American Democracy Collapses in Real Time as Trump Builds His Authoritarian Infrastructure

Day 171 of the Trump administration arrived with a stark reminder that authoritarianism doesn't announce itself with dramatic proclamations—it creeps forward through mundane bureaucratic decisions that collectively dismantle democracy. From Miami city commissioners canceling elections to ICE mining medical records for deportation targets, the infrastructure of American fascism is being assembled in broad daylight.Thanks for reading Narativ with Zev Shalev ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Also, you can now become a paid subscriber at our special 35% off our annual rate and keep that rate FOREVER! It’s our best rate and it’s available to you right now.Elections Are Now Optional in Trump's AmericaMiami's city commission delivered a masterclass in authoritarian power consolidation, voting 3-2 to simply delay local elections until 2026. Their justification? Cost savings and higher turnout during presidential years. Their reality? An extra year in power without bothering to ask voters. No emergency prompted this decision. No crisis justified bypassing public input. Just raw political convenience dressed up as fiscal responsibility.This represents more than municipal corruption—it's a beta test. Florida has become the laboratory for every authoritarian experiment that eventually spreads nationwide. From DeSantis's COVID authoritarianism to book banning campaigns, what happens in Florida previews the Republican Party's next moves. When local officials can simply cancel democracy because they "feel like it," the precedent becomes contagious.Economic Warfare to Shield Criminal AlliesTrump escalated his protection racket for international autocrats, threatening Brazil with crushing 50% tariffs unless they drop criminal charges against Jair Bolsonaro. The former Brazilian president faces prosecution for attempting a military coup, plotting to poison political opponents, and orchestrating his own January 6th-style insurrection. Trump's response? Economic blackmail to shield his fellow insurrectionist.This isn't diplomacy—it's the weaponization of American economic power to obstruct justice abroad. Bolsonaro's family maintained regular presence at Mar-a-Lago throughout Trump's first term, cementing a relationship built on shared authoritarian ambitions. Brazil's President Lula has refused to bend, but the precedent is chilling: America will now punish democracies that dare hold Trump's criminal allies accountable.Healthcare as Surveillance StateICE agents now mine a database containing 1.8 billion insurance claims and 58 million medical bills to hunt immigrants for deportation. The ISO ClaimSearch system includes names, addresses, license plates, and sensitive medical information—all originally designed for fraud detection, now repurposed as a surveillance dragnet. Every hospital visit, every insurance claim, every medical interaction becomes potential evidence in deportation proceedings.The targeting begins with undocumented immigrants but the infrastructure doesn't stop there. Once perfected, these surveillance systems expand to visa holders, green card holders, and eventually naturalized citizens. The database captures every American from birth—meaning we're all potentially subject to this dragnet when political winds shift.Dissent Triggers Federal SurveillanceFormer FBI Director James Comey arranged seashells on a beach to spell "86 47"—a reference to removing Trump from office. The Secret Service responded by tracking his cellphone and tailing his car across two states. Despite Comey deleting the post and clarifying no violent intent, he faced surveillance, interrogation, and accusations of inciting assassination over arranging seashells on sand.This represents the complete weaponization of federal agencies against political critics. The same adm