Two Recommendations
Informed, somber voices in these perilous times.
As we all seek to sort through the ongoing challenges of the Trump era, I have two recommendations. Both are thoughtful and informative, although neither is especially optimistic.
First, I recommend the Substack diary of Adam Przezworksi, a noted scholar of democracy and professor emeritus of political science at NYU. I will note that he is not using Substack to create individual posts but appears to be just adding to the one post that he started on February 11th and runs through March 5 as of my writing this post. Even if he doesn’t write another word, I think his thoughts are worth reviewing. I agree with his general assessment and share his exhaustion in trying to keep up with and understand what we are witnessing.
Przeworski is a naturalized American citizen who was born and raised in Poland. The most chilling passage from his diary is this.
This is where I am today. Not reacting to the news, which are replete with disasters, but thinking about the future. I grew up under a dictatorship but could never imagine I would die under one. Today I entertain this possibility.
Second is a podcast from Lilliana Mason, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins, and Thomas Zimmer, a visiting Professor of History at Georgetown. It is called Is This Democracy. I would recommend the entire run (they are up to episode 40) but would note that 1-36 is really about the state of American democracy during the last two years of the Biden administration. Episode 37 onward is about the current situation, and one could easily start wth episode 37.
I have cited Mason’s work in the past and think she is an important observer of contemporary partisan politics. Zimmer also has a Substack worth reading.
I think that all three of the above see some pretty dark stuff going on as it pertains to the American government. While there is some hope focused on either a serious downturn in public opinion/ the 2026 midterms, they all see clear signs of authoritarianism from the administration. This is where I am as well. Indeed, I share with all three of the scholars noted above a sense that we have ranged into something new in terms of how to classify the current regime, but also not quite ready to declare exactly where we are.
But I think that is all more scholarly reticence to make declarations in the middle of a process than it is any belief that thinks are not as bad as they look.
People who are denying the authoritarian leanings of the current time are simply bad-faith actors who are in tune with the particular brand of authority being wielded.
ETA: (No scholarly reticence here. “Not being allowed around the nice children” has its place in the world, too.)
Chilling but cogent. Thanks muchly for the recommendations
Luddite’s belief is that things are worse than they look. I have zero confidence that this ship can be turned around without a bloody revolution. And I don’t see that in my tarot cards.
IMO, the ship has struck ice, water’s flooded third class, and the officers are dismantling the bilge pumps and tossing them overboard to reduce weight.
The current administration isn’t acting like it expects to ever be out of power again.
Lots of people on this sort of stuff, some more:
https://snyder.substack.com/ Timothy Snyder
https://lucid.substack.com/ Ruth Ben-Ghiat
https://www.bettedangerous.com/ Heidi Sigmund Cuda
@charontwo:
From the last link above, March 8 post
https://www.bylinesupplement.com/p/hot-type-the-end-of-the-affair
Working with international students and scholars I have access to a government database I use to report information to the feds. I am *much* more cautious about what I say on professional forums with my name and institute attached. Pretty sure the feds can revoke my access for whatever reason they choose and I would be out of a job.
@Flat Earth Luddite: First – the Nazis have yet to march in anywhere important without being swamped by counterprotestors. Second – the 50501 demonstrations were met with zero resistance. Trump drools over the thought of killing protestors but he passed on his first opportunity. Third – Tariffs? What tariffs? Trump’s crackpot economic concepts were destined to gore lots of oxen owned by rich Republicans. When they complain, Trump backs down every time. Fourth – Project 2025 is no more popular now than it was during the campaign. Fifth – The head of the Republican Party wants to shut down all town hall meetings due to the torrent of abuse they’ve received from their own voters. 6th – I doubt few Americans appreciate being a member of the axis of evil. 7th – Musk. Luddite, have you ever considered the possibility that Trump might go under at the hands of fellow Republicans? The mob boss should begin to worry big time when he starts costing his supporters money. I have to conclude that this fight is nowhere near over, not even close.
Brown University’s Mark Blyth is also someone to pay attention to. His book on austerity should be required reading for all politicians.
Attempting to deport someone with a green card for some spurious stuff about protests without any due process (or even apparent awareness of the green card’s existence) is a bad bad sign. We’re inching closer to the moment when actual citizens are ‘deported’ for political reasons.
@drj:
“The current administration isn’t acting like it expects to ever be out of power again.”
Yes, they are.
AND, remember that Trump is a con man. He is running a con game. And projecting confidence where none is justified is a fundamental part of a con game.
I’m not making a prediction. I don’t know where this is going, or how ugly it’s going to get, or what is going to happen. I’m observing something.
Things are grim, but bear in mind that there are so, so many things that can go wrong with their plans. So many.
@Jay L Gischer:
He runs cons to enrich himself, but I don’t think his attempts to re-make the US government is a con. It’s his opinion of the way things should be.
The bright, or perhaps dark (depending on how things wind up) side is Trump will probably be un-done by his own incompetence. This is the pattern of his business life. He uses charisma and ruthlessness to get deals, but unless those deals were fundamentally sound enough to withstand mismanagement and/or subject to tight inspection and control from the people who lent him the money his record is un-good. Other than his gigs in show-business, they nearly all failed, hence all the bankruptcies.
What kind of manager sets up a dual chain of command with no clarity for which is supreme for a department or section? Only the most incompetent of managers, and that is exactly what he did by giving Musk carte blanche.
May I humbly suggest that the word ‘authoritarianism’ carries much less weight than you think it does, for a general reading audience? It is orders of magnitude weaker than ‘fascism’ or ‘totalitarianism’. It is weaker even than “far right” for many people. “Seeing clear signs of authoritarianism” simply does not ring alarm bells the way I suspect you intend it to. It’s like your doctor gravely informing you that she sees clear signs of upper respiratory infection.
@charontwo:
That was a depressing read. The only upside for me is that it tracks what I’ve been telling people lately. They have expertise and data and I just have reading and vibes. Makes me feel less of a crazy person.
@dazedandconfused:
I agree with you and would add that having driven out people like Drs. Taylor and Joyner, the GOP is left with fanatics, morons, and paint huffing boomers like my in-laws. They legitimately this is stuff is all good.
I did make a mistake will talking to my partner tonight when I called her parents idiots. I’m not wrong and got no pushback cause I’m right, but still. On the other hand, my phone number getting disconnected from her family group chat has been an overwhelming net positive for my mental health. If I had to listen to those fuckers talk about how amazing Texas is (it’s the land of freedom dontcha know) I was eventually going to tell them to gargle my balls in the group chat.
Analysis of multiple state technologies
Racists hate it when you show precisely to what extent they are not winning. TLDR of the link above: In 37 of 44 identified important technologies, China is leading the world.
One of the few areas US is listed as a world leader [as of 2023] is vaccines — that’s gone!
Not a technological leader, not friendly, not monetarily helpful, [if Musk gets his way] no consumer market worth paying attention to.. Where’s the greatness?
From March 3:
I keep saying Trump’s behavior and personality track Hitler really well, and I keep getting mocked for it. Oh well.
@DrDaveT:
I will note that when I use “fascism,” people don’t like that, either.
I do think that “totalitarian” is the wrong word.
He is clearly authoritarian, but I understand your position.
I do intend for it to ring bells, and for me it does. But, again, I acknowledge what you are saying.
A trip down memory lane:
–Defining and Discussing Fascism (Part I)
–Defining and Discussing Fascism, Part II (which includes discussions of Hitler similarities).
@charontwo: That section jumped out at me as well.