Authoritarians can be beaten — Hungary shows us how |
Authoritarians can be beaten — Hungary shows us how
“President Trump is an authoritarian. Our democracy cannot survive in the face of someone who is determined to destroy it. We are doomed.”
These are the sorts of thing I have been hearing from many — too many — of my fellow liberals in recent weeks. They are right about Trump’s authoritarianism, but they’re wrong about the fate of democracy. And if you think otherwise, I’ve got two words for you: Viktor Orban.
During his 15-year reign, the Hungarian leader accomplished much of what Trump is trying to do: He captured the universities, muzzled the free press and deported immigrants. That’s why Orban was such a darling among MAGA elites like Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned for him in the recent election.
And guess what? Orban lost in a landslide. And, even more, he stepped down.
So don’t tell me we can’t defeat an authoritarian. To borrow from an earlier president: Yes, we can. And Hungary shows us how.
The winning candidate, Peter Magyar, emphasized the corruption of Orban’s regime at every turn. Authoritarians enrich themselves and their friends, which is how they stay in power.
That’s precisely what Trump has been doing, of course. Last year, he accepted a $400 million plane as a gift from Qatar. More recently, he invested in Oracle while the White House was helping it purchase Tik Tok. And as Paramount and Netflix competed to buy Warner Brothers, he bought stock in all three companies.
Not enough Americans know about these sleazy deals, or about the way Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has reaped billions in investments from Middle East........