Are We in a Dictatorship?

You might be surprised that the short answer is: Yes. How can that be? There are no tanks or soldiers rolling down the streets of our major cities. Oh, wait. Yes there are.

But we have elections. And legislators and courts. And private institutions and billionaires with their own power. And private media.

When we think of dictators, we think of Hitler or Stalin. But modern dictators keep all of the trappings of democracy. Putin still has elections and there are still legislators and judges in Russia. And plenty of billionaires and profitable businesses. Even private media. But if they defy Putin maybe their plane mysteriously crashes. But we are nothing like Russia, are we?

Within weeks of Trump’s 2024 election, every major tech company leader made major donations to Trump’s inauguration, and they were given front row seats in return.

Major media corporations including ABC, CBS, Meta and Twitter “settled” Trump lawsuits that clearly had no merit.

Trump created direct methods of bribery through his own cryptocurrency business World Liberty Financial. His methodology including the selling of pardons. He forced major law firms to give him millions of dollars in free services.

In each case it is not just the bribery and forced payoffs that matter. It is their public nature. Signaling that the most powerful forces of possible resistance have surrendered their power.

As for our government, Trump was quick to fire the referees who monitor legality. And he filled the Supreme Court with loyal toadies in his first term. The Supreme Court gave him full immunity to break the law at will.

Harvard Professor of Government Steven Levitsky and University of Toronto professor Lucan Way coined the term “Competitive Authoritarianism” in their 2002 paper “Elections without Democracy.” “Competitive” means there is still the appearance of competitive democracy. Levitsky recently gave a talk making the case that we are indeed in such an authoritarian dictatorship now.

Trump has weaponized the FCC to keep the media in line with his demands. His Justice Department openly fulfills Trump’s personal demands for revenge against his challengers. His pardon of the January 6 insurrectionists signals that violence is encouraged if it is in service to Trump.

Congress is supposed to be the primary branch of government. But they are owned by the Republican Party. Totally loyal to Trump rather than fulfilling their oath to uphold the Constitution. Dissenting members have been threatened with violence.

Levitsky reminded us that this situation happened during Reconstruction after the Civil War. Except it was the Southern Democratic Party that killed democracy. Levitsky argues that it is all about 1) Fear of losing and 2) A sense of existential threat.

Blacks were a majority in much of the South and whites could not imagine letting them hold power. Thousands of Blacks did briefly and successfully hold elected power during Reconstruction. The Klan was created to put an end to this democracy for almost 100 years until the 1960s Voting Rights Acts restored democracy.

The current Republican Party knows it cannot win democratically. Since the 1960s its support comes primarily from white Christians and their percentage numbers have fallen ever since.

White Christians were used to holding all power. Losing even some of that power feels like an existential threat. In a 2021 American Enterprise Institute survey 56% of Republicans said that force may be needed to stop this “threat.”

Contrast our situation with what happened in South Korea when President Yoon declared martial law. Their Congress impeached him, and he is now standing trial. Members of his own party helped remove him.

Brazil faced a similar situation when President Bolsonaro tried to overturn the 2022 election. The courts quickly prosecuted him.

Levitsky argues that these countries remember what it was like to live under a dictatorship. The U.S. whitewashes its history and Trump is actively working to obliterate programs that teach our darker historical episodes.

Levitsky argues that even though we are in a dictatorship, it is still reversible. But it will take the courage of those with power, and the concerted action of the people to fight back. Unfortunately, MAGA people don’t care unless they are personally hurt.