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“When the Military Becomes Police: Trump's Fourth Reich Gestapo” - 27 August 2025

The Colonial Playbook Applied to American Cities Through Māori Eyes

Ivor Jones The Māori Green Ltn

27 Aug 2025 — 5 min read

Kia ora whānau. Greetings to all our people.

The fascist playbook is being written in real time, and Indigenous peoples worldwide should be watching with deep concern. Trump's latest executive order establishing specialized National Guard units to "address crime in cities" represents a dangerous escalation toward military rule that echoes the darkest chapters of colonial history. This analysis exposes how authoritarian power consolidates through militarization, targeting marginalized communities while dismantling democratic institutions—patterns Māori know all too well from our own colonial experience.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/571070/trump-signs-executive-order-establishing-specialised-national-guard-units-to-address-crime-in-cities

Understanding the Authoritarian Toolkit

To comprehend the gravity of Trump's actions, we must understand key terms. The Posse Comitatus Act traditionally prevents federal military forces from performing domestic law enforcement—a crucial democratic safeguard. The National Guard operates under complex legal frameworks, with critical distinctions between federal and state control that Trump is deliberately exploiting. Most concerning is his threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow active-duty military forces to operate within US borders for law enforcement.

From a Māori worldview, this represents a fundamental violation of manaakitanga—the principle of caring for people and communities. When governments deploy military force against their own citizens, they abandon their role as protectors and become oppressors. Our tūpuna understood that legitimate authority comes from serving the people, not controlling them through fear and violence.

The historical context is chilling. Māori experienced military occupation during the New Zealand Wars, when colonial forces invaded our territories under the guise of maintaining "law and order." The parallels to Trump's rhetoric about bringing "safety" to "lawless" cities are unmistakable—the language of occupation disguised as protection.

Deconstructing Trump's Power Grab

Trump's executive order tasks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with creating specialized units trained for "public order issues" across all states. The order establishes a "quick reaction force" for "rapid nationwide deployment"—military language that reveals the true intent behind this supposed crime-fighting initiative.

The targeting is transparently political. Trump explicitly focuses on cities run by Democrats in blue states, particularly Chicago, while drawing troops from GOP-controlled states. This isn't about public safety—it's about using military force to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent in communities that didn't vote for him.

Legal expert Rachel VanLandingham correctly identifies this as "very performative," but the performance itself is the point. Normalizing military presence in civilian spaces conditions the public to accept authoritarian control. Once communities become accustomed to armed soldiers on their streets, the transition from democracy to military rule becomes easier.

The Colonizer's Playbook in Action

The rhetoric surrounding this deployment follows classic colonial patterns. Cities with large populations of Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and immigrants are labeled as "dangerous" and requiring military intervention. Chicago, repeatedly mentioned by Trump, has significant Indigenous and Black communities—the same demographics historically targeted by state violence.

Trump's language reveals the authoritarian mindset: "We may just go in and do it, which is probably what we should do." This dismissive attitude toward state governors' authority and community consent mirrors how colonizers have always operated—imposing their will regardless of local opposition or legal constraints.

The "beautification" component adds insult to injury. National Guard troops painting over graffiti and picking up trash transforms soldiers into a militarized cleaning service, criminalizing poverty and homelessness while presenting occupation as civic improvement. This echoes colonial "civilizing missions" that justified violence through claims of bringing order to "chaotic" Indigenous communities.

Constitutional Crisis and Democratic Collapse

The legal framework Trump exploits reveals how democratic institutions can be weaponized against democracy itself. The DC National Guard's unique federal status provides a testing ground for broader military deployment, with over 2,274 National Guardsmen currently deployed—more than 1,300 from supporting states.

Senator Tammy Duckworth's opposition highlights the stakes: Trump's "continuing pattern of politicizing and misusing our nation's military for his own partisan gain and to crush dissent" represents a fundamental threat to democratic governance. When military force becomes a tool for political control, constitutional government ends.

The Insurrection Act looms as Trump's ultimate weapon. This law, historically used to suppress slave rebellions and Indigenous resistance, would allow federal military forces to operate domestically without state consent. Its invocation would represent a complete break with democratic norms and constitutional limitations on federal power.

The Wider Web of Authoritarian Control

This military deployment connects to broader patterns of fascist consolidation. Trump's federal takeover of Washington DC's police department demonstrates how authoritarian leaders capture law enforcement institutions. Combined with mass arrests of immigrants and the targeting of sanctuary cities, a comprehensive system of state terror emerges.

The international implications are profound. Authoritarian leaders worldwide study Trump's methods, adapting them to their own contexts. When the United States abandons democratic governance for military rule, it provides cover for dictatorships everywhere while undermining Indigenous peoples' struggles for self-determination globally.

From a Māori perspective, this represents the logical endpoint of settler colonial states—when legal and political systems fail to maintain control, violence becomes the only option. The values of whakatōhea (justice), manaakitanga (care), and kōtahitanga (unity) stand in direct opposition to this militaristic authoritarianism.

Preparing for Resistance and Survival

Indigenous peoples and allied communities must understand that we are witnessing the construction of a police state. The normalization of military occupation, combined with mass surveillance and political persecution, creates conditions for genocide and ethnic cleansing. History provides numerous examples of how quickly democratic societies can collapse into fascist violence.

Community defense becomes essential when state institutions turn against the people. Building mutual aid networks, developing communication systems independent of corporate platforms, and creating alternative economic structures provide foundations for resistance and survival. Most importantly, maintaining our cultural values and spiritual practices keeps us grounded in who we are, even under extreme pressure.

The role of international solidarity cannot be understated. Indigenous peoples globally must recognize that fascism threatens all our communities. Supporting each other across borders and building alliances with anti-fascist movements worldwide strengthens our collective resistance to authoritarianism.

The Māori Green Lantern fighting misinformation and disinformation from the far right

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Trump's militarization of domestic law enforcement represents a fundamental assault on democratic governance and Indigenous rights. The patterns are clear: targeting marginalized communities, normalizing military occupation, and preparing for mass repression. Those who fail to recognize these warning signs risk becoming complicit in the destruction of whatever democratic institutions remain.

The time for complacency has passed. Every person committed to justice must choose: resistance or collaboration with fascism. For Māori and Indigenous peoples, this choice carries additional weight—our survival as distinct peoples depends on defeating authoritarianism wherever it emerges.

We must organize now, while we still can. Build community, strengthen relationships, and prepare for what is coming. The forces of oppression are mobilizing—we must mobilize too.

To those who find value in this analysis and wish to support ongoing resistance work, please consider offering a koha to HTDM: 03-1546-0415173-000. These are challenging economic times for many whānau, so please only contribute if you have the capacity and desire to do so.

Kia kaha, stay strong.

Ivor Jones
The Māori Green Lantern

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