Ep. 192 (Part 2 of 2) | Professor Mark Fischler, constitutional law expert and co-host of the Integral Justice Warrior podcast, helps us make sense of what’s happening to our democracy, providing context—historical, legal, ethical—for the plethora of disturbing and destructive acts occurring on a daily basis in our political arena. The rule of law is under direct attack at this time, he explains, and an assault on democracy is essentially an assault on our most fundamental values—the principles this country was founded on: inclusivity, equality, and dignity for all.

Mark clarifies President Trump’s political actions in the context of developmental stages, unpacks Project 2025, and discusses the assault on higher education and critical thinking and what it portends. The trajectory of where we are headed, Mark points out, is regressing into values we have already transcended. We need our democratic foundation to move to deeper, post-democratic levels that are reflective of greater levels of interconnection and inclusivity—not the opposite, he says. What will it take to change the regressive trajectory? Courage! And involvement. Thank you, Mark, for bringing a rare depth and much-needed clarity to the subject of the evolving democratic crisis occurring in our nation today and its implications for our future. Recorded June 12, 2025.

“The assault on democracy we are experiencing is also an assault on a spiritual understanding of the deeper nature of our existence.”

• The assault on higher education and critical thinking, continued (01:07)
• The idea of inherent capabilities of race is a slippery slope (02:33)
• Authoritarianism, the “authoritarian slide,” and the current administration (11:16)
• Do you cave if your livelihood is threatened or do you stand up for the values of your country? (14:12)
• The assault on democracy is an assault on our foundational spiritual values (19:26)
• The leftist postmodern approach to transgender issues & immigration created fodder for the movement towards authoritarianism (23:12)
• The importance of creating an educated citizenry (28:03)
• MLK’s four basic steps for nonviolent action (32:09)
• Take direct action only after you’ve entered into a purified state such as Jesus had on the cross (34:05)
• Prevent violence in protests, disable provocateurs (36:16)

• The Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (Integral Life website)
• Greg Thomas, CEO of the Jazz Leadership Project on the Deep Transformation podcast, From Race to Culture to Cosmos: Using the Dance of Our Differences to Wise Up, Harmonize, and Actualize
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (YouTube...