"The US is no longer a democracy." and "is hurtling towards autocracy at a faster rate than Hungary and Turkey."

[AverageOldGuy]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog

The US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at Gothenburg University reaches the alarming conclusion in its annual report, that the US is hurtling towards autocracy at a faster rate than Hungary and Turkey.

“Our data on the USA goes back to 1789. What we’re seeing now is the most severe magnitude of democratic backsliding ever in the country,” says Staffan Lindberg, founder of the institute.

Since 2012, Lindberg has led his small group of researchers in Sweden to become the world’s leading source for analysis of the health of global democracy. In their latest report, published on Tuesday, they conclude that the US, for the first time in more than half a century, has lost its long-term status as a liberal democracy. The country is now going through a rapid process of what the report’s authors call “autocratisation”.

“For Orbán in Hungary, it took about four years, for Vučić in Serbia, it took eight years, and for Erdoğan in Turkey and Modi in India, it took about 10 years to accomplish the suppression of democratic institutions that Trump has achieved in only one year,” Lindberg says.

The NRA tells us the Second Amendment is meant to protect us against tyranny. Well, tyranny is here . . . . so does this mean . . . .

[OldBaldy1701E]

1. Yes. (n/t)

[FarPoint]

2. Congress can charge this in just one week....

A few brave congressmen and women need to stand up together and do the job of stopping him and Steven Miller....

I suggest we reference someone in Congress when we mention tRump....somehow we must hold them accountable....ie...protest at their offices, campaign events...internet media?????

They can change it all and restore some resemblance of Democracy.

[TheRickles]

4. A couple of early, medically necessary retirements would do the trick.

[FarPoint]

5. Ohhh yes....

I do see that.... I'll have to lite a candle...

[OC375]

3. The Troubles

Coming to a divided country near you. Sniper at Work signs coming soon, I’d imagine. We never learn.

[NCDem47]

6. $$$$$$$$$!!!!!

The American billionaire class helped speed this up...with an assist from Russia.

That's it in a nutshell.

[newdeal2]

7. The tech billionaires are maybe the worst class

I would almost say they are not human.

[PatSeg]

8. It certainly has felt like this has all

happened at a record pace, leaving people reeling and disoriented. A very intentional "shock and awe", allowing people little time to plan how to counteract the assault. It is hard to focus on one abuse of power when there are ten more at the same time.

As chaotic as it has been, sometimes the chaos feels very orchestrated.

[Farmer-Rick]

9. It all started with the stupid idea of "free" trade

That Laissez-faire attitude has been around for centuries and is what caused all the horror of the Irish great famine.

It was the first major shot across the bow of democracy. It made capitalism and making money more important than citizens as it did in the great famine.

From there our democracy was whittled away little by little. When you put making a profit ahead of people, it all starts to crumble.

The Dancing Supremes in particular hastened the destruction of democracy. The refusal to count votes in the Al Gore election. The failure to uphold antitrust legislation, the decision to make corporations fist class citizens with limited liability while holding individuals to a stricter standard, the turning a blind eye to their favorite dictator and giving him blanket immunity and support.

It fell apart bit by bit thanks to capitalism. Rampaging capitalism will always destroy democracy. They are not compatible. And that's why the filthy-rich are happy about the destruction of US democracy.

[Joinfortmill]

10. This scares me