Question: How much authoritarianism can a country actually stand before even the facade of Democracy is fractured?
So many people applauding at worst or just turning a blind eye to things like unlawful deportations, bending (breaking?) of laws and norms and a radical shift in the emotional core of the country. I was thinking about it last night, in talking to my wife about the Venezuelan deportations, fucking Bukele (she's Salvadoran and we've talked from the start about what his ascent really means for the country and what is now clearly their own authoritarian regime) . . . at least in the beginning, poor folks loved them some Hugo Chavez and who wouldn't, in a primal worst of mankind's nature way, like to see someone made out to be enemies (or who put themselves morally above, *cough* *cough* flagrantly showy, prius/electric car driving, demanding you change, liberals) brought down a peg? Maybe Trump and Elon will start giving people free cars (or more likely free internet) like Chavez gave away TVs (pulling from recollection) and the like, so folks could watch his broadcasts. Maybe the free internet will default to pro state landing pages.
Are we just done? Are there precedents that individuals should look to as ways to steel themselves or help themselves weather a decade (or a lifetime) of living under shifting regimes of creating two distinct classes?
I used to have faith in the thought of people as social animals and thus society as mankind's greatest achievement and one that despite the give and take of inherent selfishness, would continue to push itself forward. I don't feel that right now. It literally feels like every fucker for themselves, even if that means silence in the face of what clearly feels like evil (bitching online is just as silent as verbal silence). I mean, I ain't doing shit, can barely balance my personal books enough to donate to worthy causes and am stuck behind a desk for 55 hours a week, on salary, just keeping my head down... Or maybe my job just sucks and I'm reflecting my job against the country broadly. . . Or maybe my workplace is just a microcosm. Owner voted Trump, boss voted Trum (even though he and his wife skated into citizenship by hook, crook, or just plain luck) and my co-worker (also Salvadoran, with a wife who has very gray area documentation), who voted Kamala has expressed his own positive Trump (and Bukele) feelings, particularly, fuck those Venezuelans and we're finally cutting waste. . .
eh
