So, there were some books that were super popular back in early 2018. We had “Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic” and “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America” making waves. The covers were pretty intense, with one in emergency-alert red and the other showing a map of the United States on fire. Then we had “How Democracies Die,” which had a more subtle cover but still managed to catch people’s attention with the word “DIE” in big, bold letters.
Now, the anti-Trump books got the usual reactions. People who hated him were either losing their minds or feeling validated, while his supporters just ignored it all. But “How Democracies Die” was different. It talked about a global issue that went beyond just Trump, becoming a touchstone for important but kinda fuzzy topics. Joe Biden even got obsessed with it in 2018, carrying it around wherever he went. But here’s the thing — when a book becomes this big deal, not everyone actually reads it. Some folks just hear about it through the grapevine, getting a watered-down version of the argument instead.
Trump’s first term came and went, with no crazy dictator moves like nuking North Korea or declaring martial law. Sure, he said some wild stuff, mishandled a pandemic, and made a half-hearted attempt at a “self-coup” near the end. But in the grand scheme of things, American democracy didn’t seem to be on its deathbed. Fast forward to 2024, and Trump is back, spouting more autocratic rhetoric than ever. He promised all sorts of retribution and mass deportations, which got him re-elected, but the underlying threat remained.
Scientists have been warning us about climate change for ages, but not everyone’s paying attention. Some politicians, like Senator James Inhofe, still throw snowballs in Congress to prove their point. Meanwhile, Laura Ingraham on Fox News acts like choking on wildfire smoke is no big deal, comparing it to air pollution in India and China. It’s like we’re in a disaster movie, but instead of a dramatic event, we’re just slowly sinking into chaos.
In Hungary, Viktor Orbán started out as a democratic leader, but over time, he shifted towards hard-right authoritarianism. The country went from a consolidated liberal democracy to a “hybrid regime” with the façade of democracy but lacking the substance. The playbook Orbán used involved legal means to seize power, reshape institutions, and silence dissent. The result? Hungary became a cautionary tale of democracy’s decline.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Trump’s second term brought more chaos and confusion. Executive orders crossed constitutional lines, targeting political opponents and controlling key institutions. The line between legality and autocracy blurred, with Trump testing the limits of his power at every turn. The once-sturdy pillars of democracy started to crack under the weight of authoritarian tendencies.
As Trump’s grip on power tightened, dissent became risky. Journalists, activists, and academics found themselves under scrutiny, facing threats and intimidation. The media landscape shifted, with propaganda replacing independent reporting. People like Márton Gulyás, at Partizán, fought back, using satire and activism to resist the oppressive regime. But even their efforts couldn’t fully shield them from the government’s reach.
In the midst of this turmoil, ordinary citizens like Noémi, Divya, and Turkuler Isiksel felt the impact of creeping authoritarianism. Fear and uncertainty clouded their daily lives, forcing them to navigate a landscape where freedom and safety were no longer guaranteed. The once-unshakeable pillars of democracy seemed to be crumbling, leaving many wondering if the light of liberty could still shine through the darkness.
In the end, the question remains — can democracy survive the onslaught of autocracy? The road ahead is uncertain, with challenges looming on the horizon. But as history has shown, the fight for freedom is never truly over. The struggle continues, with each voice raised in defiance, each act of resistance pushing back against the tide of tyranny. The battle for democracy is far from over, and the outcome rests in the hands of those willing to stand up and be counted.
