Context:
This is part of the ongoing Crisis-Phase Tracker, a running log of democratic guardrails and authoritarian escalations during the current U.S. Crisis Phase (see Hidden Circuitry for background). Each entry shows the state of key indicators as of the date noted.
🔴 Red = Critical stress
🟠 Orange = Severe stress
🟡 Yellow = Emerging/Moderate stress
🟢 Green = Stable/Low concern
These are not predictions — they are diagnostic snapshots. Red does not mean collapse is inevitable. It means urgent stress exists at that checkpoint.
Key Updates Since Last Entry
- Judicial Guardrails: Mixed. Wins (Harvard, FTC, Alien Enemies Act, Cook provisional ruling) keep courts at 🟠 Severe. Loss: SCOTUS immigration ruling rolled back key limits.
- Use of Force: Expanded again — Guard in D.C. now armed, FBI shifted to patrols, new grand juries formed. Trump threatening Chicago next.
- Suppression of Dissent: Flag-burning EO and Abrego deportation threats underscore authoritarian drift → logged as detonation precursors.
- Electoral Integrity: DOJ voter roll grab flagged as centralization threat; state-level redistricting pushback (CA, TX, UT) offers small counter-balance.
- Immigration Regime: Appeals court keeps “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center open; SCOTUS green-lights broader immigration sweeps.
- Military Authority: Sept 5 orders expand Trump’s unilateral overseas powers — still at 🟠 Severe but trending red.
- Media Capture: Colbert cancellation continues to reverberate as likely case of political leverage.