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Articles by Paul Loeb
A president tried the insanity many fear Trump is plotting — now he'll die in prison | Opinion
Paul Rogat Loeb,Jungmin Choi How do you stop a would-be dictator The first requirement is knowing that it's possible. In 2024, the people of South Korea took to the streets and stopped a would-be coup in its tracks. Their example offers lessons for how Americans can counter Donald Trump and his allies if they disrupt or defy the results of November's midterms.
How to Stop Trump’s Coup: Lessons from South Korea
Editor’s note: Paul Rogat Loeb is a longtime friend of mine. I was honored last year when he asked me to help him choose and edit selections and revisions for the third edition of his invaluable anthology The Impossible Will Take a Little While, now just published by Basic Books, from which the article below is adapted. - Ethan Casey, publisher, Blue Ear Books Paul Rogat Loeb and Jungmin Choi How do you stop a would-be dictator?
How to Stop Trump’s Coup: Lessons From South Korea
How do you stop a would-be dictator? The first requirement is knowing that it’s possible. In 2024, the people of South Korea took to the streets and stopped a would-be coup in its tracks. Their example offers lessons for how Americans can counter Donald Trump and his allies if they disrupt or defy the results of November’s midterms.
How to Stop Trump’s Coup: Lessons from South Korea
How do you stop a would-be dictator? The first lesson is knowing that it’s possible, as South Korea showed a month after Donald Trump’s reelection. Their example should hearten those of us worried that Trump and his allies will disrupt or defy the results of November’s midterms—whether by obstructing voting or trying to block ballot counting and certification.
How to Stop Trump’s Coup
October 22, 2026 How to Stop Trump’s Coup South Korea’s lessons for the US midterms. Ad Policy Thousands of South Korean citizens gather in Seoul to call for the impeachment of then-President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 12, 2024.(Chris Jung / NurPhoto via Getty Images) How do you stop a would-be dictator? The first requirement is knowing that it’s possible. In 2024, the people of South Korea took to the streets and stopped a would-be coup in its tracks.
How to Stop Trump’s Coup
Follow How to Stop Trump’s Coup Thu, October 22, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT How do you stop a would-be dictator? The first requirement is knowing that it's possible. In 2024, the people of South Korea took to the streets and stopped a would-be coup in its tracks. Their example offers lessons for how Americans can counter Donald Trump and his allies if they disrupt or defy the results of November's midterms.
Death By a Thousand Cuts: How to Build a Mass Movement Against Fascism
The Impossible Will Take A Little While. That’s the title of activist and author Paul Loeb’s best-selling book that was originally published during the heyday of the War on Terror, when it felt that America had lost its collective mind. Millions of us marched in the streets, protested the war, warned of its devastating consequences, but we were ignored by the Bush Administration and powerful institutions that profited off of chaos. Everything seemed bleak and hopeless.
The margin of effort — How election volunteering can help save democracy
Sometimes it’s the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I’ve volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn’t have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn’t know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
Commentary: The margin of effort — How election volunteering can help save democracy
Sometimes it’s the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I’ve volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn’t have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn’t know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
Commentary: The margin of effort
Sometimes it's the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I've volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn't have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn't know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
Commentary: The margin of effort -- How election volunteering can help save democracy
Sometimes it’s the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I’ve volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn’t have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn’t know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Hope Beyond Hope
This is an excerpt from The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times, whose wholly updated edition has just been released. Sometimes we achieve the impossible sooner than we expect. Knowing that can stiffen our resolve. But relying on quick victories can also tempt us to place too much emphasis on outcomes; it can cause us to become unduly impatient, brittle, with our will easily broken by defeats.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Hope Beyond Hope
This is an excerpt from The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times, whose wholly updated edition has just been released. Sometimes we achieve the impossible sooner than we expect. Knowing that can stiffen our resolve. But relying on quick victories can also tempt us to place too much emphasis on outcomes; it can cause us to become unduly impatient, brittle, with our will easily broken by defeats.
The Margin of Effort: How Election Volunteering Can Help Save Democracy
Sometimes it’s the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I’ve volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn’t have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn’t know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
How Do We Act When We Don’t Know If We’ll Win?
We are living through a period when many people who care about justice and democracy are exhausted, frightened, or unsure what their actions can accomplish. Paul Loeb’s The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times, originally published two decades ago and substantially revised for a new edition, begins with a question that is especially difficult in such a moment: how do people keep acting when they have no guarantee that their efforts will succeed?
The Margin of Effort: How Election Volunteering Can Help Save Democracy
Sometimes it’s the humble actions that matter, which is a lesson for our dangerous time. For years, I’ve volunteered to get out the vote for my preferred candidates. In one election, knocking on doors in a Seattle neighborhood, I spoke with three people who supported my candidate for governor but wouldn’t have voted had I not contacted them: One forgot it was Election Day. Another didn’t know how to submit an absentee ballot. The third needed a ride to the polls.
The impossible will take a little while: The power of persistence
(Photo: Illustrative/Pexels) We live in a time fraught with bad news: assaults on democracy, climate disasters, crippling inequality, and an endless proliferation of lies. The pace of the daily outrages reminds me of a moment from Art Spiegelman’s Maus. The Spiegelman character asks his therapist, a concentration camp survivor, what it felt like to be in the camps. His therapist thinks, and then yells “Boo!” as loudly as he can, and Spiegelman jumps back.
Lo imposible tomará un poco más de tiempo: el poder de la perseverancia
Un cartel de Alex Pretti, de 37 años, quien fue asesinado a tiros por un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza, se muestra durante una vigilia el sábado 24 de enero de 2026 en Minneapolis. (Foto: AP/Adam Gray) Vivimos en una época cargada de malas noticias: ataques contra la democracia, desastres climáticos, desigualdad paralizante y una proliferación interminable de mentiras. El ritmo de las indignaciones diarias me recuerda un momento de Maus, de Art Spiegelman.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While: The Power of Persistence
We live in a time fraught with bad news: assaults on democracy, climate disasters, crippling inequality, and an endless proliferation of lies. The pace of the daily outrages reminds me of a moment from Art Spiegelman’s Maus. The Spiegelman character asks his father, a concentration camp survivor, what it felt like to be in the camps. His father thinks, and then yells “Boo!” as loudly as he can, and Spiegelman jumps back. “It felt a little like that,” his father says.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While: The Power of Persistence
Activism / September 10, 2026 The Impossible Will Take a Little While: The Power of Persistence In troubled times, history offers a lesson: Seemingly impossible change can begin with ordinary people who refuse to give up. Ad Policy An “ICE Out” pro-democracy demonstration in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 23, 2026.Stephen Maturen / Getty Images We live in a time fraught with bad news: assaults on democracy, climate disasters, crippling inequality, and an endless proliferation of lies.
Una canción vacía para un presidente vacío: recuperar las verdaderas baladas patrióticas
El presidente Donald Trump saluda a los asistentes durante la celebración del Día de la Independencia en Washington, D.C., tras la reanudación del evento, suspendido temporalmente debido a tormentas eléctricas. Según la Casa Blanca, unas 150.000 personas regresaron para disfrutar del acto y del histórico espectáculo de fuegos artificiales.
A hollow song for a hollow president: Reclaiming the real patriotic ballads
Spectators watch the Independence Day fireworks show near the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC, USA, 05 July 2026. (Photo: EFE/GRAEME SLOAN) After musician after musician pulled out from Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, we’ve been left with Lee Greenwood, an opera tenor, and military bands. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
Trump's favorite song sanitizes decades of foreign policy failures
After musician after musician pulled out from President Donald Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, he was left with Lee Greenwood, an opera tenor, a couple of military bands, and Kash Patel’s girlfriend. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
A Hollow Song For a Hollow President
After musician after musician pulled out from President Donald Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, he was left with Lee Greenwood, an opera tenor, a couple of military bands, and Kash Patel’s girlfriend. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
A Hollow Song For a Hollow President
After musician after musician pulled out from President Donald Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, he was left with , a couple of military bands, and . The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
A Hollow Song for a Hollow President: Reclaiming the Real Patriotic Ballads
After musician after musician pulled out from Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, he was left with Lee Greenwood, an opera tenor, a couple of military bands, and Kash Patel’s girlfriend. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
The song Trump loves gives tune to his spreading rot
After musician after musician pulled out from Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, he was left with Lee Greenwood, an opera tenor, a couple of military bands, and Kash Patel’s girlfriend. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
The song Trump loves gives tune to his spreading rot
Iraq War 1 day ago Trump: Trapped - FPIF fpif.org - John Feffer • 1d Donald Trump has always considered himself exceptional—that is, an exception to the rules. As a tycoon, he has demonstrated that multiple … Pop Culture 1 day ago 15 Eerie Details From Murder Cases And Suspicious Deaths Involving Celebrities BuzzFeed - Hannah Marder • 1d Christopher Walken was one of the last people to see Natalie Wood alive. 1.
A Hollow Song for a Hollow Patriotism: Reclaiming the Real Patriotic Ballads
After musician after musician pulled out from Trump’s June 24 “Freedom 250” concert, we’re left with Lee Greenwood and an opera tenor. The anthem that made Greenwood a star, “God Bless the USA,” was written in 1985 during the height of the Cold War.
Trump found his weapon to cripple enemies — but missed one big thing
We know the Trump Department of Justice has threatened individuals it considers political opponents. Echoing authoritarian regimes worldwide, they’ve now indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In response, major Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), including Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab, have prevented clients from donating to SPLC, cutting the organization off from funding without even a shred of due process.
Donor-Advised Funds Banning the Southern Poverty Law Center Threaten Democracy
We know the Trump Department of Justice has threatened individuals they consider political opponents. Echoing authoritarian regimes worldwide, they’re now Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC. In response, major Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), including Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab, have prevented clients from donating to SPLC, cutting the organization off from funding without even a shred of due process.
Vanguard and Fidelity Knife Trump-Disfavored Nonprofits:
In actions that would do Putin, Orban, or Maduro proud, Vanguard and Fidelity just created a precedent to cut off funds to any nonprofits disliked by the federal government or any state government. The justification is a Trump administration indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) claiming that SPLC paying hate group informants constituted fraud.
Link the SAVE Act to the History of Republican Voter Suppression
Donald Trump asked Republicans to pass the SAVE Act “for Jesus.” He’d have been better calling out George Wallace and Strom Thurmond. The debate has focused on the bill’s many dangerous aspects, and the next steps to trying to pass it are unclear. But the SAVE Act builds on voter suppression that Republicans have been carrying out for the past 25 years. The Democrats need to talk about this history, because whether or not this bill passes, there will be others like it to come.
Incorporate Armbands in the May Day Strike: A Lesson from the Past
Major unions like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen, are calling for a national May Day strike. It’s a powerful idea, building off of a Minnesota day this past January where people didn’t go to work or school, didn’t shop, and didn’t otherwise participate in ordinary activities.
Incorporate Armbands in the May Day Strike: A Lesson from the Past
Major unions like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen, are calling for . It’s a powerful idea, building off of a this past January where people didn’t go to work or school, didn’t shop, and didn’t otherwise participate in ordinary activities. The Minnesota day was , , and 75,000-100,000 people marched in the streets.
The National Strike would hit extra hard with this single addition
Major unions like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen are calling for a national May Day strike. It’s a powerful idea, building off of a Minnesota day this past January where people didn’t go to work or school, didn’t shop, and didn’t otherwise participate in ordinary activities.
Trump claims Jesus led him to this horrifically racist plot
Donald Trump asked Republicans to pass the SAVE Act “for Jesus.” He’d have been better calling out George Wallace and Strom Thurmond. The debate has focused on the bill’s many dangerous aspects. But the SAVE Act builds on voter suppression that Republicans have been carrying out for the past 25 years. The Democrats need to talk about this history, because whether or not this bill passes, there will be others like it to come.
Incorporate Arm Bands in the Mayday Strike: A Lesson from the Past
Major unions like the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and citizen groups like Indivisible and Public Citizen are calling for a national Mayday strike. It’s a powerful idea, building off of a Minnesota day this past January where people didn’t go to work or school, didn’t shop, and didn’t otherwise participate in ordinary activities.
It Can’t Happen Here: Washington State’s Cautionary Tale for the California Governor Race
Will California’s gubernatorial candidates realize that they could split the vote enough in the primary to create a Republican victory? The 2016 Washington State Treasurer’s race offers a cautionary tale. All candidates competed together in the primary under similar rules to California. Three strong Democratic candidates split their vote nearly evenly, totaling 51.6%. But because there were only two Republicans to divide their smaller 48.4% share, the November ballot was Republican vs Republican.
This massive error handed MAGA a blue state — and California is set to do the same
Will California’s gubernatorial candidates realize that they could split the vote enough in the primary to create a Republican victory? The 2016 Washington State Treasurer’s race offers a cautionary tale. All candidates competed together in the primary under similar rules to California. Three strong Democratic candidates split their vote nearly evenly, totaling 51.6%. But because there were only two Republicans to divide their smaller 48.4% share, the November ballot was Republican vs Republican.
Will Our Hometown Heroes Have the Courage to Stand Up at the Super Bowl?
Last Sunday, I cheered on the Seahawks as they defeated the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl. But it felt strange watching football right after ICE officers killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and the Trump administration tried to stop Minnesota police from even investigating. The administration has been attacking democracy in every other way they can, including ripping plaques about Black history from national monuments.
Will Our Hometown Heroes Have the Courage to Stand Up at the Super Bowl?
Last Sunday, I cheered on the Seahawks as they defeated the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl. But it felt strange watching football right after ICE officers killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and the Trump administration tried to stop Minnesota police from even investigating. The administration has been attacking democracy in every other way they can, including ripping plaques about Black history from national monuments.
'One Battle After Another' and the Seduction of Violence
After sweeping the Golden Globes and other awards, One Battle After Another has 13 Oscar nominations. Given the film’s clear relevance, if it does end up a winner, those who created it will probably do more than thank their agents, publicists, partners, and pets. They’ll likely talk about the times we’re living in, as every creative artist or public figure should, given the stakes. We hope they’ll present the film as a cautionary tale, not an endorsement of violent resistance.
Seahawks, take a stand for Minneapolis | Op-Ed
On Jan. 25, I cheered on the Seahawks as they defeated the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl. But it felt strange watching football right after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and the Trump administration tried to stop Minnesota police from even investigating. The administration has been attacking democracy in every other way it can, including ripping plaques about Black history from national monuments.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While
This collection brings together powerful voices from around the world to inspire ordinary citizens to keep working for change in an age of despair. “A magnificent anthology celebrates hope, guts, and the power of taking action.” —Oprah Magazine In a world where each day can bring new reasons for outrage or despair, Paul Loeb answers with stories of hope, inspiration, and raw courage from heroes of world-changing political movements.
One Battle After Another and the Seduction of Violence
— from Soul of a Citizen by Paul Rogat Loeb and Mark Rudd After sweeping the Golden Globesand other awards, One Battle After Another has 13 Oscar nominations. Given the film’s clear relevance, if it does end up a winner, those who created it will probably do more than thank their agents, publicists, partners, and pets. They’ll likely talk about the times we’re living in, as every creative artist or public figure should, given the stakes.
This superb film deserves its awards but in Trump's America it must be a cautionary tale
After sweeping the Golden Globesand other awards, Paul Thomas Anderson's film One Battle After Another has 13 Oscar nominations. Given the film’s clear relevance, if it does end up a winner, those who created it will probably do more than thank their agents, publicists, partners, and pets. They’ll likely talk about the times we’re living in, as every creative artist or public figure should, given the stakes.
3 Tips to Simplify Your Community Work
( 1 ) THINK SMALL You don’t have to fix everything to make a difference in the world. Walk a neighbor’s dog. Donate food to a local shelter. Invite a new family on the block over for a potluck. Small acts of service can pull us out of our own complicated lives and leave us feeling more spacious inside. “When we shift our focus off ourselves,” Becker writes, “we live lives of greater meaning and greater contribution.” Don’t underestimate the impact of small gestures, either.
Holding Musk Accountable: Here's How We Supercharge the Tesla Boycott
I’ve been struggling to imagine Elon Musk might do if he gets his trillion-dollar payday. He could spend a million dollars a day for 3,000 years. Or, more realistically, $100 million a day for 30 years. He could spend the $290 million he invested in Trump’s election and do it 3,400 times, wherever and whenever he pleases. Or buy more media properties, spending up to twenty times the $44 billion it took for him to buy Twitter and make it into a misinformation swamp key to Trump’s reelection.
Holding Musk Accountable: Here's How We Supercharge the Tesla Boycott
— from Soul of a Citizen I’ve been struggling to imagine Elon Musk might do if he gets his trillion-dollar payday. He could spend a million dollars a day for 3,000 years. Or, more realistically, $100 million a day for 30 years. He could spend the $290 million he invested in Trump’s election and do it 3,400 times, wherever and whenever he pleases.
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