When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the world watched with hope. Western leaders framed it as a triumph of democracy over tyranny. The Cold War was over, and Russia, once the center of global communism, appeared to be stepping into the light of freedom. But beneath the surface, the foundations of power remained untouched.

The people who had run the Soviet system didn’t disappear. They didn’t lose influence. Many stepped sideways, swapping party uniforms for business suits and security badges for government titles. Vladimir Putin, once a KGB officer, quickly entered politics. He rose through the ranks of the so-called new Russia and eventually took control of the entire country. Others followed similar paths, becoming heads of major corporations, intelligence services, and government ministries. What had once been controlled by the state in the name of communism was now controlled by individuals under the banner of free markets and national revival.

The folks who ran the Soviet system didn’t just vanish. They didn’t lose their power. Many transitioned, trading their party uniforms for business suits and security badges for government roles. Take Vladimir Putin, for instance—he started as a KGB officer and quickly jumped into politics. He climbed the ladder in this new Russia and took over the whole country. Others did the same, landing top jobs in big corporations, intelligence agencies, and government departments. What used to be managed by the state in the name of communism is now in the hands of individuals, all under the guise of free markets and a national comeback.

The rhetoric transformed, and the symbols evolved. However, the centralized power system enforced loyalty, and top-down control persisted. Russia did not transition into a democracy; it became something different. Elections occurred, yet their results were manipulated. Dissent was legally permissible, yet never accepted. The illusion of freedom masked a reality crafted by the same individuals who had maintained power all along.

But why did the Russian people go along if the system stayed the same?

After decades of life under communism, they had no experience with anything else. Democracy wasn’t something they had lived or practiced. It was an idea they had heard about from the outside, often presented to them as chaotic and unstable. For most Russians, the collapse of the Soviet Union didn’t feel like a new beginning. It felt like a free fall.

They had been taught to value order over freedom, loyalty over dissent, and control over uncertainty. Strong leaders were seen as essential. Without them, collapse seemed inevitable. The propaganda they had grown up with never truly left them. It told them that Western democracy was weak, fractured, and dangerous. In the confusion and economic hardship of the 1990s, that message took hold again.

So when the same familiar faces from the old regime returned, now wearing the clothing of reformers or businessmen, many accepted it without protest. These leaders offered stability, and that was enough. The system didn’t need to be forced back into place. The people let it happen.

What Russia got was not a new democracy. It was the old power structure, repackaged and renamed.

MAGA is no different

Now, look at what is unfolding within the MAGA movement. The language has shifted. More and more, its leaders and followers insist that democracy is broken. They say elections are no longer trustworthy, that the system is rigged, and that traditional checks and balances are part of the problem.

Their answer is not reform but consolidation. They argue that America needs a strong leader who does not answer to political parties, courts, or even the people. The appeal is simple and familiar: one figure at the center, powerful enough to ignore the opposition and impose order.

In this view, freedom is no longer a virtue. It is a risk. Too much freedom, they say, leads to weakness. Too much debate causes paralysis. Too many rights make the country ungovernable. So, the solution becomes control.

Bit by bit, a culture of surrender begins to take shape. People are being taught to believe that safety comes from obedience. They are being trained to trade participation for protection. Just like the Russian people in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse, they are not being forced to give up their power. They are being convinced to hand it over willingly.

This isn’t capitalism. This isn’t democracy. This is communism, MAGA-style.

How it works

The leader is the movement.

Communist regimes revolve around a single figure at the top—think Stalin. Political parties may exist in form, but their only real function is to carry out the leader's will. Power is not shared, and it does not move through democratic institutions. It is centralized, absolute, and personal.

Dissent is treated as disloyalty. Those who question the leader are not debated or engaged. They are removed, discredited, or punished. In these systems, there is no neutral ground. Citizens are expected to choose a side, with only one acceptable choice.

The law does not restrain the leader. Instead, it protects him. Courts, enforcement agencies, and legal mechanisms are shaped to shield those in power and target those who resist. The system is no longer built to serve the public. It exists to maintain control.

MAGA version:

The Republican Party, as it once existed, has been hollowed out. It no longer operates as an independent political institution with its own platform or leadership. It has become a vehicle for one man. Trump defines its priorities, its messaging, and its boundaries.

Those who step outside those boundaries are pushed out. Elected officials, party strategists, and even longtime conservative media voices have been cast aside for showing disloyalty. Figures like Liz Cheney and others who once held power within the party have been replaced by those willing to echo Trump’s narrative without question.

His legal troubles are not seen as legitimate investigations; they are portrayed as political warfare. The idea that the law should apply to him is dismissed outright. In this new party version, holding the leader accountable is not just controversial; it is considered un-American.

This is a cult of personality, just like every communist dictatorship before it.

The system is rigged to keep the same people in power

Under communist rule, elections were held regularly but had no real meaning. The outcomes were predetermined, and the same individuals remained in power year after year. The government controlled every part of the process, from who could run to how the votes were counted.

Opposition was technically allowed, but in practice, it was blocked at every turn. Legal hurdles, censorship, and outright intimidation made it nearly impossible for anyone outside the ruling circle to gain influence. The system gave the appearance of choice while ensuring no actual change could occur.

Once that structure was established, it became self-protecting. There was no clear path to remove those in power and no way for the people to challenge the rules from within. The system didn’t just fail to allow democracy; it actively prevented it.

MAGA version:

Now, consider what is happening inside the MAGA movement. Across several states, election officials are positioned to challenge or reject results that do not favor their side. These are not impartial guardians of the vote. They are political actors who openly align themselves with a single candidate and outcome.

At the same time, judges supported by the movement are issuing rulings that reinforce its power and shield its leaders from accountability. The legal system is being reshaped to protect one side, not to uphold the law.

Most importantly, a dangerous narrative is taking hold. If MAGA wins, the election is legitimate. If they lose, it must have been stolen. Under that logic, elections are only valid when they produce one result. Everything else is fraud by default.

This is a rigged system, just like every communist dictatorship before it.

Red flags everywhere...literally

In communist regimes, loyalty to the ruling party was not just expected, it had to be displayed. Citizens were required to wear symbols that showed their allegiance. Public rallies were not optional. People gathered to chant slogans and demonstrate their unity, often under the watchful eye of the state.

This kind of forced participation served a purpose. It created a culture where silence was suspicious, and any sign of dissent could be treated as betrayal. You didn’t just have to support the regime. You had to prove it, again and again, in public.

MAGA version:

Today, the MAGA movement mirrors that same demand for visible loyalty. The red hat has become more than a political statement. It is a test of allegiance. Wearing it signals not just support for a candidate but acceptance of an entire worldview.

MAGA rallies function as public affirmations of devotion. They are less about policy and more about identity. Participants chant together, echo the same lines, and reaffirm their commitment to the movement and its leader.

Those who refuse to participate or express mild criticism are quickly labeled enemies. In this culture, disagreement is not part of the process; it is treated as betrayal.

In Russia, red meant communism. In America, red means MAGA.

Power never actually changes hands.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was expected to usher in a new era of democracy. Instead, the people who had ruled under communism shifted roles. They did not give up power. They repositioned themselves within the new system and continued to lead.

Vladimir Putin moved from his role as a KGB agent into politics, eventually becoming prime minister and then president. He now serves as Russia’s dominant leader with no clear end in sight. Igor Sechin, once part of the Soviet military, became deputy prime minister and later took control of Rosneft, Russia’s largest state-run oil company. Sergei Chemezov, another former KGB officer, now heads the country’s most powerful weapons manufacturer. Nikolai Patrushev, who served in Soviet intelligence, currently acts as Putin’s top national security adviser.

These are not new leaders. They are the same individuals who managed the Soviet system, now operating under different titles. The power structure did not fall. It adapted. The faces changed slightly, but the hands holding power remained the same.

MAGA version:

After leaving office in 2021, Trump did not fade from political life. He immediately began laying the groundwork to return, not just through elections but by reshaping the system around him. Many of the people in his orbit are not new. They are loyalists placed in powerful roles, prepared to help him reclaim control and hold it.

Donald Trump built his identity as a businessman who challenged the political establishment. He became president once, refused to accept the outcome when he lost re-election, and spent years convincing his followers that the system was rigged against him. After reclaiming the presidency, he presents himself as a leader and the only person who can fix the country. The institutions he once attacked are now under his control, and the narrative of permanent crisis continues to justify expanding his power.

Retired General Michael Flynn, who once served as National Security Adviser, now openly calls for military tribunals and the suspension of the Constitution. He pushes for loyalty to Trump over loyalty to the law. Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a former Trump Pentagon appointee, has spoken in support of using military power against civilians and has been floated for a top defense role in a second Trump term.

Judges like Aileen Cannon, appointed by Trump, have already made rulings that appear to favor him personally, raising questions about neutrality. Other lifetime-appointed judges aligned with his ideology continue to shape key rulings in his favor.

State officials such as Mark Finchem in Arizona and Kristina Karamo in Michigan have promoted false election fraud claims and sought positions that would give them direct control over future vote counts.

Media personalities like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, and Charlie Kirk use their platforms to keep Trump’s base engaged, outraged, and unwavering. They do not report. They repeat. They deliver the message, attack critics, and help turn political loyalty into personal devotion.

This is not a campaign. It is the reconstruction of a power system built to endure regardless of election results.

This is the Soviet playbook, rebranded.

Americans are being trained to surrender freedom.

The Russian people did not resist the return to authoritarian rule because they had no clear alternative. After generations under centralized control, they were unfamiliar with real democracy and uncertain about living without a dominant leader. They had been taught that chaos would follow if too many voices had power and that only strongmen could protect the nation from collapse.

Years of propaganda had framed democracy as weak, unstable, and foreign. When the Soviet system fell, the public was left with fear and confusion. Rather than embrace the unknown, many accepted the return of familiar faces and familiar structures. They believed that survival required obedience, not participation. In the end, they did not lose democracy. They never had a chance to build it.

MAGA version:

Now consider what MAGA supporters are being taught. They are told, over and over again, that democracy is broken. They hear that the system no longer serves the people, is rigged and that traditional institutions cannot be trusted. The message is clear: voting is not enough, and elections only matter if the right side wins.

Alongside this, they are being pushed to believe that America needs a strong, uncompromising leader—someone who will act without hesitation, negotiation, or restraint. They are told that freedom itself has become a problem. Too much freedom leads to disorder. Too much dissent weakens the country. Too many rights get in the way of strength.

Slowly, the idea of handing over control is being reframed as an act of loyalty. Surrender is no longer seen as giving up freedom. It is sold as a necessary sacrifice for the good of the nation. This is not political disagreement. It is the quiet erosion of democratic instincts.

The Russian people fell for it.
MAGA followers are falling for it now.

This isn’t a warning. It’s already happening.

MAGA claims to be fighting against communism. They use the word to describe their enemies, critics, and the systems they want to dismantle. But look closer, and the reality becomes harder to ignore. The structure they are building mirrors the very thing they say they oppose.

This movement is built around one leader who demands loyalty above all else. It punishes dissent, replaces law with personal allegiance, and elevates political survival over democratic principles. It is not a party. It is a system designed to keep the same people in charge no matter the outcome of an election.

In Russia, former communists kept their grip on power by convincing the public they had reformed. They changed their slogans, not their behavior. They claimed they had saved the country while quietly ensuring no one else could lead it. That same playbook is now being used here.

MAGA followers spent years warning that communism was coming to America. They were right. They just never expected it to wear a red hat.