When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Mar-a-Lago last year, he posted photos with Donald Trump and Elon Musk, captioning them: "The future has begun!" Few Americans might recognize this European leader, but for the American right, Orbán has become something of a political cult hero.
After reading about Orbán's playbook and its influence on American politics, it's natural to feel concerned. I’m really concerned. But as a student of history, I want to remind fellow readers: We have weathered worse storms as a nation and emerged stronger.
Consider what our democracy has already survived: A Civil War that literally tore the country apart, followed by the assassination of a president. The Gilded Age's rampant corruption and monopolistic control of government. Jim Crow laws and widespread disenfranchisement. McCarthyism and the suspension of civil liberties.
After each crisis, the pendulum swung back toward democratic renewal through the organized efforts of ordinary Americans who refused to surrender their rights. The Progressive movement, led by journalists, labor organizers, and reform-minded politicians like Theodore Roosevelt, wrested power from Gilded Age monopolists. The Civil Rights movement, built through grassroots organizing in churches and communities, dismantled Jim Crow's legal framework. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union defended free speech during McCarthy's witch hunts and created legal precedents that became settled law via the Supreme Court. If you're feeling disheartened, I'd suggest reading about these movements—not just their victories, but how they organized despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Their stories aren't just inspiring, though. They're instruction manuals for democratic renewal that prove we've overcome challenges more daunting than what we face today.
The pendulum always swings back—but we don't have to wait passively for it to happen. In fact, history shows that pendulum swings occur only because everyday citizens organized and pushed for change.
Remember that the architects of Project 2025 and those adapting Orbán's methods are not superhuman geniuses. They're simply organized and focused. The difference between their effectiveness and ours comes down to coordination and clarity of purpose.
I want to be clear—I'm not an expert or someone with experience in organizing political movements. I'm just a concerned citizen like many of you. But I am aware of powerful technological tools that weren't available during those previous crises that could help us avoid Hungary's fate. Tools that can amplify voices, coordinate action, and spread information faster than the forces trying to control the narrative.
My goal is to make these tools accessible to average concerned citizens like us and then let them do the work. We don't need to be political strategists or constitutional scholars to make a difference. We just need to be organized, determined, and willing to use the advantages available to us.
If you're interested in learning more or sharing your own ideas, please reach out to me. Who knows, it might even be fun. Snacks will be provided (if you provide them ☺️).
Thank you for this, Timothy. I tend to see this sentiment from my right-leaning friends ("Why are you worrying? No president has actually broken our democracy!") and after my first thought (which is "...yet.") I have to admit that my right-leaning friends are essentially championing passivity... and that's not a whole lot different than the passivity of giving up in advance. Our democracy is not definitively doomed as long as we recognize what's worth protecting and where we can direct our civic efforts!
Did you see that Senator Cory Booker has now passed 19 hours straight in his speech on the floor of the Senate criticizing the Administration? I think there have been over a hundred thousand people watching it live on YouTube. I applaud him. Also, there are nationwide protests being held this Saturday under the banner of Hands Off. I'm going to the Raleigh, NC one. If anybody else on here is in the area and planning to go, let me know.
Actually, there were over 350 million watchers throughout the different platforms. This was a great feat and he appealed to all parties. There are still patriots.
We have weathered worse because of people who did not give up. The people in yesterday's comments asking for people "to just give Trump a chance" are calling for passivity and giving up in advance. That's a no from me, dawg.
Thanks Timothy. I kept coming back to the comments looking for someone to tell me exactly this. We’ve weathered through worse. I just wasn’t alive for it. 🥲
Thank you, Timothy. Neither autocracy nor democracy are inevitable. It's up to us to work for democracy so that it is not only restored but strengthened. No work is done unless someone (i.e. us) does the work.
Thank you for this reminder. As someone who was not “political” I am searching for ways to have my voice be heard and my vote matter! I am telling everyone to download the app 5 calls, call your senators and representatives. Go to town halls… ask people to vote in local, state and federal elections next year. We MUST fight for our democracy, for the rights of our fellow humans and for our country. We MUST NOT let Musk/Trump turn our country into Hungary or into some twisted version of project 25! Just as so many before us in the past, we must stand against their tyranny!
The part that breaks my heart the most is “we didn’t just talk about defeating liberals - we actually did it.” And I’m not heartbroken because I lean liberal, I’m heartbroken that so many believe new and different ideas must be defeated, quashed, humiliated. Freedom doesn’t exist without diversity of thought. What a devastating thought-process these Right-wing “leaders” have.
Good grief! Let me guess, Trump supporters don’t see the similarities in the path that is laid out before us, because “if you just ignore January 6”, he’s not so bad.
I’m reminded of a woman in the comments yesterday, banging on and on about how she isn’t uneducated or uninformed and doesn’t appreciate people referring to her lot as “them”. Yet, in a subsequent post, tried to gotcha another commenter with a claim of a Freudian slip, clearly unaware as to what that even means.
The Institute of Museum and Library services is being eliminated
Arlington Cemetery has stripped content on black and female veterans from its website
Immigrants who are here legally are being deported without due process
Universities, Media, Journalists and Courts are all being threatened
Representatives are hiding from their constituents
You also have to ignore that the same words have come out of Trump's mouth as Orbán's - he's been talking about not needing our votes and how we'll never have to vote again and he'll be around for a 3rd term, etc, since election time. But, yeah. We'll just ignore literally EVERYTHING he actually does and says so that we can pretend he's a great guy who loves people and democracy.
I do believe there’s a verse specific to cautioning against idolatry and of course another verse about knowing them by the fruit they bear. But you know, if you just ignore the tweets, threats and insurrection…
Just when I thought Putin was the main influence, this makes “great” sense. Things are happening that Sharon swore weren’t possible many months ago. My biggest fear is a 3rd term. We can say “absolutely not” all we want but… what if?? They’re bulldozing through everything else.
I'm with you - he said he wasn't kidding about a third term, so to me, that means nothing, even the Constitution, will stand in his way. If he is defying federal judges, who will ACTUALLY stop him from a third term? It's not like he ever listens to the word no. His supporters won't think anything of it, and would probably gladly vote for a third term, even if it's completely against the law. Who will actually stand up and say no?
The military? I mean his cabinet put them at risk the other day by accidentally leaking classified information on Signal. I don’t know I would trust the leadership anymore if I was in the military. Which is also a very sobering proposition. I imagine it’s gonna get worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better….
I feel very frustrated by this, actually. I love this space and appreciate it, but lots of sources were saying that he absolutely would enact the parts of 2025 that I feel that this newsletter downplayed by saying they weren't legal, without being willing to acknowledge that Trump has and continues to break laws. And now....here we are.
I have found my people! I have been nagging in this space about this very idea. The answer to everything is/was "He can't do that. It is not legal". Well, he IS doing it and does not give a darn what the courts or the Constitution has to say about any of it.
I feel like we can call, email and write our congress people all we want but until someone big says ENOUGH (like say the military) it won't stop.
Peter Thiel wrote over *15 years ago* that he "no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible" and he's continued to influence the rightward shift of the GOP to this day. He didn't donate in this past election cycle, but of course he already had his pick in VP Vance (who has worked closely with Thiel and publicly championed both Thiel and authoritarian/monarchist Curtis Yarvin). It's infuriating for so many of these politicians to have understood what they were accepting but being willing to grasp for that power anyway.
Oof. What a timely chaser to yesterday's discussion: the affection and praise that Trump (and the far right) have showered on Orbán has long been a red flag, one that just brings the antidemocratic attitudes of Trump and his administration into even sharper relief. Thank you for sharing this so clearly 💙
The thing that stuck with me is the way Orbán went after universities first. Watching what is happening now just makes me upset. Demonizing education is never good.
As a healthcare professional, I feel the same devastation for science here in the U.S. and I should see if Hungary used these same tactics in this area.
Is there a pro-democracy- US-Version handbook? The autocrats have Project 2025 so we should have Project Save Democracy. What org is counterpoint to the Heritage Foundation? We are sleepwalking into a dictatorship and although they don’t know it yet MAGA folks with their red hats and flags on their shirts will have no more civil liberties than the rest of us. Say goodbye to your guns. Do you think a dictator is going to allow average citizens to own firearms that could be used against them? Nearly half the voters in this country are refusing to recognize the inconsistencies of the statements coming from the White House, the incompetence of the administration’s leadership and the dismantling of our institutions all because they like his strongman tactics. Guess what? Once he’s done with the the immigrants, the universities and the law firms, he will come for his political foes and then the citizens are last because there’s no one left to stand up to him. We need to wake up now, get organized and fight like our lives depend on it because it does.
KD, you are so correct! In a little town north of Kansas City, a pastor adopted a Haitian son from his church’s mission. They’ve done everything possible for him to become a US citizen, but ICE just came for him. The pastor is outraged! He voted for Trump 3x! He led his church to support Trump! He’s convinced this is a “mistake.”
Of course, we know it’s a feature, not a bug. I am sympathetic for the son, and I hope the pastor now works to help all of the people he has hurt. But that doesn’t seem likely.
I’m sorry to hear what has happened to the young man and the family that is trying to help him. It is absolutely part of Project 2025’s agenda. We need folks like the pastor to wake up. Thanks for sharing. We need to keep sharing stories and keep our communities together fighting for each other.
And then there's that 🤭 There are plenty of local Fox affiliates countrywide and, despite the name, they're not the same as the Fox News Channel. Thanks for pointing that out Gina!
I continue to just be so miffed by why the right is so afraid of folks who are different. This country was founded on freedom of religion. The psychology of this would be something I’d be interested to read. Also, before anyone responds, I do realize racism is a huge part of this whether it’s conscious or not 🙁.
Today, special Congressional elections in Florida and the supreme court election in Wisconsin that Musk tried to buy will tell us a lot about the mood of the country and whether we can build any momentum toward the midterms. Both Florida seats will probably stay red but it will be interesting to see the margins compared to Trump’s. Wisconsin is the big one. The right is fighting hard for control of the court so it can maintain partisan gerrymandering and restrict voting and abortion rights. I hope Musk’s money in the race is overwhelmed by his toxicity.
I lived in Hungary from 2012 through 2015. When talking about our plans to move overseas, or when visiting home while we lived there, a number of extended family and acquaintances would ask us what it was like to live in a place with such a corrupt government, and with such close ties to Putin. Especially towards the end of our time there, when Putin was more openly encroaching on Ukraine. They were horrified when we told them about the silencing of the media and closing of the universities.
Every single person who asked that question of us then? Voted for Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and don't voice any opposition to anything he's doing.
I think it’s easier to see flaws in the government you don’t belong to. I also think some people truly don’t see some of the issues that will come down the pipe. If federal employees aren’t working they no longer can spend money at private businesses.
I’m not surprised. I truly believe they have blinders on, only because whatever sources they follow to get their information is shielding them from what they need to know.
On hard work and mobilization! So many movements in our history have been successful - Jim Crow laws ended, women got the right to vote, unions got us the 5 day work week. We can roll up our sleeves and hang our hope on ourselves.
Are we not already living in a version of Hungary right now? Our country has arrested people and deported or detained them without due process. The Signal chat is getting swept under the rug as Trump’s AG does nothing. Federal programs have been gutted of dollars and staff while Congress does nothing. Trump is defying judicial orders. Universities and media have been targeted for speaking out or using words Trump doesn’t approve. We are already slowly boiling in the pot, and it feels like so many do not care. Where is the outrage? What do we do? Calling and protesting, is that enough to counter this extreme administration ? It doesn’t feel like it. What is today’s equivalent of the bus boycott?
This confirms a thought I had during his first term — Trump is not the mastermind here. Just as there were framers and architects of our constitution, it makes sense that the same is true for its downfall. Yes, we have weathered some challenging times, but where is the true resistance against all this? Anyone who attempts to stand up to what is going on they eventually cower and accept defeat. The power is the people and yet we have willingly given them the tools they need to keep true democracy out of our reach with our silence and willful blindness.
That's why there has been such a concerted effort to take economic power away from the megadonors through the boycotts and protests. GOP House Reps and Senators are currently being kept in line by the threat of being primaried by Elon Musk ($$), but they are also now increasingly scared to face the anger of their own constituents. Since keeping their jobs is, apparently, their primary objective, then making it clear that they could *lose* that job by being compliant with this administration could actually give them the backbone that they need. At least one can hope.
I’m really curious how the Wisconsin Supreme Court race results will affect that dynamic. If Musk’s interference proves/suggests political liability, will moderate republicans in congress start to push back?
I sincerely hope that's the case! I'm definitely seeing a lot of the conservatives that I know (who are still supportive of Trump) are seeing Elon Musk as a greater and greater liability. He just can't help but want to be at the center of attention and it's becoming an issue.
"After losing power in 2002, Orbán made a critical decision – he would "never lose again," and began meticulously planning Hungary's political transformation, according to Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton professor who worked at Hungary's Constitutional Court in the 1990s."
"July 27 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Christians on Friday that if they vote for him this November, "in four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote.""
"March 30, WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there were methods for doing so and clarifying that he was “not joking.”"
We need to take this so, so seriously. We need to take Trump at his word, and recognize that if he is working from Orban's playbook, that he absolutely intendeds to remain in office despite our laws. He is already defying the courts by sending additional immigrants to El Salvador after the initial planes (that were ordered to turn around and did not), so the courts are not necessarily holding him at this point.
I would say we need to call our representatives and of course we do, but if anyone has any ideas about what we can do right now, today, this minute, I'd love to discuss it.
I hope we get a good news moment in one of these Preambles soon. I’m very aware of today’s topic. Trying hard not to get sucked in, with not much of a light at the end of the tunnel
After reading about Orbán's playbook and its influence on American politics, it's natural to feel concerned. I’m really concerned. But as a student of history, I want to remind fellow readers: We have weathered worse storms as a nation and emerged stronger.
Consider what our democracy has already survived: A Civil War that literally tore the country apart, followed by the assassination of a president. The Gilded Age's rampant corruption and monopolistic control of government. Jim Crow laws and widespread disenfranchisement. McCarthyism and the suspension of civil liberties.
After each crisis, the pendulum swung back toward democratic renewal through the organized efforts of ordinary Americans who refused to surrender their rights. The Progressive movement, led by journalists, labor organizers, and reform-minded politicians like Theodore Roosevelt, wrested power from Gilded Age monopolists. The Civil Rights movement, built through grassroots organizing in churches and communities, dismantled Jim Crow's legal framework. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union defended free speech during McCarthy's witch hunts and created legal precedents that became settled law via the Supreme Court. If you're feeling disheartened, I'd suggest reading about these movements—not just their victories, but how they organized despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Their stories aren't just inspiring, though. They're instruction manuals for democratic renewal that prove we've overcome challenges more daunting than what we face today.
The pendulum always swings back—but we don't have to wait passively for it to happen. In fact, history shows that pendulum swings occur only because everyday citizens organized and pushed for change.
Remember that the architects of Project 2025 and those adapting Orbán's methods are not superhuman geniuses. They're simply organized and focused. The difference between their effectiveness and ours comes down to coordination and clarity of purpose.
I want to be clear—I'm not an expert or someone with experience in organizing political movements. I'm just a concerned citizen like many of you. But I am aware of powerful technological tools that weren't available during those previous crises that could help us avoid Hungary's fate. Tools that can amplify voices, coordinate action, and spread information faster than the forces trying to control the narrative.
My goal is to make these tools accessible to average concerned citizens like us and then let them do the work. We don't need to be political strategists or constitutional scholars to make a difference. We just need to be organized, determined, and willing to use the advantages available to us.
If you're interested in learning more or sharing your own ideas, please reach out to me. Who knows, it might even be fun. Snacks will be provided (if you provide them ☺️).
Thank you for this, Timothy. I tend to see this sentiment from my right-leaning friends ("Why are you worrying? No president has actually broken our democracy!") and after my first thought (which is "...yet.") I have to admit that my right-leaning friends are essentially championing passivity... and that's not a whole lot different than the passivity of giving up in advance. Our democracy is not definitively doomed as long as we recognize what's worth protecting and where we can direct our civic efforts!
Did you see that Senator Cory Booker has now passed 19 hours straight in his speech on the floor of the Senate criticizing the Administration? I think there have been over a hundred thousand people watching it live on YouTube. I applaud him. Also, there are nationwide protests being held this Saturday under the banner of Hands Off. I'm going to the Raleigh, NC one. If anybody else on here is in the area and planning to go, let me know.
Actually, there were over 350 million watchers throughout the different platforms. This was a great feat and he appealed to all parties. There are still patriots.
Awesome!
Record breaking!! 🤩
We have weathered worse because of people who did not give up. The people in yesterday's comments asking for people "to just give Trump a chance" are calling for passivity and giving up in advance. That's a no from me, dawg.
I wholeheartedly agree. Things won’t automatically be okay. We have to make them okay.
Thanks Timothy. I kept coming back to the comments looking for someone to tell me exactly this. We’ve weathered through worse. I just wasn’t alive for it. 🥲
Me neither. Here's the opportunity we never wanted! 😌
Good reminder, I’m very discouraged how much time it will take to fix some of this recent mess
Thank you, Timothy. Neither autocracy nor democracy are inevitable. It's up to us to work for democracy so that it is not only restored but strengthened. No work is done unless someone (i.e. us) does the work.
Thank you for this reminder. As someone who was not “political” I am searching for ways to have my voice be heard and my vote matter! I am telling everyone to download the app 5 calls, call your senators and representatives. Go to town halls… ask people to vote in local, state and federal elections next year. We MUST fight for our democracy, for the rights of our fellow humans and for our country. We MUST NOT let Musk/Trump turn our country into Hungary or into some twisted version of project 25! Just as so many before us in the past, we must stand against their tyranny!
The part that breaks my heart the most is “we didn’t just talk about defeating liberals - we actually did it.” And I’m not heartbroken because I lean liberal, I’m heartbroken that so many believe new and different ideas must be defeated, quashed, humiliated. Freedom doesn’t exist without diversity of thought. What a devastating thought-process these Right-wing “leaders” have.
Exactly this!
Good grief! Let me guess, Trump supporters don’t see the similarities in the path that is laid out before us, because “if you just ignore January 6”, he’s not so bad.
I’m reminded of a woman in the comments yesterday, banging on and on about how she isn’t uneducated or uninformed and doesn’t appreciate people referring to her lot as “them”. Yet, in a subsequent post, tried to gotcha another commenter with a claim of a Freudian slip, clearly unaware as to what that even means.
The Institute of Museum and Library services is being eliminated
Arlington Cemetery has stripped content on black and female veterans from its website
Immigrants who are here legally are being deported without due process
Universities, Media, Journalists and Courts are all being threatened
Representatives are hiding from their constituents
Judges are being targeted
Are we “great again”?
Frankly, I’m just embarrassed and repulsed.
You also have to ignore that the same words have come out of Trump's mouth as Orbán's - he's been talking about not needing our votes and how we'll never have to vote again and he'll be around for a 3rd term, etc, since election time. But, yeah. We'll just ignore literally EVERYTHING he actually does and says so that we can pretend he's a great guy who loves people and democracy.
Ah yes, and don’t forget my personal favorite-
Christ is using him. :::insert eye roll here:::
I do believe there’s a verse specific to cautioning against idolatry and of course another verse about knowing them by the fruit they bear. But you know, if you just ignore the tweets, threats and insurrection…
Ah yes, the “Trump was sent to us by God” narrative. They completely dismiss his criminal and immoral pattern of behavior.
Yes, Dorothy! Such a dangerous position to take, no?
Purporting to assume God’s will or intention as it pertains to any human being. Yikes! Not a gamble I’m willing to make, ever.
Exactly Exactly Exactly Exactly
Just when I thought Putin was the main influence, this makes “great” sense. Things are happening that Sharon swore weren’t possible many months ago. My biggest fear is a 3rd term. We can say “absolutely not” all we want but… what if?? They’re bulldozing through everything else.
I'm with you - he said he wasn't kidding about a third term, so to me, that means nothing, even the Constitution, will stand in his way. If he is defying federal judges, who will ACTUALLY stop him from a third term? It's not like he ever listens to the word no. His supporters won't think anything of it, and would probably gladly vote for a third term, even if it's completely against the law. Who will actually stand up and say no?
The military? I mean his cabinet put them at risk the other day by accidentally leaking classified information on Signal. I don’t know I would trust the leadership anymore if I was in the military. Which is also a very sobering proposition. I imagine it’s gonna get worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better….
I feel very frustrated by this, actually. I love this space and appreciate it, but lots of sources were saying that he absolutely would enact the parts of 2025 that I feel that this newsletter downplayed by saying they weren't legal, without being willing to acknowledge that Trump has and continues to break laws. And now....here we are.
I think this site gave the information with quotes. What we choose to do with information if up to us.
I have found my people! I have been nagging in this space about this very idea. The answer to everything is/was "He can't do that. It is not legal". Well, he IS doing it and does not give a darn what the courts or the Constitution has to say about any of it.
I feel like we can call, email and write our congress people all we want but until someone big says ENOUGH (like say the military) it won't stop.
Somehow democracy has become a dirty word to MAGA. It’s been a good run, I guess.
I am feeling so so defeated.
Peter Thiel wrote over *15 years ago* that he "no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible" and he's continued to influence the rightward shift of the GOP to this day. He didn't donate in this past election cycle, but of course he already had his pick in VP Vance (who has worked closely with Thiel and publicly championed both Thiel and authoritarian/monarchist Curtis Yarvin). It's infuriating for so many of these politicians to have understood what they were accepting but being willing to grasp for that power anyway.
Sadly many people are now equating lack of accountability with freedom.
Oof. What a timely chaser to yesterday's discussion: the affection and praise that Trump (and the far right) have showered on Orbán has long been a red flag, one that just brings the antidemocratic attitudes of Trump and his administration into even sharper relief. Thank you for sharing this so clearly 💙
The thing that stuck with me is the way Orbán went after universities first. Watching what is happening now just makes me upset. Demonizing education is never good.
As a healthcare professional, I feel the same devastation for science here in the U.S. and I should see if Hungary used these same tactics in this area.
Is there a pro-democracy- US-Version handbook? The autocrats have Project 2025 so we should have Project Save Democracy. What org is counterpoint to the Heritage Foundation? We are sleepwalking into a dictatorship and although they don’t know it yet MAGA folks with their red hats and flags on their shirts will have no more civil liberties than the rest of us. Say goodbye to your guns. Do you think a dictator is going to allow average citizens to own firearms that could be used against them? Nearly half the voters in this country are refusing to recognize the inconsistencies of the statements coming from the White House, the incompetence of the administration’s leadership and the dismantling of our institutions all because they like his strongman tactics. Guess what? Once he’s done with the the immigrants, the universities and the law firms, he will come for his political foes and then the citizens are last because there’s no one left to stand up to him. We need to wake up now, get organized and fight like our lives depend on it because it does.
KD, you are so correct! In a little town north of Kansas City, a pastor adopted a Haitian son from his church’s mission. They’ve done everything possible for him to become a US citizen, but ICE just came for him. The pastor is outraged! He voted for Trump 3x! He led his church to support Trump! He’s convinced this is a “mistake.”
Of course, we know it’s a feature, not a bug. I am sympathetic for the son, and I hope the pastor now works to help all of the people he has hurt. But that doesn’t seem likely.
The "they meant them, not me mentality" strikes again.
I’m sorry to hear what has happened to the young man and the family that is trying to help him. It is absolutely part of Project 2025’s agenda. We need folks like the pastor to wake up. Thanks for sharing. We need to keep sharing stories and keep our communities together fighting for each other.
Gina, where can I learn more about this story?
https://fox4kc.com/news/its-painful-metro-family-left-with-questions-amid-deportation-notice/
Emily, Thank you for the article. I hadn’t seen it. I was just told about the family from a friend that knows them.
In the article, the pastor keeps saying he doesn’t know what he did wrong.
He voted for Trump. He voted for mass deportations. He voted for anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies.
As you sow, so shall you reap.
You have to laugh that this is a Fox article! I am surprised the Preamble allowed that link to post to the comments ;)
It's almost like it's the quality of the ideas and not just the messenger that matters 😉
the KC Fox station is local, and not like the national.
I understand that. It just made me laugh to see Fox.
And then there's that 🤭 There are plenty of local Fox affiliates countrywide and, despite the name, they're not the same as the Fox News Channel. Thanks for pointing that out Gina!
Exactly, KD!!
I continue to just be so miffed by why the right is so afraid of folks who are different. This country was founded on freedom of religion. The psychology of this would be something I’d be interested to read. Also, before anyone responds, I do realize racism is a huge part of this whether it’s conscious or not 🙁.
Today, special Congressional elections in Florida and the supreme court election in Wisconsin that Musk tried to buy will tell us a lot about the mood of the country and whether we can build any momentum toward the midterms. Both Florida seats will probably stay red but it will be interesting to see the margins compared to Trump’s. Wisconsin is the big one. The right is fighting hard for control of the court so it can maintain partisan gerrymandering and restrict voting and abortion rights. I hope Musk’s money in the race is overwhelmed by his toxicity.
I was really hoping there’d be a big “APRIL FOOLS” at the end of that.
I lived in Hungary from 2012 through 2015. When talking about our plans to move overseas, or when visiting home while we lived there, a number of extended family and acquaintances would ask us what it was like to live in a place with such a corrupt government, and with such close ties to Putin. Especially towards the end of our time there, when Putin was more openly encroaching on Ukraine. They were horrified when we told them about the silencing of the media and closing of the universities.
Every single person who asked that question of us then? Voted for Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and don't voice any opposition to anything he's doing.
I think it’s easier to see flaws in the government you don’t belong to. I also think some people truly don’t see some of the issues that will come down the pipe. If federal employees aren’t working they no longer can spend money at private businesses.
I’m not surprised. I truly believe they have blinders on, only because whatever sources they follow to get their information is shielding them from what they need to know.
Oh wow. That is unreal.
Thank you for this great article about the similarities between Trump/Orban, USA, Hungary, etc.
Are there any dissimilarities? What sets us apart? On what can we hang our hope?
On hard work and mobilization! So many movements in our history have been successful - Jim Crow laws ended, women got the right to vote, unions got us the 5 day work week. We can roll up our sleeves and hang our hope on ourselves.
Yes, Ashley! I know you’re right. Timothy said the same thing, too.
Ignore my last sentence.
See you in the streets!
Thank you. I am feeling so down. I need to read these things.
Are we not already living in a version of Hungary right now? Our country has arrested people and deported or detained them without due process. The Signal chat is getting swept under the rug as Trump’s AG does nothing. Federal programs have been gutted of dollars and staff while Congress does nothing. Trump is defying judicial orders. Universities and media have been targeted for speaking out or using words Trump doesn’t approve. We are already slowly boiling in the pot, and it feels like so many do not care. Where is the outrage? What do we do? Calling and protesting, is that enough to counter this extreme administration ? It doesn’t feel like it. What is today’s equivalent of the bus boycott?
This confirms a thought I had during his first term — Trump is not the mastermind here. Just as there were framers and architects of our constitution, it makes sense that the same is true for its downfall. Yes, we have weathered some challenging times, but where is the true resistance against all this? Anyone who attempts to stand up to what is going on they eventually cower and accept defeat. The power is the people and yet we have willingly given them the tools they need to keep true democracy out of our reach with our silence and willful blindness.
That's why there has been such a concerted effort to take economic power away from the megadonors through the boycotts and protests. GOP House Reps and Senators are currently being kept in line by the threat of being primaried by Elon Musk ($$), but they are also now increasingly scared to face the anger of their own constituents. Since keeping their jobs is, apparently, their primary objective, then making it clear that they could *lose* that job by being compliant with this administration could actually give them the backbone that they need. At least one can hope.
I’m really curious how the Wisconsin Supreme Court race results will affect that dynamic. If Musk’s interference proves/suggests political liability, will moderate republicans in congress start to push back?
I sincerely hope that's the case! I'm definitely seeing a lot of the conservatives that I know (who are still supportive of Trump) are seeing Elon Musk as a greater and greater liability. He just can't help but want to be at the center of attention and it's becoming an issue.
"After losing power in 2002, Orbán made a critical decision – he would "never lose again," and began meticulously planning Hungary's political transformation, according to Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton professor who worked at Hungary's Constitutional Court in the 1990s."
"July 27 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Christians on Friday that if they vote for him this November, "in four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote.""
"March 30, WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there were methods for doing so and clarifying that he was “not joking.”"
We need to take this so, so seriously. We need to take Trump at his word, and recognize that if he is working from Orban's playbook, that he absolutely intendeds to remain in office despite our laws. He is already defying the courts by sending additional immigrants to El Salvador after the initial planes (that were ordered to turn around and did not), so the courts are not necessarily holding him at this point.
I would say we need to call our representatives and of course we do, but if anyone has any ideas about what we can do right now, today, this minute, I'd love to discuss it.
I hope we get a good news moment in one of these Preambles soon. I’m very aware of today’s topic. Trying hard not to get sucked in, with not much of a light at the end of the tunnel