Authoritarianism unfolds in stages, it doesn’t happen overnight. In this episode, longtime organizer and Executive Director of the 22nd Century Initiative Scot Nakagawa breaks down how authoritarian movements rise, where the United States is right now, and what it will take to stop consolidation before it’s too late.

Drawing on nearly four decades of experience confronting white nationalism and anti-democratic movements, Scot explains the real strategy behind efforts like Project 2025, the importance of federalism, and why the 2026 election cycle is a critical turning point. He also shares how pro-democracy movements can shift from protest to real power through non-cooperation, labor action, and mass mobilization.

This episode is a roadmap for how to build cross-partisan movements, why “joy is resistance,” and what it means to create a democracy that actually works after authoritarianism is defeated.

Subscribe to Scot’s Substack, The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook: https://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/

Learn more about the 22nd Century Initiative: https://22ci.org/

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Revolutionary Optimism is hosted by Dr. Paul Zeitz and produced by Wavestream Media.