Just like East Germany

When the Communists ruled East Germany, they set up a spy network that included civilians.  Neighbors were encouraged to report on neighbors.  It is a hallmark of totalitarian states to systematize citizen spies.  

Now at least three states with Republican governors–Florida, Virginia, and Texas–have adopted laws that encourage private citizens to report violations of abortion laws or laws on sex education or the teaching of “critical race theory.”  In some cases bonuses are provided for citizens who report on women who receive abortions. 

I learned about this from an article by Thomas Edsall in the New York Times.  The article discusses how the endorsement of violence, the questioning of elections, the extreme gerrymandering, and the overt partisanship of the courts is now part of the Republican Party’s DNA.