As I watched off and on throughout the day, it became clear to me that a large percentage of Americans are perfectly comfortable electing a President who is a multiple felon, a convicted rapist, pro-control of women advocate, multiple bankrupt racist, openly stating he intends to end democracy in the United States and become an authoritarian leader like Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Many of these men and women don’t seem to cherish democracy as their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did. We are going to see how many voters think this way on Tuesday, and are willing to submit to authoritarian government. I am particularly struck by the number of young men who hold these views.
Credit: AFP / Getty
In the game Jenga, players take turns removing wooden blocks from a rickety tower and then stacking them back on the top. Each removed piece makes the base more wobbly; each block put back on top makes it more unbalanced until it eventually topples.
This, I’d argue, is basically how we should be thinking about the stakes of the 2024 election for American democracy: an already-rickety tower of state would be at risk of falling in on itself entirely, with catastrophic results for those who live under its shelter.
We live in an era where democracies once considered “consolidated” — meaning so secure that that they couldn’t collapse into authoritarianism — have started to buckle and even collapse. As recently as 2010, Hungary was considered one of the post-Communist world’s great democratic success stories; today, it is now understood to be the European Union’s only autocracy.
Hungarian democracy did not die of natural causes. It was murdered by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who seized control of nearly every aspect of […]
Please God deliver me from this election madness! There is a worldwide collective madness driven by fear and aggression with everything financial, weather, politics and common sense in turmoil. Tried to watch a little news on cable, nothing but wall-to-wall talk about the horserace even when I went to Al Jazzra, live coverage from just down the road in Raleigh about NC being so key to winning for 45. Al Jazzra really in Raleigh at the Dorton Arena on the State Fair grounds truly my state has made the big time. I voted early and often…well not often, still all done ready for President Harris to move in though doubtless there will be a lot of turmoil before that happens.
Her first order of business needs to be shutting down Israel’s genocidal war, their arrogance and cruelty is unmatched. The US and Israel will pay a high moral price for this inhumanity and gain only short-term security.
After the fall of the USSR Russia briefly had a democracy. Putin was elected, and he quickly ended the Russian experiment with democracy.
I am frightened, but more than that, deeply saddened to know that perhaps as many as half the population of the US supports Trump and what he represents. How can so many people not see what is at stake, and not just for America, but for the environment, for women, for people of color………… so much loss and suffering will come from letting what he represents have free rein. And behind him, a corporate oligarchy that wants no limits to their power either. My father fought in WWII, on the European Front. I know that he would be turning in his grave at this election.
No question it will be the end of democracy as we know it, but just think if Trump gets worse mentally and Vance has to take over!!! He’s one sly fox and will tilt toward the super-rich and really harm this country!
Harris has to win!!! That’s it!!!