#adaptivesystems

Every adaptive system, large or small, has agency and is productive. Operating principles include self-organization, emergence, inter-connections, inter-dependence. Entropy is the energy principle of life or death. Maximum entropy is death. Self-organization creates adaptive life.
#adaptivesystems

I’m loving your idea of building a community of systems thinkers who focus on living systems and their networks. Call it #adaptivesytems

You are a living, adaptive system. Your heart and lungs are subsystems. Your family is a supersystem, making you a subsystem within the system of your family.

We may be a rarity. I have not found any intro to adaptive living systems. A good book is Self-Organization in Biological Systems (Scott Camazine et al.). The Santa Fe Institute does good work. Check them out. Mostly, I read this and that - self-learning. I wish there were more of us on Bluesky.

Your journey is interesting. Consider expanding your systems thinking to complex adaptive systems. Understanding people and all biological life as living adaptive systems is rewarding and challenging.

Best wishes for your journey.

Social Synchrony: Strengthening Social Bonds at Home, Work and Community Social Synchrony: Strengthening Social Bonds at Home, Work and Community. Social minds arise from social bonds. Benefits of social synchrony.

Thanks, Dani. My posts are mostly links to my articles. Any one is an example of my interest in sharing science with the general reader. Here is a link to one that I have posted. No rush.

I am also interested in connecting with other popular science writers. 😎

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Of the 14 past U.S. presidents in this chart, Trump is the only one who speaks at the level of a 4th grader. Does this have something to do with his popular appeal?

#literacy

d.newsweek.com/en/full/7743...

Social Synchrony: Strengthening Social Bonds at Home, Work and Community Social Synchrony: Strengthening Social Bonds at Home, Work and Community. Social minds arise from social bonds. Benefits of social synchrony.

I'm not a researcher, but I write on the sciences of human nature as the research findings relate to everyday life. My mission is to make the fidnings of esoteric sciences available to the public.

Here is a recent piece:

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

In retirement, I want to bring science to everyday people about the complexities of life. I hope to find in Bluesky a community of folks interested in topics about human nature. I’m looking for writers and readers who enjoy dialogue. My goal - “science to the people.” Thanks for your correspondence.

Tnx, Dani. Interesting question – Am I a scientist or hobbyist? I suggest a third option - science writer. For decades, I managed networks of behavioral health service practitioners. My mission was to move practitioners toward evidence-based treatments. I called this “science to service.”...

Great question, Mitch. As a popular science writer, I try to keep it simple and as personal as possible for the reader. When readers can apply science to their lives, I think that works best.

You Want Liberty? Which One? Which worldview of liberty should you choose to impose on others? The Great Divide Between “Me First” and “We Together”

Liberty is just another name for how we treat one another. We all have own rules for relating to partners, friends, co-workers, as well as people who are not like us.

Most social rules boil down to two flavors: “me-first” or “we-together.” Which do you prefer?

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...

Book Review: The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America 'The Road to Unfreedom' analyzes the retreat of democracy and the rise of autocracy - the major shifts shaping today's political landscape.

I write book reviews that lighten heavy topics. #Booksky

This book explores the path that nations follow as they march away from democracy and toward authoritarian governments (now known as populism).

Preserve democracy by learning how we lose democracy.

unpuzzling.me/life_puzzles...