The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office. From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (p. 26) by Timothy Snyder.
Snyder writes that many of the democracies formed in the early 20th Century would collapse with single-party rule – often after electing an extremist (whether fascist, communist, or Nazi). Often this happened as people were distracted, imprisoned, or ignored. Most of the Russians who voted in their 1990 election did not realize it was the last meaningful election they would have. “Any election can be the last”.
I would add that voting is an important task and helps ensure that low turnout doesn’t skew to the maniacal few. If you’re a citizen, check into how voting works where you live and be ready ahead of time. Make a plan so you will be able to vote – ahead of time if possible – and you’ll have any required ID for your state.
Living ~400lbs 