"Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die, said this week that in some respects, Trump has already been more oppressive than Orbán ever was. That is worth sitting with."
Some of us are still being called alarmists.
The US is feeling the economic pain. Prices rising on goods, services, housing. Services disappearing. This was planned. Celebrate hope for a minute. We cannot ignore what is developing minutes away.
The media of Woodward and Bernstein no longer exists. My paper was purchased 20 yrs ago by a hedge fund and within weeks the opinion pages disappeared with talk of ads on page one. Neoliberalism is alive and well.
The infrastructure is in place to keep us from voting. Democrat messaging is weak, poor. Immigration enforcement is a disguise. The American public is being managed. As we say, "Yay, Orbán is gone," the regime sits in meetings. Detention Centers across the country are approved quickly and quietly. Going up faster than a convenience store. Make no mistake. The centers are not for immigrants. They are for you and me should we oppose this regime. Ice is the new Göring Gestapo. We must save ourselves or disappear. No rest.
Great analysis and if read carefully full of the warnings it should contain. Celebration here in the US should be over this Monday morning and back to work should be the trajectory. You hit every point that reveals the pitfalls of complacency. We have a state media now, a militia and elections that are being “managed” as we read. There’s much work ahead.
Excellent analysis and cautionary note. I have been corrected today on my “world view” on substack, which is perfectly fine. To be honest, however, it baffles me how the authoritarian playbook could still be so attractive to so many considering its devastating role in world history.
“Trump has already been more oppressive than Orbán ever was.”
Here is where I hope the saying ‘Falling under its (his-their) own weight’ will apply.
— in their desperation to ‘get it done before they cd be stopped’ … they tried to do too much,
too quickly & harshly — and really, really turned their citizens (and the world) OFF.
And now, with the possibility of Trump meeting his Iranian Waterloo … there is hope that Trump’s useful idiots (GOP-SCOTUS, 1%-ers & MAGAs) will begin to see the error of their ways & depart — already the most-ever GOP retirements ever!
This is an impressive compilation of the many changes that Orbán made in his 16 years of autocracy in Hungary. I’m sure several of you who read (and re-read as I did) this post were saying to themselves, “sounds familiar”. We are on a very short path leading up to the midterms. We have got to be
vigilant and prepare for a rough ride ahead with no one guiding us through the morass we face. We can’t afford to “ suppress the vote before it is cast.” We have to awake victorious the morning after the midterms and realize that, “The system ate itself”.
Alexander, this is a Planet 🌎 that is among your very best historical accounts. Thank you 😊
This is the analysis I was looking to read. A winner from the same party. An easy acceptance of defeat by Orby. The Save Act. Pardons. Vavavance. I really appreciate your posts on the Falls as well.
The US is being robbed right now. But those loyalists would never last without the bulldozer in power, imo. Maybe it is the same in Hungary.
I am stunned that Project 2025 likely or did originate in Hungary with Orban. How did I or we not see that coming? We were warned repeatedly; there were no secrets. I am not surprised just so very disappointed in a Democratic administration that didn’t shout to the rafters, although it emerged over many years. A new Democracy will be required without the loopholes of the first 250 year experiment and we will never recover the respect paid for on the shores of Normandy and elsewhere. For the families of those interred in Arlington I am heartbroken 💔. JDVance and company are worthless enablers and must be eradicated. (Isn’t it ironic I neglected to mention the felon? He is such a grifter and obviously 🙄 not in charge of anything) . If we actually have midterms that are just and fair, we may have a chance for a do over; otherwise, our children and theirs will never know what America could have been.
Does anyone really think Tяump will learn any lesson? He's more likely now to strike out like a two year old having a temper tantrum - watch out for food being flung in rage from his gilded high chair.
This is a stunning analysis of what went down in Hungary and how it was orchestrated. As an American who was mostly oblivious to the politics of most European countries, this is a shocking eyeopener. What we see now in America is almost exactly the Orbán blueprint Trump and MAGA are following to reshape America.
“To understand why last night matters beyond Budapest, you need to understand what Orbán actually constructed over 16 years. Not the caricature. The system.
He came back to power in 2010 with a two-thirds parliamentary majority — enough to rewrite the constitution, which he did. He then used that rewritten constitution to reshape the judiciary, the electoral system, and the media. Each change was individually defensible. Cumulatively, they produced something new: a European Union member state that Freedom House classified as only “partly free.”
There’s so much at play in Part 4 of The Fall, from celebration to pitfalls, but an outsized opportunity for hope. This essay should be a centerpiece for Democrats to carefully but wisely build upon. I wish it could be published in a major publication as a bellwether warning.
Thank you for important piece so masterfully written.
About your article on the Hungarian election and the politics - thank you for a thorough explanation of the politics I knew nothing about. Plenty to think about.
Another absorbing post! I must tell you that part of our beautiful coast here, from Port Alfred to Cannon Rocks you can be lucky enough to find paper nautilus shells. This happens after storms in the autumn to winter (April to November). A few years ago, on a hike from PAlfred to Kenton-on-Sea, a friend found 3 beauties. One actually had an argonaut inside (sea birds hadn't found it). The females form these lovely ridged shells for a brood chamber.
The thought of human tails delivers many ideas, your's is very amusing. I hadn't heard of the Mercator project until recently and it is an extraordinary thought to think I've always assumed countries were the size perceived on a globe!
Huang Yao was on a recent post on this platform. As you said, his paintings are very deceptive. Thank you.
"Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die, said this week that in some respects, Trump has already been more oppressive than Orbán ever was. That is worth sitting with."
Some of us are still being called alarmists.
The US is feeling the economic pain. Prices rising on goods, services, housing. Services disappearing. This was planned. Celebrate hope for a minute. We cannot ignore what is developing minutes away.
The media of Woodward and Bernstein no longer exists. My paper was purchased 20 yrs ago by a hedge fund and within weeks the opinion pages disappeared with talk of ads on page one. Neoliberalism is alive and well.
The infrastructure is in place to keep us from voting. Democrat messaging is weak, poor. Immigration enforcement is a disguise. The American public is being managed. As we say, "Yay, Orbán is gone," the regime sits in meetings. Detention Centers across the country are approved quickly and quietly. Going up faster than a convenience store. Make no mistake. The centers are not for immigrants. They are for you and me should we oppose this regime. Ice is the new Göring Gestapo. We must save ourselves or disappear. No rest.
Great analysis and if read carefully full of the warnings it should contain. Celebration here in the US should be over this Monday morning and back to work should be the trajectory. You hit every point that reveals the pitfalls of complacency. We have a state media now, a militia and elections that are being “managed” as we read. There’s much work ahead.
Such good news for Hungary, and for Europe.
Excellent analysis and cautionary note. I have been corrected today on my “world view” on substack, which is perfectly fine. To be honest, however, it baffles me how the authoritarian playbook could still be so attractive to so many considering its devastating role in world history.
I am waiting to see how long Trump takes to distance himself from Orban - because he really hates Losers!
Orban is the perfect example of corruption = corpulence.
“Trump has already been more oppressive than Orbán ever was.”
Here is where I hope the saying ‘Falling under its (his-their) own weight’ will apply.
— in their desperation to ‘get it done before they cd be stopped’ … they tried to do too much,
too quickly & harshly — and really, really turned their citizens (and the world) OFF.
And now, with the possibility of Trump meeting his Iranian Waterloo … there is hope that Trump’s useful idiots (GOP-SCOTUS, 1%-ers & MAGAs) will begin to see the error of their ways & depart — already the most-ever GOP retirements ever!
This is an impressive compilation of the many changes that Orbán made in his 16 years of autocracy in Hungary. I’m sure several of you who read (and re-read as I did) this post were saying to themselves, “sounds familiar”. We are on a very short path leading up to the midterms. We have got to be
vigilant and prepare for a rough ride ahead with no one guiding us through the morass we face. We can’t afford to “ suppress the vote before it is cast.” We have to awake victorious the morning after the midterms and realize that, “The system ate itself”.
Alexander, this is a Planet 🌎 that is among your very best historical accounts. Thank you 😊
This is the analysis I was looking to read. A winner from the same party. An easy acceptance of defeat by Orby. The Save Act. Pardons. Vavavance. I really appreciate your posts on the Falls as well.
The US is being robbed right now. But those loyalists would never last without the bulldozer in power, imo. Maybe it is the same in Hungary.
I am stunned that Project 2025 likely or did originate in Hungary with Orban. How did I or we not see that coming? We were warned repeatedly; there were no secrets. I am not surprised just so very disappointed in a Democratic administration that didn’t shout to the rafters, although it emerged over many years. A new Democracy will be required without the loopholes of the first 250 year experiment and we will never recover the respect paid for on the shores of Normandy and elsewhere. For the families of those interred in Arlington I am heartbroken 💔. JDVance and company are worthless enablers and must be eradicated. (Isn’t it ironic I neglected to mention the felon? He is such a grifter and obviously 🙄 not in charge of anything) . If we actually have midterms that are just and fair, we may have a chance for a do over; otherwise, our children and theirs will never know what America could have been.
Looking forward to your piece about EDSA 1986.
Does anyone really think Tяump will learn any lesson? He's more likely now to strike out like a two year old having a temper tantrum - watch out for food being flung in rage from his gilded high chair.
This is a stunning analysis of what went down in Hungary and how it was orchestrated. As an American who was mostly oblivious to the politics of most European countries, this is a shocking eyeopener. What we see now in America is almost exactly the Orbán blueprint Trump and MAGA are following to reshape America.
“To understand why last night matters beyond Budapest, you need to understand what Orbán actually constructed over 16 years. Not the caricature. The system.
He came back to power in 2010 with a two-thirds parliamentary majority — enough to rewrite the constitution, which he did. He then used that rewritten constitution to reshape the judiciary, the electoral system, and the media. Each change was individually defensible. Cumulatively, they produced something new: a European Union member state that Freedom House classified as only “partly free.”
There’s so much at play in Part 4 of The Fall, from celebration to pitfalls, but an outsized opportunity for hope. This essay should be a centerpiece for Democrats to carefully but wisely build upon. I wish it could be published in a major publication as a bellwether warning.
Thank you for important piece so masterfully written.
I am hopeful, but cautious about what's next.
I think the EU holding whoever is in power in Hungary accountable is what's missing in the US.
I'm encouraged by the people of Hungary fighting back, even if this was just step one on a long road back.
I'm keeping a close eye on LGBTQ+ rights, as I would love to visit Hungary at some point.
Thanks for this thorough analysis.
Thank you so very much. We needed your help to understand this moment. And how very important this is to the future of the USA. ❤️❤️❤️
About your article on the Hungarian election and the politics - thank you for a thorough explanation of the politics I knew nothing about. Plenty to think about.
Another absorbing post! I must tell you that part of our beautiful coast here, from Port Alfred to Cannon Rocks you can be lucky enough to find paper nautilus shells. This happens after storms in the autumn to winter (April to November). A few years ago, on a hike from PAlfred to Kenton-on-Sea, a friend found 3 beauties. One actually had an argonaut inside (sea birds hadn't found it). The females form these lovely ridged shells for a brood chamber.
The thought of human tails delivers many ideas, your's is very amusing. I hadn't heard of the Mercator project until recently and it is an extraordinary thought to think I've always assumed countries were the size perceived on a globe!
Huang Yao was on a recent post on this platform. As you said, his paintings are very deceptive. Thank you.