As it isn't an OFFICIAL state propaganda machine, the First Amendment makes that hard. But I'd think a new administration could find ways to criticize it or warn against it.
My greatest fear is that when the dems win the mid-terms, and even the 2028 election, they will not follow through and clean house of the major republican corruption. These indecent sycophants must go and be punished for their crimes. They will have placed the Country back DECADES by these elections, and it will take decades to correct the harm they have done!
I highly recommend reading this account of Orbán's dismantling of democracy, expertly written by a self-described Hungarian "housewife". This is the history of Orban's systematic destruction of democracy, that MAGA holds up as their "model" government. And how it collapsed! A lesson for us all...
I remember being in Budapest a few years ago and remarked to my husband that there were no newsstands and newspapers like we have here. And then I thought they have no need for them as the government controls all the media. I remember the cold chill down my back and I actually felt sadness for these people. How little did I know we would be approaching their situation just a few years later!
Our government couldn’t shut down MAGA media, change the constitution so easily, and get rid of Supreme Court puppets even if Democrats do crush it in the midterms and win the presidency back in 2028. But majority rule changes could happen to bring back sanity.
Supreme Court justices with terms that expire, or they can be impeached for enabling criminal behavior. Presidents should pass psych tests and have clean criminal records as a Minimum! The American people need to be able to bring law suits against the president and cabinet for crimes against humanity! Changes will come in the next few years. Rational behavior of elected and appointed officials, and sound judgment on behalf of the people must be foundational.
Since the Constitution provides no way to kick out justices without impeachment, I rather like the "court packing" plan FDR proposed. Congress CAN control the size of the court. FDR's plan didn't "add" justices, as in making the court permanently 11. Instead, it set an age at which justices could CHOOSE to retire. If they chose not to, THEN a new position would be added, bringing the court up to 10 (or more depending on number of elders). When the justices decided they WOULD retire, the court would revert to 9, with the new one already able to take the place of the retiring one.
In FDR's case, the Congress (and the voters) still liked the Supreme Court and so this didn't pass--not because it couldn't have, but because it was felt there was no need. The court didn't need a weatherman; it started approving New Deal statutes. Today, I'd guess support for the current court is near zero for voters.
An American reset will be similar to but not exactly like Hungary. I look to FDR and his New Deal Congress. Congress and the Executive branch must combine their separate powers and start by reinstating Civil Service professionalism, reinstate Congressional control over appropriations and war powers, etc. etc. However, what will kill this is allowing Republicans to undermine the effort from the sidelines as Trump did during the Biden administration.
As to the media situation, the FCC must be updated to meet the moment of unrestricted propaganda dominating political discourse. Reform is going to come about by defending and shoring up existing constitutional systems that work very well contingent on all politicians acting in good faith. There are structural frameworks which can make it more likely than not that we shore up democracy. We have to be able to articulate and get the public on board with the fact that Trump and his followers do not act in good faith. Nor do they have the best interest of American citizens in mind.
Therefore, Democrats in power must forcefully make the case for democracy and pursue their plan as if they were prosecutors making a case to the public. Which, is really what they are. And the examples cited in this article tell me that is what Magyar is doing. He is making a very public case against the theories and practices of the Orban gang.
And that is the major lesson we must take here. It is time to play offense while playing by the rules. Because we aren't just trying to win this game, we have to also put the goal posts back where they belong.
“We will suspend this channel’s news service,” Magyar said. “This isn’t about me; I’m not seeking revenge. Our people deserve journalism that reflects the truth.”
He promised to end “the factory of lies” and create “independent, impartial” news operations “together with the other parliamentary parties and professional organizations.”
Maybe there is a use for AI in news. A running commentary on the truthiness of the speaker. Opinions would be OK, but "misleading" statements would not. Ah well. When the Public wants to be fooled, they will be fooled. By a Fool.
I certainly hope so. I thought our fellow citizens would have learned from 1.0 what a terrible idea it would be to vote for him again. He’s destroying our democracy not to mention his wacky cabinet members it’s like a farce.
I would say that at minimum, three things would need to happen before the U.S. could even begin to undertake reforms like Hungary's.
Rump would have to be prevented from subverting/canceling the election.
Dems would have to turn out in numbers sufficient to guarantee unassailable majorities in both Houses.
Dems would have to throw out their "no looking in the rearview mirror" M.O. once and for all. That is, they'd have to grow spines and actually commit to investigating and prosecuting all the Rump lackeys. Then they'd have to do the heavy lifting of making genuine changes to help people, not just tinker around the edges.
It's going to be a brutal uphill slop but f the Hungrian people can do it?
America surely can
But
We must STOP
GOP Billionaires from taking over all Media & always controlling the narrative
We must get the VOTE out in numbers to big to steal
When. only 36% of US voted in 2024?
Trump, Musk, Thiel & their fellow FASCISTS once agin installed a corrupt, incompetent & malicious group of people whose only qualifications was loyalty to Trump, not US!
As I said above, we have good reason to doubt any percentages associated with the 2024 election.
There was widespread vote caging; secret purging of voter rolls to the tune of tens of thousands of votes (voters didn't know until they arrived at the polls); provisional ballots tossed because reasons; mail-in ballots tossed on questionable technicalities; rules changed after early voting had begun; and other GOP dirty tricks, including Musk's interference. Mark Elias has said that if every legal ballot had been counted, Harris would have won.
Bottom line, we just don't know for sure what really happened.
Problems that appear to be similar cannot necessarily be resolved in the same ways.
Since WW II, Hungary’s government has been a roller coaster ride for its citizens:
1945-1948. The Independent Smallholders' Party nationalized Hungary’s infrastructure.
1947-1949. Matyas Rakosi, a Russian puppet, established a communist dictatorship.
1949-1956. Hungary became a repressive Stalinist dictatorship; rights were truncated.
1956. The failed Hungarian uprising was crushed by the Soviet Army.
1956-1988. “Ghoulash Communism”: János Kádár; less repression, better life quality
1989-1990. Transition to democracy following the fall of the Berlin wall.
1990-2010. Parliamentary (alternating L/R center governments); joined NATO in 1999
2010-2026. Orbán Era
The US does not have this 80 year history of repression. The extended yolk from which Hungarians freed themselves (a WIP) differs historically from the decade of increasing authoritarianism the US is experiencing. Lessons may be learned and maps may be drawn from their experience, but we have to find our own way out of our dark forest.
I wouldn't think so. We, United States, are a diverse societal conundrum and the diversity will keep us battling each other...(Woh, I just wrote that sentence? SMH) Anyway I read a book called American Nations a few years ago and that explains why 77 million of us voted for a self serving, low grade scam artist.
It's my contention that we don't know for certain that 77 million people actually voted for Rump. There were so many shenanigans in the 2024 election, including Musk's possible [probable, IMO] thumb on the scale, we can't proceed on the assumption that T. had that much support.
I would love to get Fox noise off cable television. I believe it would help change the division in America.
Yup
As it isn't an OFFICIAL state propaganda machine, the First Amendment makes that hard. But I'd think a new administration could find ways to criticize it or warn against it.
My greatest fear is that when the dems win the mid-terms, and even the 2028 election, they will not follow through and clean house of the major republican corruption. These indecent sycophants must go and be punished for their crimes. They will have placed the Country back DECADES by these elections, and it will take decades to correct the harm they have done!
I highly recommend reading this account of Orbán's dismantling of democracy, expertly written by a self-described Hungarian "housewife". This is the history of Orban's systematic destruction of democracy, that MAGA holds up as their "model" government. And how it collapsed! A lesson for us all...
https://razkaca.substack.com/p/i-lived-in-orbans-hungary-this-is?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2rctb
I remember being in Budapest a few years ago and remarked to my husband that there were no newsstands and newspapers like we have here. And then I thought they have no need for them as the government controls all the media. I remember the cold chill down my back and I actually felt sadness for these people. How little did I know we would be approaching their situation just a few years later!
The US is constitutionally incapable of effecting any such radical cleansing of corruption. Electoral College, two senators per state etc.
Our government couldn’t shut down MAGA media, change the constitution so easily, and get rid of Supreme Court puppets even if Democrats do crush it in the midterms and win the presidency back in 2028. But majority rule changes could happen to bring back sanity.
Supreme Court justices with terms that expire, or they can be impeached for enabling criminal behavior. Presidents should pass psych tests and have clean criminal records as a Minimum! The American people need to be able to bring law suits against the president and cabinet for crimes against humanity! Changes will come in the next few years. Rational behavior of elected and appointed officials, and sound judgment on behalf of the people must be foundational.
Since the Constitution provides no way to kick out justices without impeachment, I rather like the "court packing" plan FDR proposed. Congress CAN control the size of the court. FDR's plan didn't "add" justices, as in making the court permanently 11. Instead, it set an age at which justices could CHOOSE to retire. If they chose not to, THEN a new position would be added, bringing the court up to 10 (or more depending on number of elders). When the justices decided they WOULD retire, the court would revert to 9, with the new one already able to take the place of the retiring one.
In FDR's case, the Congress (and the voters) still liked the Supreme Court and so this didn't pass--not because it couldn't have, but because it was felt there was no need. The court didn't need a weatherman; it started approving New Deal statutes. Today, I'd guess support for the current court is near zero for voters.
An American reset will be similar to but not exactly like Hungary. I look to FDR and his New Deal Congress. Congress and the Executive branch must combine their separate powers and start by reinstating Civil Service professionalism, reinstate Congressional control over appropriations and war powers, etc. etc. However, what will kill this is allowing Republicans to undermine the effort from the sidelines as Trump did during the Biden administration.
As to the media situation, the FCC must be updated to meet the moment of unrestricted propaganda dominating political discourse. Reform is going to come about by defending and shoring up existing constitutional systems that work very well contingent on all politicians acting in good faith. There are structural frameworks which can make it more likely than not that we shore up democracy. We have to be able to articulate and get the public on board with the fact that Trump and his followers do not act in good faith. Nor do they have the best interest of American citizens in mind.
Therefore, Democrats in power must forcefully make the case for democracy and pursue their plan as if they were prosecutors making a case to the public. Which, is really what they are. And the examples cited in this article tell me that is what Magyar is doing. He is making a very public case against the theories and practices of the Orban gang.
And that is the major lesson we must take here. It is time to play offense while playing by the rules. Because we aren't just trying to win this game, we have to also put the goal posts back where they belong.
Yes
All things are possible under the sun
Uplifting to read this!
We need this kind of leadership.
We must cultivate the will.
Hungary shows us this is possible.
Excerpt:
“We will suspend this channel’s news service,” Magyar said. “This isn’t about me; I’m not seeking revenge. Our people deserve journalism that reflects the truth.”
He promised to end “the factory of lies” and create “independent, impartial” news operations “together with the other parliamentary parties and professional organizations.”
….
Thank you for your work and this article- helpful
Maybe there is a use for AI in news. A running commentary on the truthiness of the speaker. Opinions would be OK, but "misleading" statements would not. Ah well. When the Public wants to be fooled, they will be fooled. By a Fool.
I certainly hope so. I thought our fellow citizens would have learned from 1.0 what a terrible idea it would be to vote for him again. He’s destroying our democracy not to mention his wacky cabinet members it’s like a farce.
All the above AND there’s the “Golden Rule”…….Them what’s got the gold, make the rules!
I would say that at minimum, three things would need to happen before the U.S. could even begin to undertake reforms like Hungary's.
Rump would have to be prevented from subverting/canceling the election.
Dems would have to turn out in numbers sufficient to guarantee unassailable majorities in both Houses.
Dems would have to throw out their "no looking in the rearview mirror" M.O. once and for all. That is, they'd have to grow spines and actually commit to investigating and prosecuting all the Rump lackeys. Then they'd have to do the heavy lifting of making genuine changes to help people, not just tinker around the edges.
It's going to be a brutal uphill slop but f the Hungrian people can do it?
America surely can
But
We must STOP
GOP Billionaires from taking over all Media & always controlling the narrative
We must get the VOTE out in numbers to big to steal
When. only 36% of US voted in 2024?
Trump, Musk, Thiel & their fellow FASCISTS once agin installed a corrupt, incompetent & malicious group of people whose only qualifications was loyalty to Trump, not US!
As I said above, we have good reason to doubt any percentages associated with the 2024 election.
There was widespread vote caging; secret purging of voter rolls to the tune of tens of thousands of votes (voters didn't know until they arrived at the polls); provisional ballots tossed because reasons; mail-in ballots tossed on questionable technicalities; rules changed after early voting had begun; and other GOP dirty tricks, including Musk's interference. Mark Elias has said that if every legal ballot had been counted, Harris would have won.
Bottom line, we just don't know for sure what really happened.
Problems that appear to be similar cannot necessarily be resolved in the same ways.
Since WW II, Hungary’s government has been a roller coaster ride for its citizens:
1945-1948. The Independent Smallholders' Party nationalized Hungary’s infrastructure.
1947-1949. Matyas Rakosi, a Russian puppet, established a communist dictatorship.
1949-1956. Hungary became a repressive Stalinist dictatorship; rights were truncated.
1956. The failed Hungarian uprising was crushed by the Soviet Army.
1956-1988. “Ghoulash Communism”: János Kádár; less repression, better life quality
1989-1990. Transition to democracy following the fall of the Berlin wall.
1990-2010. Parliamentary (alternating L/R center governments); joined NATO in 1999
2010-2026. Orbán Era
The US does not have this 80 year history of repression. The extended yolk from which Hungarians freed themselves (a WIP) differs historically from the decade of increasing authoritarianism the US is experiencing. Lessons may be learned and maps may be drawn from their experience, but we have to find our own way out of our dark forest.
On dirait que c'est ce qui est entrain de se passer chez vous...It seems that's what's happening in your case...
I wouldn't think so. We, United States, are a diverse societal conundrum and the diversity will keep us battling each other...(Woh, I just wrote that sentence? SMH) Anyway I read a book called American Nations a few years ago and that explains why 77 million of us voted for a self serving, low grade scam artist.
It's my contention that we don't know for certain that 77 million people actually voted for Rump. There were so many shenanigans in the 2024 election, including Musk's possible [probable, IMO] thumb on the scale, we can't proceed on the assumption that T. had that much support.
Thanks for that book reference! My local library has it and I'm going to read it!