Take back our country!

"I’m delighted to see you all of you here today standing up for democracy, standing up for a democratic USA.

"I’m Bill Borden.  As  vice chair of Democrats Abroad, I represent nearly 4,000 Americans who live in Sweden.  We are here to take back our country, stop tyranny, and shame the tyrant wannabe king Donald Trump.

"We are not alone.  There are rallies today in Sweden, throughout the USA, and around the globe. 

"Tyrant Trump is destroying our government institutions, such as through mass firings of dedicated civil servants.  One example: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency that has successfully protected Americans against fraud. Then there’s  USAID, which provides health care that saves lives around the globe. Both  mass firings are illegal.  US courts agree.

"Trump has decimated government institutions by spending cuts.  Let’s look again at USAID. Trump gutted its funding. According to former USAID official Dr Atul Gawande, at least 300,000 people died from malnutrition and pneumonia since Trump stopped the funding. That’s just one of many examples of his cruelty. 

"There are major cuts in the Social Security Administration eroding the guarantees of an old age pension relied on by 70 million Americans. This must stop!

"Traditionally, government employees are civil servants, not politicians.  Just as other tyrants, Trump replaced highly qualified civil servants with  hacks personally loyal to him. He appointed Pam Bondi to be attorney general with orders to go after his opponents. 

"Trump stopped investigations into himself and his corporate friends. He pardoned his supporters who violently attempted to overthrow the government on January 6, 2021. 

"He has pardoned dangerous drug criminals. At the same time, he has ordered the deportation of innocent Americans and legal US residents. He’s cracking down on legal immigrants in Los Angeles and other cities, pitting soldiers against peaceful demonstrators. 

"That’s un-American!

"What can we do about it? 

"History Professor Timothy Snyder points out that the first rule for fighting tyranny is not to obey in advance.  Tyrants want to frighten you so  that you feel powerless and give in to the tyrant even before he stops you from speaking.

"Our Democrats Abroad rally here in Stockholm along with rallies in Malmö and Umeå, along with tens of thousands of rallies in the USA and around the globe, send a powerful message:

"We will not cave in to the tyrant Trump.  We will fight for our democracy.  

"Stay active.  A Harvard University study shows that if at least 3½% of  Americans are active and non-violent, that will be enough. There are great prospects to stop tyranny.

"We know that from experience.

"Millions of Filipinos marched peacefully in Manila in 1986.  The Marcos regime folded on the fourth day of demonstrations. The country was liberated by the People Power Revolution.

"The people of the country of Georgia overwhelmed their dictator president through the bloodless Rose Revolution in 2003. Protestors stormed the parliament building holding  flowers in their hands. This marked the end of the Soviet-era domination of Georgia.

"The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989 resulted in the peaceful overthrow of the communist government and the establishment of democracy. The revolution involved  protests, strikes, and demonstrations, bringing about the election of hero Václav Havel as president. 

"There’s a great way to get involved to stop  the wannabe tyrant king, Donald Trump. If you're a US citizen, join Democrats Abroad, if you’re not already a member.  

We can all make a powerful difference. Together, we will  take  back our country."

Bill Borden, vice chair, Democrats Abroad Sweden