For this reason, elected authoritarians who wish to consolidate control typically win not by flashy displays of might, but by convincing a critical mass of people that they’re just a normal politician — no threat to democracy at all.
That means the survival of democracy depends, to an extent not fully appreciated, on perceptions and narratives. In three recent countries where a democracy survived an incumbent government bent on destroying it — Brazil, South Korea, and Poland — the belief among elites, the public, and the opposition that democracy was at stake played a critical role in motivating pushback.
First of all, relevant username. Second of all… to quote a litle youtube vid I love[1], “You are not wrong. But also, you are very wrong.”
Education is one of the critical tools to fix this, although that will take 2-3 gererations of hard work and full control of the process, so probably even longer.
Education, however, is not the short-term tool, it is one of the long-term tools. But it is one of the tools. More of a preventative of it taking root again after we root it out.
see 45 seconds in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iQRlUWPj4A ↩︎
Education only works for the willing. Also, that’s why republicans are so hell bent on removing public education.