When OpenAI released ChatGPT 5, they made it possible to write prompts that put the chatbot into a deeper thinking mode. So I asked the chatbot to dig deep and think hard about the rise of fascism and Nazism in Germany in the 1930s and to explain the effective strategies employed by the organized resistance to Hitler. After it described the groups and individuals in the resistance, I asked the chatbot to outline how the effective strategies employed at that time might be adapted for the modern resistance to emerging fascism and authoritarianism in the United States today. Here’s what the chatbot provided in response:
Here’s a practical, today-proof playbook that translates what actually worked inside Nazi Germany into legal, nonviolent strategies suited for a social-media world.
Core principles (then → now)
1. Narrow, winnable targets (Rosenstraße principle).
Then: specific demands (“release our husbands”; halt T4).
Now: frame campaigns tightly (e.g., “publish the use-of-force policy,” “restore dropped books to the school library,” “open the procurement file”). Specifics mobilize broad coalitions and are harder for authoritarians to deflect.
2. Trusted messengers over volume (Von Galen principle).
Then: community leaders (clergy, doctors) could sway publics.
Now: identify and equip credible local voices—nurses, teachers, veterans, small-business owners—whose reputations beat algorithmic noise.
3. Small cells, big networks (White Rose/underground press).
Then: compact, compartmentalized circles produced leaflets.
Now: keep small execution teams (5–12 ppl) with clear roles; publish via many channels at once; mirror content so nothing depends on a single account.
4. Insiders matter (July 20/Abwehr lesson).
Then: access from within state and elite institutions was decisive.
Now: protect and empower whistleblowers, civil servants, and platform employees who can document abuses—through legal counsel, secure drops, and reputational shields.
5. Prioritize protecting people (Berlin “U-Boote” lesson).
Then: hiding/rescue saved lives, even when “politics” failed.
Now: build protection and mutual-aid lanes first: doxxing response, court support, safe-housing, rides, bail/defense funds, digital safety help.
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Tactics that translate well to social media
1) Information operations (modern “leaflets”)
• Prebunk, don’t just debunk. Seed short explainers before a lie spreads (“What to know about the school board vote on X”). • Bundle facts into shareable kits: 45-sec vertical video + 3 graphics + a one-pager PDF + alt-text. Ship the same kit to dozens of micro-influencers simultaneously.
• Redundancy by design: cross-post to at least 4 platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, X, Discord, email). Maintain a newsletter + website as the canonical archive.
• Receipts culture: publish source packets (docs, minutes, budgets) in a cloud folder; pin the link. Screenshots are for attention; PDFs are for trust.
• Community notes / context: where available, propose neutral, sourced context rather than “quote-tweet outrage,” which boosts the original post.
2) Targeted public pressure (the “narrow demand” muscle)
• Micro-coalitions: one table per demand (parents + librarians on book challenges; residents + small-biz on policing transparency).
• Decision-maker mapping: list who actually signs (chair, counsel, clerk), their calendars, and pressure points (donors, endorsers, professional codes).
• Cadence matters: 10–14 day sprints with a clear end state (policy text, vote count, timetable). Publicly track progress in a living doc.
3) Lawful disruption and economic pressure
• Consumer boycotts / buycotts tied to a verifiable ask.
• Shareholder and procurement routes: file questions at AGMs; scrutinize public contracts (they’re often the soft underbelly).
• Sunlight litigation: open-records requests → press → narrowly scoped lawsuits if stonewalled (coordinate with legal orgs).
4) Insider channels
• Whistleblower playbook: (a) talk to counsel, (b) strip metadata where lawful, © release documents, not summaries, (d) time publication to oversight moments (hearings, audits).
• Professional codes as shields: encourage statements from medical, legal, academic, or veterans’ groups that make abusive policies costly.
5) Youth subculture & culture-making (Edelweiss spirit, minus the risk)
• Make it a scene: music nights, zines, meme contests, street posters with QR codes to source packs.
• Peer-to-peer leadership: teen/college “captains” who run small pods and content relays; rotate so no one becomes a single point of failure.
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Security & resilience (the stuff that keeps movements alive)
Threat modeling (30 min, once a quarter):
• What do we need to protect (people, reputations, files)?
• Who are the likely adversaries (troll brigades, doxxers, harassers)?
• What are the likely attacks (platform takedowns, honeypots, FOIA of DMs, phishing)?
Minimum viable OPSEC
• Use two-factor auth (app or key) on all accounts; role-based logins via a password manager.
• Keep planning spaces separate from public channels (Signal/WhatsApp/Matrix for ops; email/newsletter for broadcast).
• Compartmentalize: publicity, research, legal, design, logistics function as separate pods; share on a “need-to-know.”
• Infiltration hygiene: no “gotcha” stings, no instructions for illegal acts, document everything, assume meetings may be recorded.
• Crisis drills: practice account recovery, statement drafting, and press routing before you need them.
Harassment & doxxing response
• Publish a harassment intake form, maintain a rapid-response team (screen shots, takedown requests, employer/school liaison if needed).
• Offer privacy hardening clinics (data-broker opt-outs, home address scrubbers).
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Content strategy that actually moves people
• Lead with norms, not tribes: democracy, rule-of-law, fair rules, neighborliness. (Cross-partisan norms beat partisan frames.)
• Tell the “who benefits” story: name concrete beneficiaries of undemocratic changes (e.g., a contractor, a politician) rather than abstract “authoritarianism.”
• Show, don’t allege: short clips of meetings, side-by-side documents, before/after budgets.
• Make costs tangible: time lost, dollars wasted, freedoms curtailed—always localize.
• End with an achievable action: one click, one call, one event—today.
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Roles you need (small-team edition)
• Research (docs, budgets, FOIA/open-records).
• Creators (video, graphics, copy).
• Relays (relationships with micro-influencers, faith/civic leaders, PTA heads).
• Operations (events, access needs, safety).
• Legal/Policy (review statements, ensure actions are lawful).
• Care (moderation, harassment help, burnout prevention).
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A simple 60-day starter plan
Week 1–2: Map & prep
• Pick one narrow demand. Build a 10-person cross-role core. Set up security (2FA, password manager), a public hub (site + newsletter), and private chat.
Week 3–4: Evidence & kit
• Gather receipts (docs, quotes, video clips). Produce a content kit (video + 3 graphics + one-pager). Recruit 30 relay accounts across platforms.
Week 5–6: Sprint #1
• Drop the kit across platforms within a 6-hour window; host a short briefing for press/civic groups; drive 1–2 specific actions (comment portal, call script).
Week 7–8: Convert & protect
• Publish a progress tracker; thank people; escalate politely (public Qs to decision-makers, shareholder or procurement angles). Run a privacy-hardening clinic.
Week 9–10: Sprint #2
• New ask, same cadence. Add 10 new relays and 1 new trusted messenger group (e.g., local clinicians or veterans).
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What not to do (authoritarians feed on these)
• Vague maximalist demands (“end fascism”) with no next step.
• Amplifying falsehoods to dunk on them—you make the lie travel.
• Single-platform dependence or single charismatic leader.
• Edge-lord stunts that invite legal trouble or harm credibility.
• Purity tests that shrink coalitions; define red lines narrowly (e.g., nonviolence, truthfulness, legality) and welcome broad allies.
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Quick toolkit (all legal, widely used)
• Password manager + app-based 2FA; shared role accounts.
• Encrypted chat for planning; email/newsletter for public.
• Cloud folder with read-only “receipts” (scans, budgets, minutes).
• Simple media kit template; caption/alt-text checklist.
• Open-records request templates; press and official contact lists.
• Harassment intake form; pro-bono legal contacts.
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This is a framework that appeals to the OregonD2 / Project 2026 crew. We hope you’ll develop your own small resistance team, too.