Globalization broke the unions in the US, the main site of organized popular power. While it’s true that the current state of affairs is part of a longer slide toward authoritarianism, a more accurate etiology would be that it’s the congealing power of the upper class that has been driving the dismantling of democracy. Since concentrated wealth is concentrated power, it is intrinsically anti-democratic. Instead of guilt tripping ourselves we are better off correctly identifying our enemies and organizing together against the forces leading us down this path.
People don't feel nearly as stupid as they ought to for being complicit in the 30-40yr that lead us to where are now