I really appreciate M. Gessen's work.  I find her particularly clarifying, and thinking about that this morning I think the reason is that, unlike most of the other columnists I read or listen to, she has had experience of what's happening and time to think it through, and as a result she can see a little further into the future than most.  Rather than a "can you believe they did this yesterday" or "this thing they did today will have all sorts of consequences we can't even begin to anticipate" kind of approach, she can credibly say "look at the bigger picture, this is the process that's unfolding, this is what to look for next, this is where we're going."

I bought one of their books during Trump I, "Surviving Autocracy", and it introduced me to the term "the autocratic attempt" and Trump as failing at the time to progress beyond the attempt.  It seems only fair in the US that we gave the guy a second chance …

This post is prompted by their latest NYT column that simply lays out what the current situation is for trans people in the US and around the world and how it's changed with this administration.  Much of the column patiently explains the consequences for different specific individuals, both in the US and abroad, highlighting specific consequences that have happened that I hadn't thought about.

The last portion of the column is the kicker; Gessen refuses to follow the easy rhetorical device of trying to convince the reader that next they'll come for us, a device which would transform  the column into an appeal for self-interest, but just effectively says "this is what's happening, this is why it's happening, you are morally obligated to care about it".