Why I Follow George Takei
Follow him at @georgetakei.bsky.social
In a world increasingly marked by moral ambiguities and creeping shadows, clarity of purpose and steadfastness in truth are qualities we desperately need. This is why I follow George Takei. He is more than an actor, more than a cultural icon — he is a witness to the evils of fascism and an unyielding voice in the fight against its resurgence. At a time when the fates of the American republic and Ukraine are intertwined in the global war of good against evil, Takei’s wisdom and leadership stand as a beacon.
Takei knows what many of us are only beginning to grasp: that fascism does not arise in isolation, and it does not respect borders. He has lived through the devastation wrought by authoritarianism, witnessing firsthand how fear, bigotry, and lies can corrupt a society. As a child, he was interned in a U.S. camp for Japanese Americans during World War II — a living testament to how even a nation founded on liberty can falter when fear overrides principle.
The Acid Test of Leadership
True leadership lies not in power but in the courage to recognize and confront evil, even when it is inconvenient or dangerous to do so. Takei passes this test because he understands two interconnected truths:
- The reelection of Donald Trump, a leader who should be disqualified by the 14th Amendment for inciting insurrection, represents a direct threat to the American republic.
- Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is not a localized tragedy; it is a strategic assault on the principles of democracy and freedom globally.
Takei’s activism is rooted in the recognition that these two crises — fascism in America and tyranny in Europe — are part of the same war. Putin seeks to weaken the West by exploiting leaders like Trump, who sow division, erode trust in institutions, and glorify authoritarianism. Allowing Trump to regain power imperils American democracy but also emboldens Putin to continue his campaign of conquest and subjugation.
The Lessons of History
Takei’s life is a living archive of the lessons we cannot afford to ignore. He knows, as history teaches us, that fascism thrives when left unchecked. If Putin is allowed to take Ukraine, his ambitions will not stop there. Ukraine’s people and resources will be weaponized in future conflicts, as Putin has already demonstrated by disproportionately sending ethnic minorities to the front lines while protecting ethnic Russians. This echoes the fascist playbook: exploiting and discarding the marginalized to sustain a regime built on lies and aggression.
Takei also knows that while good can sometimes falter, it can also recover. He understands that the corrupted can occasionally be saved, but others, like Putin or fascism itself, must simply be stopped. This clarity — this refusal to equivocate in the face of evil — is what makes Takei a leader worth following.
A War of Good Against Evil
The fight against authoritarianism is not a political preference; it is a moral imperative. The fall of Ukraine would signal the collapse of the post-World War II order, emboldening tyrants like Putin and Xi Jinping to redraw borders and rewrite the rules of international law. Simultaneously, the fall of the American republic would deprive the world of its greatest defender of democratic ideals. These are not separate struggles — they are threads in the same tapestry of resistance against tyranny.
Takei understands this interconnectedness. He speaks out against Putin’s aggression, Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, and Xi Jinping’s gray-zone tactics. His voice is a call to action, reminding us that we cannot ignore the warning signs of history.
Why Takei Is Worthy of Following
I follow George Takei because he embodies the courage, wisdom, and moral clarity we need in these perilous times. He reminds us that:
- Evil must be confronted, whether it takes the form of tanks rolling into Ukraine or insurrectionists storming the U.S. Capitol.
- The preservation of democracy requires vigilance and action, not just in Europe but also at home.
- We are all connected in this fight — Ukraine’s struggle is our struggle, and the fate of American democracy will ripple across the world.
George Takei is not a politician, but he is a leader in the truest sense. He understands that the stakes are not just political but existential. In his voice, I hear the echo of Gandalf’s warning in Tolkien’s tales: that the enemy’s greatest weapon is to divide and weaken us from within. Putin’s ambitions rely on leaders like Trump to sow discord and erode the values that bind us.
To follow George Takei is to stand against these forces of division and tyranny. It is to fight for a future where democracy prevails over authoritarianism, where the light of freedom shines brighter than the shadows of fear. It is to believe, as Takei does, that while evil may be strong, it is never invincible — not when good people are willing to act.
And so, I follow George Takei, not because he seeks power but because he seeks justice. He is a Blue Wizard for our age, wielding the light of wisdom to dispel the darkness. In his courage and his clarity, we find a path forward in this war of good against evil.
By John R Raymond
