"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must undergo the fatigues of supporting it." - Thomas Paine. We are witnessing a systematic teardown of democracy worldwide. This book will help you make sense of the world, understand how this could happen, and consider what we can do as ordinary citizens to flip the script on authoritarians. We are in a perpetual struggle between authoritarian rule and the enduring resilience of freedom, also known as Democracy. This resilience, this unwavering strength, is not just a concept but a beacon of hope that inspires us to fight for our freedom of choice.

Having peace of mind, understanding how the world works, and seeing real-world examples are priceless, as shown in this book. However, beware that the who, how, and what is being done to dismantle democracy is terrifying to learn. You need to start with a willingness to hold the knowledge; once you have it, there is no forgetting it and no turning back. In the last 80 years, Democracy, to date, has not offered up a defense. Hence, we have been slowly taken off course. We need to fortify our defenses and go on the offense.

President Ronald Reagan said it best:

"Freedom is a fragile thing, and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again."

Here's a not-so-fun fact: you have a six times greater chance of being killed living under an authoritarian regime than you do living and fighting for Democracy (TUCCILLE, 2014). Reading this book will give you the same peace of mind and sense of purpose that we all long for. We have to have purpose in wanting to live free and safe. That must be our eternal focus because freedom is not a given.