American Democracy Forever

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From his deathbed in 2026 the mind and memories of 80-year-old Charlie Durand awaken in 1960 in his 13-year-old body. What is he to do with this, his second life, his Life 2? He decides his assignment is to prevent Donald Trump, a malignant narcissist from becoming a dictator in 2024, as he had in his first life. His superpower is his detailed memory of Life 1.

Over a series of family talks, young Charlie tells his parents what he experienced during his first lifetime of 80 years. It is a critique of the American culture, values, politics, and religion that led to Trump naming himself President-for-Life in Life 1. The novel then describes Charlie’s efforts up to the 2024 election to oppose Trump in Life 2.

Charlie decides his first task is to get rich—multi-billionaire rich—so that he has the resources he needs to oppose the cabal of Republican oligarchs. From a small nest egg, he invests in commodity futures and then creates a software development company to produce popular products he knows will generate enormous profits.

But what should he do with his billions? He creates a nationwide network of Forum Clubs to discuss local and national issues from the bottom up. Always goal-oriented, they take whatever nonviolent actions are needed to influence politicians and make changes happen. He creates the OurTown social media platform to facilitate communications and coordination among Forum Clubs.

Charlie’s Forum Media Group creates a bubble of liberal thought encompassing the nation, in direct and fierce competition with right-wing media. His Civic Advanced Research Projects Agency (CARPA) prototypes and deploys solutions to nationwide problems identified by the network of Forum Clubs. His MedSupply nonprofit stockpiles medical supplies for the pandemic he knows is coming in 2020.

These and other efforts fight Donald Trump right up to the 2024 election, with the results still in question on election day. The readers are given alternate endings—Democracy wins or Autocracy wins—and then asked to choose the ending they prefer and to which they will commit their lives and sacred honor to achieve.

Finally, Charlie’s third life, Life 3, is introduced.