Posted on 10/25/2024 2:27:56 AM PDT by TigerClaws
Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt advised pushing a "militant democracy" to ensure an "authoritarian figure" like former President Trump never rises to power again.
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Levitsky and Ziblatt describe how they spent the last year "researching how democracies can protect themselves from authoritarian threats from within," lamenting how close Trump remains to getting a second term.
"How could such an openly authoritarian figure have a coin flip’s chance of returning to the presidency? Why have so many of our democracy’s defenses seemingly broken down, and which, if any, remain?" they wrote.
One of the ways they suggested limiting figures like Trump’s rise to power was a "militant or defensive democracy" which they described as a way authorities can restrict or outlaw speech against "antidemocratic forces."
"Born in West Germany as a response to Europe’s democratic failures in the 1930s, the militant democracy approach empowers public authorities to wield the rule of law against antidemocratic forces. Haunted by the experience of Hitler’s rise to power via the ballot box, West German constitutional designers created legal and administrative procedures that allowed the state to restrict and even outlaw ‘anti-constitutional’ speech, groups and parties," they wrote.
Though they acknowledged "significant drawbacks" that could be "easily abused" in this strategy by politicians, they argued how it may be better than simply relying on electoral competition or the "laissez-faire approach" to sort out bad ideas.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I love the smell of desperation in the morning. It has the smell of ... victory.
Fascism is alive and well in the United States. They call themselves ‘progressives, socialists, democrats’.
These so called educated people better watch themselves. The largest civilian army in the world is sitting back and waiting for these freedom hating elites, to try something stupid like that. It will get real ugly fast!
Our founding fathers created a constitutional republic that has endured the test of time and these idiots think they know better. Harvard is scrapping the bottom of the talent barrel with these two.
They ( the left ) have zero self-awareness or shame.
They tested already...
The attempted coup
The successful coup
Tearing down southern statues
Burning cities
Indicting Trump
Convicting Trump
They may think we will NEVER respond.
The left has tried to restrict 2A rights with a million regulations and that has failed so far. It’s not surprising that they want to restrict free speech the same way. Republicans should counter by reestablishing the house un American committee to expose CCP infiltration. That would be fun.
Harvard, the World center for horseshit.
I never thought college was worth the money for most students. Not that college and further education aren’t beneficial, but that it just costs too damn much and always has in my lifetime, and Truman was president when I was born. But the difference between then and now though, is that you were practically guaranteed a job upon graduation with a college degree. So even though it cost a lot, you could pay it off with a good paying job. Now the costs have sky-rocketed, and the degree is almost worthless. Doctors and lawyers of today spend half their lives paying off college debt. Imho, most young people today are better off with a trade school. Welders, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, engineers, etc., can make very good money especially if they start their own business. Today college is for the wealthy or from foreign countries that get discounts.
Harv-tards show their true colors.
The more they keep promoting violence in order to get their way takes us closer and closer to another civil war.
I hope the next AG, Kash Patel is keeping a list of totalitarian thugs like these bozos, and Carville for arrest on the afternoon of Jan 20. I am sure there is an isolated military base in an area with actrulybwinter climate to keep all these yea-whos until eventually a “speedy” trial can happen.
Their misuse of the word “democracy” is something only a Marxist professor could do.
That said, I have never understood how anybody could say Trump was authoritarian. If anything, he was too weak and conciliatory. particularly in dealing with the Democrats.
Nancy should have been out of the Speakership immediately when she smirkingly tore up his SOTU on live television. Some dictator.
Offing themselves would be a small but positive start.
Agree.
Trump was a lamb among wolves in D.C. for his entire first presidency. He appointed naive people and disloyal bastards to various positions.
Really need to take an ax to the entire system this time around and truly drain the swamp.
So in order to “defend democracy and the constitution” what we need to do is trample on the constitution and adopt authoritarian antidemocratic means. Because we just can’t have the public electing someone they want but who WE the establishment do not want.
And they got this line of thinking from the Germans. Color me shocked!
I saw this mentality up close when I lived in Germany in the 90s and early 2000s. The Germans have never gotten over their authoritarian impulses. Its just that now they justify the unfree, oppressive, authoritarian things they do as “defending” the very thing they are destroying by doing those things.
He always had enormous respect for the MIT grads but when speaking of the Harvard grads he'd shake his head and say "you can always tell a Harvard man,but you can't tell him much".
That was long ago...but it obviously still applies today.
those calling the kettle black
We must go full authoritarian to protect ourselves er ah democracy
As always they project
Wow. The ballot box wasn’t how Hitler consolidated his power. Per wiki, Hitler ran for the presidency in 1932 but was defeated by the incumbent Paul von Hindenburg; in July 1932 the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag, albeit short of an absolute majority. Traditionally, the leader of the party who held the most seats in the Reichstag was appointed Chancellor. However, President von Hindenburg was hesitant to appoint Hitler as chancellor. Following several backroom negotiations – which included industrialists, Hindenburg's son, the former chancellor Franz von Papen, and Hitler – Hindenburg acquiesced and on 30 January 1933, he formally appointed Adolf Hitler as Germany's new chancellor.
Further, what the good professors recommend is EXACTLY how Hitler (the real one) rose to power.
Per wiki, February 27, 1933 Reichstag (German parliament) building destroyed by fire
After claiming that the Communists committed an arson that destroyed the Reichstag (German parliament) building in Berlin, Adolf Hitler uses the incident to assume extraordinary powers in Germany. Hitler convinces the German president, Paul von Hindenburg, to declare a state of emergency. Constitutionally protected personal freedoms are thus suspended.
March 5, 1933 Nazis fail to win majority in Reichstag (German parliament) elections
Despite the state of emergency declared in February 1933 and the extraordinary powers assumed by Adolf Hitler, the Nazis fail to win a governing majority in parliamentary elections. The Nazis win only about 45 percent of the vote. Later in March 1933, Hitler introduces a bill that would give his government the power to decree laws without submitting them to a vote in the German parliament. The bill will pass, in part because of the arrest of many Communist and Socialist opponents before the vote on the bill.
March 23, 1933 The Reichstag (German parliament) votes legislative power to Hitler
After the failure of the Nazi Party to win a majority in parliament, Adolf Hitler introduces a bill that would give his government legislative authority. The Nazis, the Conservatives, and the Catholic Center Party support this so-called "Enabling Act," which would grant Hitler's government the power to decree laws without a vote in parliament for a four-year period. Communist and many Socialist opponents were arrested before the vote. In the end, only the remaining Socialists oppose the measure. The bill passes. Hitler soon outlaws all political parties in Germany—except the Nazi Party.
June 30, 1934 Night of the Long Knives
A purge of the Storm Trooper (SA) leadership and other supposed opponents of Adolf Hitler's regime takes place. This purge comes to be known as the "Night of the Long Knives." More than 80 SA leaders are arrested and shot without trial. Hitler claims that the purge is a response to a plot by the SA to overthrow the government. The SA, under the leadership of Ernst Roehm, had sought to take the place of the German army. The removal of Roehm wins Hitler greater support from the army.
August 2, 1934 President von Hindenburg dies at the age of 87
German president Paul von Hindenburg dies at the age of 87. Upon Hindenburg's death, Adolf Hitler takes over the powers of the presidency. The army swears an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler. Hitler's dictatorship thus rests on his position as Reich President (head of state), Reich Chancellor (head of government), and Fuehrer (leader of the Nazi Party). Hitler's official title is now "Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.