There’s an old adage that says, “Great minds think alike.” I wonder whether that also applies to sick, twisted, evil minds.

Several months after Vladimir Putin’s armies invaded Ukraine in 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russians fled Russia upon learning that Putin had ordered a massive military mobilization. Thousands of them are still living in exile, mostly in various European and Central Asian countries, afraid to return home under threat of being sent to Ukraine to fight an unjust war . . . and meet an almost certain death.

In the interim, numerous onerous laws have been passed by the Russian Parliament, designating as “foreign agents” anyone even suspected of having anti-Putin or anti-war connections or sentiments. Putin’s prisons are filled with dissidents, journalists, and even foreigners guilty of nothing more than speaking the truth, or having contributed to an “undesirable” organization.

And the situation of the expatriates became even more dire on August 4th of this year, when Putin signed a new law that essentially places them in a sort of purgatory, depriving them of certain basic legal rights while technically maintaining their Russian citizenship.

By fleeing the country and speaking out against the war, many of the expatriates already stand convicted of a variety of crimes, including cooperating with “undesirable” organizations, or dishonoring the Russian military. Now the new law deprives them of rights commonly available to all Russian citizens, including renewing their passports, or having a document notarized in support of an application for a marriage license.

The expats are calling it “civil death.” According to Tanya Lokshina, a Russian researcher for the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch:

“Russian citizens technically will not lose their citizenship. They will remain Russian nationals, but without access [to] legal services. It is de-facto statelessness.” [Mike Eckel, RFE/RL, August 6, 2026.]

And, as described by Gleb Bogush, a Russian lawyer now living in Germany:

“[The goal] is to send a message and impose a chilling effect on society, on both those who left and those who remain in the country.” [Id.]

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My instinctive reaction as an American — and likely that of most people around the world — is one of sorrow and disgust. My second reaction, as a long-time student of Russian history, is that I’m not really surprised. It’s simply Putinism as we have come to know it over the last quarter century.

And then I read about National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), titled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” dated September 25, 2025.

But no . . . this is not another edict by Vladimir Putin. This is a Presidential Memorandum signed nearly a year ago, with little or no fanfare, by Donald J. Trump, as President of the United States:

It begins with a litany of “Heinous assassinations and other acts of political violence in the United States” — specifically naming the killing of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk, and the alleged attempts on Trump’s own life — and goes on to state:

“There are common recurrent motivations and indicia uniting this pattern of violent and terroristic activities under the umbrella of self-described ‘anti-fascism.’ . . . This ‘anti-fascist’ lie has become the organizing rallying cry used by domestic terrorists to wage a violent assault against democratic institutions, constitutional rights, and fundamental American liberties. Common threads animating this violent conduct include anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.” [NSPM-7, September 25, 2025.]

And so on, and so on, as he lays the foundation for this:

“The United States requires a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence so that law enforcement can intervene in criminal conspiracies before they result in violent political acts. Through this comprehensive strategy, law enforcement will disband and uproot networks, entities, and organizations that promote organized violence, violent intimidation, conspiracies against rights, and other efforts to disrupt the functioning of a democratic society.” [Id.]

The entire memorandum, covering some three or four pages, might well have been written by Vladimir Putin himself. It completely echoes the harangues we are accustomed to hearing from the Kremlin against those who dare disagree with official government policy, accusing the dissidents of the very “crimes” of which the administration itself is guilty.

And, while NSPM-7 is not an enforceable law, and does not represent an act of Congress or a ruling of a federal court, just ask yourself when Donald Trump has ever let legality get in the way of anything he wants to do. Think of what events have already taken place in the name of “national security” in the past year and a half.

Then, if this “Memorandum” — in reality, a template for the creation of a fascist state — still doesn’t scare you to death, nothing will.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/8/26