Good work as usual, Rory, in making things clear for a broad audience and writing work that is perfect for me to send to people to help explain the current moment. I do feel like you are specifically telling me not to subscribe at the end, however, and I will let you know that you cannot stop me from giving you five dollars a month for work I find useful to share, no matter how hard you post rules saying I shouldn't.
Under “Suppressing Civil Society,” let’s not forget what he is doing to the arts: both at the Kennedy Center and in cancelling NEA grants. Artists can be a powerful voice against authoritarianism, if given half a chance!
This is great - I completely agree, and wrote something on the centrality of free elections last week. My concern is that the test in the Op-Ed, that people are afraid to criticize the government, is not really a central characteristic of modern authoritarianism. The best example is Hungary under Orbán, where elections are gamed, but free speech and dissent are largely tolerated - because they really don't matter.
What's worrying is that even since this trump is moving ahead. Eg being able to get at congressmen by shutting their oversight protection body. To be honest not enough realise you are probably 80 percent of the way to an absolute dictatorship and to be honest their is only one solution. Probably during state visit to UK.
Looking forward to next week's piece on how people justify living in authoritarian regimes!
Thank you for your consistent support of my writing. If you ever wanted to do a DeSisto guest post on Russia, let me know!
Great stuff. Happy to help nudge the algorithm to get this out there more broadly.
Good work as usual, Rory, in making things clear for a broad audience and writing work that is perfect for me to send to people to help explain the current moment. I do feel like you are specifically telling me not to subscribe at the end, however, and I will let you know that you cannot stop me from giving you five dollars a month for work I find useful to share, no matter how hard you post rules saying I shouldn't.
Another great piece—thank you.
Under “Suppressing Civil Society,” let’s not forget what he is doing to the arts: both at the Kennedy Center and in cancelling NEA grants. Artists can be a powerful voice against authoritarianism, if given half a chance!
Thank you David, and very much agreed! Adding it to my little powerpoint chart now.
This is great - I completely agree, and wrote something on the centrality of free elections last week. My concern is that the test in the Op-Ed, that people are afraid to criticize the government, is not really a central characteristic of modern authoritarianism. The best example is Hungary under Orbán, where elections are gamed, but free speech and dissent are largely tolerated - because they really don't matter.
What's worrying is that even since this trump is moving ahead. Eg being able to get at congressmen by shutting their oversight protection body. To be honest not enough realise you are probably 80 percent of the way to an absolute dictatorship and to be honest their is only one solution. Probably during state visit to UK.