Let the history books reflect that, when fascism reared its head in America, much of civil society chose to debase itself and accommodate it, rather than fight back. Leaders in education, media, technology, retail, sports, and local government have bowed to President Donald Trump and his authoritarian ambitions instead of defending their democratic rights — to freedom of speech, to academic independence, to free enterprise unburdened by corrupt demands for payoffs. The institutions in question are not feeble. They include giant corporations worth trillions as well as many of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions. They comprise many of the...