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Zoltan's avatar

For this, like for so many other things that have unfolded at an accelerated pace in year one of this administration, there is a complete playbook and successful small-scale proof of concept for everyone to see, and almost sixteen years in the making: Viktor Orbán's Hungary.

Susan Mercurio's avatar

So apparently you believe that the only other party in American politics is going to do something more than it has done for the last 25 years.

Joshua Katz's avatar

I don't think the Ds will, but I think what matters is whether Trump and Co. think the Ds will.

Gerald Lewis's avatar

All the "will theys?" are a

superfluous attachment to each of the well-reasoned and thorough options of a fascist regime hell bent on survival. They will indeed operate vociferously in all defensive scenarios mentioned, and in all possibilities beyond imagination, especially the imaginations of those of gentile and sophisticated liberal moral boundaries. People have been liberally informed of the atrocious mechanics of many fascists in history. This current bunch, I think, will exceed all others in grusome, savage rebuttal.

Peter Smith's avatar

It's our political professionals who crossed the Rubicon when they failed to impose accountability after Jan 6. We're now watching the consequences of that historic failure unfold in real time.

These same experts routinely speak as if American politics operates like a democracy, with voting alone, despite the fact that presidential power is mediated through constitutional structures they barely seem to understand. The result is rhetoric about “the American people” and “voting” with no serious plan for operating within the system that actually exists.

Unless the crisis of skills and knowledge among our political class is addressed, the next few years are going to get very scary.

Ronald Craig Williams's avatar

Well, that was depressing. What's the good news? What can we do to prevent the total capture by fascists?

Joshua Katz's avatar

State law accountability before he leaves office.