Orban starved civil society that could oppose him, staffed the state with his allies, and sent $ to himself and his cronies. But he suborned the state: Trump is blowing it up. Eg, Orban targeted welfare to his base: Trump would raise drug prices for all. Same with the blanket OMB directive. - ThreadSky

annagbusse.bsky.social • 22 days ago

Orban starved civil society that could oppose him, staffed the state with his allies, and sent $ to himself and his cronies.

But he suborned the state: Trump is blowing it up. Eg, Orban targeted welfare to his base: Trump would raise drug prices for all. Same with the blanket OMB directive.

Reposted from Kim Lane Scheppele

Yes, Orban's opening salvo was to comprehensively defund the political opposition or any other institution (media, civil sector, universities) who could stand up to him. He didn't have to do it by stealth like this; he did it out in the open.

Comments

ofpope.bsky.social•22 days ago

Because Trump doesn't have a genius plan to be a dictator!
He hates immigrants, taxes, and wants to punish his enemies, he DGAF about governing, or how the country is run.
The Heritage guys doing Project 2025 are the guys with a goals and a plan, and they're not the same as Trump's!

ofpope.bsky.social•22 days ago

Trump wants power and wealth because he wants to be rich and powerful, the Heritage Foundation has an ideological plan destroy the government!

wndlb.bsky.social•22 days ago

These guys are blunter instruments

jilltownley.bsky.social•22 days ago

Yes, our saving grace likely will be how ignorant and overconfident they all are.

johngage1.bsky.social•21 days ago

Orban could always fall back on EU funding if things messed up, Trump doesn’t have that economic security blanket.

voteblue4vr.bsky.social•22 days ago

For all CPAC's many visits to Hungary, they've learned nothing.

annagbusse.bsky.social•22 days ago

Trump *is* building an autocracy: asserting new executive powers and substituting arbitrary rule for institutions. It’ll be a patrimonial, personalist, utterly corrupt, creaking ramshackle of an autocracy, but one nonetheless

happyhippie58.bsky.social•22 days ago

I think Trumps maine goals at this point is to out rage the American people so much they take to the streets. Witch will give him a reason to declare Marshall law.

emmowens.bsky.social•22 days ago

The Trump inner circle has been testing things since the first administration

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/27/army-general-who-allowed-helicopter-fly-low-over-dc-protesters-failed-give-clear-orders-ig-finds.html

lord-of-crime.bsky.social•22 days ago

You give him WAY too much credit if you really believe this.

decarboxy.chat•22 days ago

Except that actually implementing Marshall law requires a substantial amount of state capacity including a security force that’s so loyal to you that they’ll turn guns on their neighbors. Trump doesn’t have that and is doing the opposite of what he’d need to do to get it.

sonne75.bsky.social•22 days ago

Surprised?

ianford.bsky.social•22 days ago

Most successful autocrats ensure they consolidate their power base and ensure the loyalty of the security forces first. That way they are better able to deal with public protests when they become unpopular.

lizzzs.bsky.social•22 days ago

He's already got the loyalty of many in uniform, from most sheriffs and many local cops to all the Border Patrol and ICE officers. Armed forces are less gung ho and there's chain of command but still plenty there.

ianford.bsky.social•22 days ago

The hardcore nutters are all-in.
But if you have an official position (army etc) the default response will be to try to avoid violence and sit on your hands. If you suppress protest violently there is a high chance of being thrown under the bus by leader later as he tries to avoid blame for deaths.

oldhoundderby.bsky.social•22 days ago

The only other fascist who has attacked all power structures simultaneously like this is Hitler, but the Nazis had the SA behind them with 2 million members (the Reichswehr only numbered 100,000!). The Proud Boys & Oathkeepers are tiny. Mass protest can work here.

ianford.bsky.social•22 days ago

And Germany didn't have any tradition of democracy that people wanted to defend so many didn't really care when the Weimar Republic collapsed. That is not the case in the USA. Democracy is part and parcel of the DNA.

ianford.bsky.social•22 days ago

The far-right militia goons are going to be the ones he relies upon. But the army and security forces are (typically) going to be more cautious and reluctant to get involved when it comes to responding to public protest. A lot may come down to individual leaders and the context of the situation.

swampmariner.bsky.social•22 days ago

Trump’s approach seems much more likely to engender significant public backlash! Gotta find hope where I can get it…

socio-steve.bsky.social•22 days ago

Orban had a huge legislative majority and popular backing when he arrived. Trump...not so much.

He is doing authoritarian things but not in a way that consolidates support or increases state capacity so not sure how durable this will be.

beatorganizer.bsky.social•21 days ago

It seems like Trump, Miller, Musk, and Vought are 4 pursuing 4 different programs, some of which diminish each other's capacity.

rlspang.bsky.social•22 days ago

He and those around him seem to be doing authoritarian things for the most spiteful, individualist reasons "because I want to, because I don't think anyone or any thing should have the right to stop me," etc. NO thought to "how it will play in Peoria."

Granted, Peoria isn't paying attention

rlspang.bsky.social•22 days ago

PLUS, of course, the shared deep and twisted racism and misogyny that unites Trump, Musk, Miller, Vance, etc. etc.

socio-steve.bsky.social•22 days ago

We are aware of all this stuff happening behind the scenes right now. And the general public really isn't. But all these things will eventually have impacts out in the wild. It will be interesting to see how ordinary people feel in a few weeks.

cur1ous.bsky.social•22 days ago

Differences are really important- otherwise the US will need to wait 12 years until T runs the economy/hospitals/schools completely into the ground for another politician *on the right* to make corruption a political issue and turn out huge crowds :)

sydney58.bsky.social•21 days ago

But wreaking such havoc so fast.

bigworker.bsky.social•22 days ago

It's almost a relief that Trump is just blowing stuff up at random rather than laying down the foundations for a more effective and long lasting form of authoritarianism. Though of course that's only comforting until you're in the blast radius...

annagbusse.bsky.social•22 days ago

henrythedog.bsky.social•22 days ago

because Trump is stupid and unable to keep all the facts in his mind

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