I mentioned to the Divine Mrs. M the other night over dinner that Tucker Carlson was in Hungary for the purpose of plumping Victor Orban. Who is Victor Orban and what is so important about Hungary she replied.
Aside from political science majors or eastern European immigrants, very few Americans have followed the descent of many nations in this region to the soft fascism exemplified by Orban. From throttling the media to enlisting labor unions and thought leaders to spread the gospel of illiberalism, Orban is supplying like minded Americans (looking at you, Ron DeSantis) with a blueprint for destroying real democracy with a version which leaves him with a dictator's prerogatives.
Fear of the other and convincing the average Hungarian that he has all the answers to the questions that bedevil people in a time of rapid change. The wave of Muslims from the Middle East who fled to Europe in the wake of the Iraq war and its aftermath are the issue Orban rode to power and despite the mere trickle of said immigrants allowed into his country, he has convinced many they are the root of all problems facing the average citizen.
Carlson and his ilk on the American right are looking for a homegrown Orban to lead the movement. Donald Trump was an imperfect vessel for the movement. tRump is far more interested in self enrichment and aggrandizement to connect with the American everyman who is receptive to the Orban message. If the Koch supported right finds such a person, they will relentlessly promote him and a vision of a dystopic America most thinking people would find abhorrent. Keep your eye on Hungary. It may be our future.
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