Democracy does not disappear overnight. It erodes under the guise of law and order, economic necessity, or security. In the U.S., that erosion is accelerating. From attacks on reproductive rights and voting access to judicial corruption and institutional purges, the country is sliding toward authoritarianism. Figures like Elon Musk are consolidating power, reshaping governance to serve their interests over the public good. If these trends continue, America will soon be a democracy in name only.
Canadians are not just watching this unfold. We are already feeling the shockwaves. The economic war being waged against us through tariffs and trade threats is a direct consequence of the political forces dismantling U.S. democracy. Whether those pressures persist or fade, the more significant crisis remains. America is destabilizing, and that instability will spill over regardless of what happens with tariffs. A superpower in free fall will drag others down with it. As we approach our own federal election, Canadians must recognize that this is not solely a U.S. problem. We need leadership prepared to manage the fallout.
One of the most significant signs of democratic decline is the rollback of individual rights. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Republican-led states enacted extreme abortion bans, some so severe they jeopardize women香蕉视频直播檚 lives. The same court is now considering restrictions on contraception and IVF, demonstrating that reproductive rights were merely the first target. This is not about morality. It is about control. When the state dictates reproductive choices, it asserts ownership over citizens香蕉视频直播� bodies.
At the same time, LGBTQ+ rights are under siege. Republican states are banning discussions of gender and sexuality, restricting healthcare access, and rolling back marriage protections. These tactics mirror those of authoritarian regimes, where targeting marginalized groups is a precursor to broader oppression.
The Supreme Court, once a safeguard of democratic principles, now serves an ideological agenda. Justices appointed under dubious circumstances are dismantling decades of precedent, undermining civil rights, weakening voter protections, and eliminating oversight. Corruption runs deep. Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have accepted lavish gifts and trips from billionaire donors while ruling on cases that benefit them. A court beholden to political financiers is not a judicial body. It is a tool of oligarchy.
A democracy cannot function if citizens are excluded from it. Republican-led states are aggressively suppressing votes, purging voter rolls, and enacting ID laws that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Gerrymandering guarantees minority rule, while far-right obstructionists in Congress hinder governance, eroding trust in democratic institutions.
The 2024 election further exposed this decline. Election deniers now control key voting systems, ensuring future contests may not be decided by voters at all. The January 6 insurrection, once seen as a breaking point, has become a blueprint for Republican power grabs. Many who sought to overturn the 2020 election now hold positions that could prevent a peaceful transfer of power in the future.
Perhaps the most chilling development is the recent purge of senior military leadership. President Trump, with the support of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, has dismissed key figures, including General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations. Additionally, the top military lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, known as the Judge Advocates General, have been removed. These unprecedented actions have raised alarms about the politicization of the military and the erosion of its independence.
Even more disturbing, Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act through an executive order, reviving a centuries-old law to grant himself sweeping powers. He intends to use it to carry out mass deportations, bypassing due process by labelling entire populations as threats. History shows that when leaders acquire unchecked power to designate and remove "undesirable" groups, democracy is already in free fall.
If these trends continue unchecked, both American and Canadian futures are in jeopardy. A collapsing U.S. will destabilize the world. Canada is not immune to the forces dragging America down. We must be ready not only to protect our own democracy but also to prepare for the consequences of America losing theirs.
~Stephen Fuhr is a Canadian Liberal politician, who represented the riding of Kelowna香蕉视频直播擫ake Country in Canada's 42nd Parliament.
