It's less expensive. Pinochet needed an army to keep people in line. Modern autocrats simply need to spew propaganda and dominate the national conversation which they do with constant spectacle.
They say, "We permit all viewpoints. We are truly democratic. The West tries to stifle conservative voices."
In this context, conservative = disinformation.
It's the right-wing First Amendment argument: I have the right to lie.
They claim to be the true defenders of democracy by defending the right to free speech.
When you allow someone to speak the truth, and then put out a bunch of lies and both-sides the issue, you destroy democracy while claiming to uphold free speech.
Yup, it's extremely effective.
People not paying attention get confused. They give up trying to sort out truth from lies.
Democracy requires truth and shared factuality. They have an effective way of destroying it.
Fascism / leadership cult (what Weber calls charismatic leader source of authority) depends on myth.
They're not going to let facts get in their way.
In this evening's episode from the Trump Reality Show: Trump has COVID but he is mighty and strong! Unlike lesser mortals, the Great Leader ignores his symptoms and continues working by signing his name to blank papers while posing for cameras.
This is a plot twist I did not see coming—but it makes sense.
This is why I try not to live in "what if" rabbit holes. I've learned that we usually worry about the wrong stuff. Life has a way of throwing surprises.
This is the part of the plot where the GOP is supposed to say, "We've been doing it wrong," and the voters say, "The GOP should not be leading the nation through a pandemic."
Fortunately, that’s not how it works. Allow me to explain.
Spoiler: Trump can't steal the election. But he can—through rumors like this one—undermine democracy, elevate his image as a "Strong man," and force us all to become actors in his reality show.
Maybe you mean this: if GOP legislators in states like Pennsylvania challenge the certification of results, NO electors will be certified from those states, which (depending on how big Biden’s win is) might keep him from reaching 270 electoral votes.
In fact, under the 12th Amendment, “[t]he person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed.”
Voting in Pennsylvania has started.
The laws governing the election cannot be changed after voting starts.
If the rules could be changed now (which they can't) the governor would have to agree.
Sometimes I feel like I'm putting out a forest fire with a squirt gun.
It's amazing to me that people think it could be easy (or even possible!) for a few party members to get together and throw a US presidential election to a candidate who (assuming) loses the electoral college and popular vote.
(OK, I understand it's been a weird 4 years)
Other than voting, there isn't much that people can do.
The Democratic Party and the Biden campaign are on this.
How? Teams of lawyers in each state. This is being watched carefully and legal teams will respond.