Regarding the democratic crisis in Hungary (via NYT):
“In the short term it seems reasonable to take out the brakes from a car, it appears to go faster. The problem is when the first curve appears and you need them.”
– Peter Hack, a law professor at the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest
This is enormously applicable in the United States as well, where the movement to “straight pipe” executive power grows stronger each year (eg: extra-judicial assassination of Americans, indefinite detention, Military Tribunals, use of the “State Secrets” act, etc.). It always seems a good idea until it isn’t, or to quote Glenn Greenwald:
“That, of course, was precisely the rationale long offered by the neocon Right to justify the radical, transparency-free powers of detention, surveillance and militarism seized by the Bush administration: maybe these powers could theoretically be abused one day by a Bad Leader, but right now, we have a good, noble, Christian family man in office who only wants to Keep us Safe, so we can trust him. That has now been replaced by: maybe these powers could theoretically be abused one day by a Bad Leader, but right now, we have a good, noble, urbane, progressive Constitutional scholar and family man in office who only wants to Keep us Safe, so we can trust him“
By setting precedent it’s just a matter of time until some really heinous abuse finally occurs (actually many of us already think that’s happened, but since it has only happened to “those people”, that is brown Muslim people, let’s be honest – we just don’t care as much). Someday “good Christian whites” will also be the target and then it will probably be too late (and I am sure there will be plenty at the time who will continue to say then, “maybe these powers could theoretically be abused one day by a Bad Leader, but right now…“).
Which leads to the admittedly somewhat overused final quote, but it fits:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.
– Martin Niemöller
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