"it Can't happen here" .... State Capture is easy

[ListeningQuietly]

Any country is only one election away from disaster
and for a well reasoned analysis of how
state capture
can be carried out, legally, within the EU, with no current repurcussions
read here
www.economist.com/briefing/2019/08/29/how-viktor-orban-hollowed-out-hungarys-democracy

and then wonder understand why we HAVE to protest against the Coup

The EU can suspend Hungary via Article 7, removing voting rights and regional funds, possible leading even to expulsion from the EU

However, member states and the EP are very wary of using this power and being seen to "interfere" in the internal politics of a member state

So, it is a slow process, with all parties giving Hungary chance after chance to change track

Poland and the UK in particular have been opposing the Article 7 process - so it may be easier after Brexit

The EU Commission started Article 7 proceedings in December 2017
and the EU Parliament voted in favour in September 2018:^

https://www.euronews.com/2018/09/12/european-parliament-votes-to-trigger-article-7-sanctions-procedure-against-hungary

The measure to trigger Article 7 sanctions proceduress^ garnered the necessary majority needed to pass, with 448 voting in favor of the motion, 197 against and 48 abstentions.

The move means that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government could eventually lose its EU voting rights.

Take off your tin hat and google ‘actual coup’. You will find images of tanks.

But the Economist ad sales will have gone up!

Having lived through an actual coup and the imposition of martial law followed by a curfew in another country, I think we are a helluva way off.

Parliament being suspended at the behest of a PM elevated by the votes of 100,000 Tory party members, nodded through by an unelected head of state. Govt minister today refuses to confirm whether the govt will abide by any legislation passed by Parliament in the interim. No 'actual tanks' required. Wake the fuck up.

I agree, bellini

there are many genuine threats imo it is reasonable to be scared about:
higher food prices, possible shortages of some meds, benefits restricted even further, threats to the NHS, to food standards
Sterling crash, economic crash, unemployment spiking, bankruptcies ....

but I really don't see tanks outside the HoC in our future
or rebel MPs being banned from Parliament, which is the latest rumour

Some rumours are just Cummings playing games

You will find images of tanks.

As Malcolm X said, "The Ballot or The Bullet". And yes, I know the context is completely different, I just think the quote is elucidating. There are plenty of ways of subverting democracy that don't involve tanks. The UK is particularly vulnerable because so much is done with convention and tradition, rather than written constitution.

Plenty of nasty bastards have gained power by election/democratic means first. More mandate than Boris in most cases.

What have tanks got to do with it

that was the past

the now is news manipulation and gerrymandering

if you think we are safe

I think you are complacent

Putin has destabilised the USA, the UK and the EU all with social media

stop fighting yesterday's wars

The govt has taken a couple of steps down the road to Hungary
but there are a great many steps before we get that far
and we can stop them

The problem in Hungary is that most of the public have supported these measures all along
It is "dictatorship by the majority"
and they keep voting for more

However, Hungary's "normal" was ruined by several decades of brutal repression by a genuine dictatorship
and their civil society and democratic norms have never recovered

The UK in contrast has had decades of uninterrupted democracy since universal suffrage

Our "normal" is full democracy,
hence a much better base to stop this authoritarian behaviour by the Tory hard right wingnuts in charge

imo the USA oligarchs are the ones spreading the hard right hate & authoritarianism,
from the USA into the English-speaking world and into Europe

They want to sweep away any constraints anywhere in the world, on their ability to make more billions
sweep away all laws granting rights to workers, or customers, or protecting the environment

Putin is joining in, but he is mostly just stirring up fires set by others

I hope you are right
but I am not yet convinced
Putin is brighter than many of the people funding him (particularly the Mercers and the Kochs)
and the tiny steps like retirement ages can have devastating results

• Modi is doing the same in India at the moment to normalise Hindu prejudice

The damage I am most afraid of in the UK, is voters continuing to vote selfishly to hurt the most vulnerable

is voters continuing to vote selfishly to hurt the most vulnerable
But that is because the Government has conditioned them to not realise that they are vulnerable

same as in Hungary
same as in Brazil
same as in India
same as in the USA

it does not need tanks, it just needs media manipulation