Scholar Hungarian scholar Balint Magyar offers a theory that explains why the US held out against the same tactics that caused other countries to collapse into autocracy.
His theory also explains why comparisons across nations don’t always work.
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His theory also explains why comparisons across nations don’t always work.
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https://twitter.com/AttendingAF/status/1440729466150391817
While writing about post-communist mafia states, he talked about the “big bang” theory:
He says that the “conditions preceding the democratic big bang have a decisive role in the formation of the system.”
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He says that the “conditions preceding the democratic big bang have a decisive role in the formation of the system.”
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Here’s how I understand the theory (to use Russia as an example. I'll get to Germany in a moment).
At the time of the Russian Big Bang (early 1990s, when a Democracy struggled to be born) the Communist Party had a monopoly on power and resources.
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At the time of the Russian Big Bang (early 1990s, when a Democracy struggled to be born) the Communist Party had a monopoly on power and resources.
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.@mashagessen explains this well. In fact, I learned about Balint Magyar from her.
Russia never had working democratic institutions.
Germany had a very different history from the US. Until 1918 (do I have the year right?) Germany had a kind of monarchy.
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Russia never had working democratic institutions.
Germany had a very different history from the US. Until 1918 (do I have the year right?) Germany had a kind of monarchy.
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The Weimar Republic was created out of whole cloth amid much chaos (including economic chaos.)
At the time of the American Big Bang, we lived in a hierarchy with white men at the top. We had operating democratic institutions . . .
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At the time of the American Big Bang, we lived in a hierarchy with white men at the top. We had operating democratic institutions . . .
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By operating democratic institutions, I mean courts based on rule of law, a jury system, local governments.
But the institutions protected the freedom of white men only.
So that’s our default.
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But the institutions protected the freedom of white men only.
So that’s our default.
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That, I think, is why people like McConnell and Pence could not take the additional step and destroy democratic institutions altogether.
They want to keep them.
But only for white men because they are afraid of a fully functioning multi-racial democracy.
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They want to keep them.
But only for white men because they are afraid of a fully functioning multi-racial democracy.
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. . .which brings me back to the argument I made here.
Trump could have created much more chaos had (for example) Pence gaveled in Trump as president, but we were not moments away from Trump overturning the election.
Too much still stood in the way.
Trump could have created much more chaos had (for example) Pence gaveled in Trump as president, but we were not moments away from Trump overturning the election.
Too much still stood in the way.
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1440431835029250049
I just looked back and saw all the typing errors.
You see, I have these pesky little keyboard gremlins that jump onto my keyboard and make mischief.
All errors are their fault.
You see, I have these pesky little keyboard gremlins that jump onto my keyboard and make mischief.
All errors are their fault.
Thanks @americanarena.
Comparing two countries has limits.
The US government is a complex sprawling system that spreads power widely. This makes it hard to get anything done. It also makes it hard for a dictator to take over.
Comparing two countries has limits.
The US government is a complex sprawling system that spreads power widely. This makes it hard to get anything done. It also makes it hard for a dictator to take over.
https://twitter.com/americanarena/status/1440755903787978763
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