Protesters respond to warrantless ICE arrests

As a USArian (a citizen of the US—I often use the term to reflect the reality that “American” is a word that applies to anyone from the tip of Argentina to the northern edges of Canada and Alaska), I find myself in a country whose central government is not just actively involved in the destruction of everything I think of as good in government, but also attempting to extend its censorship into the private sector as well.

If you are a citizen of Hungary, North Korea, Russia, or other authoritarian regimes—or you lived in Brazil under Bolsonaro, Chile under Pinochet, South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) under apartheid, or Germany and the countries it invaded under Hitler (among many other examples) this looks alarmingly familiar to you.

But for us in the US, at least those of us who are White (especially those who are also heterosexual and Christian and have some economic stability), it’s new and terrifying. We are seeing abuses of power unlike anything we experienced under Reagan, Bush I and II, and even this would-be-king’s first term. We are seeing the government telling private businesses, hospitals, universities that they will be penalized heavily if they were known to support a different candidate, defend facts regarding climate science and the environment or who got elected in 2020, represent an opponent in court, or have documents that contain the initials DEI or the phrase diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Still worse, we are seeing kidnappings by federal government agents of people who are in the US legally. They are not showing warrants, not providing basic information such as where the arrestees are being taken, and often sent thousands of miles from home (sometimes to be imprisoned in another country) without even a court hearing. We have a commander-in-chief who has shredded our foreign alliances, cratered the best economy in the world, calls for the US to take over two different sovereign nations and one sovereign territory (Greenland), betrays a country invaded by his friend Mr. Putin, and openly admires dictators around the world. And we are seeing the safety net torn to ribbons, our most private data turned over to an oligarch whose intentions are highly suspect, and both the dictator and that oligarch enriching themselves at our expense while throwing up roadblocks against holding them legally responsible for their actions.

So what can a business or institution do to not just protect itself but thrive in this perilous time?

1. Remember that just because the government doesn’t like what you’re doing, it doesn’t mean you can’t find support. The majority of people in the US do not agree with what he is doing. They find value in a government that protects people and planet, keeps its word, and upholds the rule of law, and they will patronize companies and institutions that act on principle. Look at what happened to sales at Target, which capitulated to government demands to drop DEI, and Costco, which refused. Target’s shopping visits dropped by five million in the four weeks ending February 9; sales were down 7.9% by early April with a one-day drop of 11% when they experienced a one-day boycott—and this doesn’t count the cost of lawsuits to reverse the shift. Revenue fell by $12.4 billion in revenue and shares of its stock fell to a four-year low of $27.27 per share. But Costco, which stood strong, apparently picked up a lot of those people who abandoned the red-and-white bullseye—gaining 7.7 million store visits in the same period. Its stock price at closing was $1008.30 on May 2, 2025 (the day I wrote this) compared with just $743.90 a year ago, and 68% of US shoppers supported the company’s decision.
2. Position your organization as courageous and willing to risk the dictator’s wrath in order to continue doing the right thing. I wrote a foreword for a client recently that took this approach. Here’s a quick excerpt:
   

   “What does it mean to publish a book on sufficiency when the new president is the opposite of everything this book stands for? Carol speaks eloquently about sharing resources and evening out income inequity, greening the planet, and accepting differences. Trump ran on a platform of greed, exploitation of the earth and its resources, polluting and destructive non-renewable petroleum- and coal-based energy, bullying, lying, cheating, and hatred of the stranger. Wouldn’t this be the time for Carol to let her book quietly die? Isn’t she out of step with the culture?I would argue that not only is she not out of step, but the United States—and the world—needs her right now.” [I then list five reasons why.]

3. Organize with others to present a united front. Bullies are afraid of resistance. When they get capitulation, they push for more—but when they get pushback, especially organized pushback involving large numbers of people, they often back off. This administration has shown plenty of vulnerability. Don’t be like the disgraced law firms and universities that knuckled under to ridiculous demands without fighting back and then discover—gee, what a surprise—that their oppressor wants even more. Emulate Harvard, not Columbia, in your response to the bullying.

¹ https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2025/03/31/how-truth-social-and-crypto-helped-donald-trump-double-his-fortune-in-just-one-year/
² https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025-04-27-Minority-Staff-Memorandum-Elon-Musk-Conflicts.pdf
³ https://www.perplexity.ai/search/sales-effect-of-target-capitul-SiT16OS9QQ6nWW6pJE4PJA