Subject: Re: How to Stand Up to a Dictator
This thread is the Gift. That. Keeps. On. Giving.

15. Reach across the ideological spectrum to like-minded people who also care about democratic values

Hahahahahahahaha - let's look into this one and contrast it with this:

13. We are factionalized through social media (it connects as well as corrupts us and separates us), has led to people electing illiberal leaders democratically

Here's Larry David's op-ed in the NYT about Bill Maher meeting with Trump:
Imagine my surprise when in the spring of 1939 a letter arrived at my house inviting me to dinner at the Old Chancellery with the world’s most reviled man, Adolf Hitler. I had been a vocal critic of his on the radio from the beginning, pretty much predicting everything he was going to do on the road to dictatorship. No one I knew encouraged me to go. “He’s Hitler. He’s a monster.” But eventually I concluded that hate gets us nowhere. I knew I couldn’t change his views, but we need to talk to the other side — even if it has invaded and annexed other countries and committed unspeakable crimes against humanity.

Who knew that LD reads this board?

Anyway.

Scott Jennings nailed it: This Op-ed wasn't about Maher meeting with Trump, it was about intimidating the NEXT person who wants to reach across the aisle.