Authoritarians need their enablers

History has shown that government dysfunction can be a prelude to the erasure of democracy altogether, with authoritarianism rising in its place. The spiraling descent of conservatism as a governing philosophy is only accelerating. The GOP House majority is so fraught with dissent, so animated by belligerence, and so lacking in policy acumen that it has passed a record-low number of bills. The mere election of a House Speaker last year was a comedy rather than a coronation.

Democracy’s assassins always have accomplices. These accomplices will always run under the banner of patriotism. They are often mainstream politicians who ostensibly play by the rules and even thrive under them. They never engage in visibly anti-democratic acts. So when democracies die, their fingerprints are rarely found on the murder weapon. But make no mistake, they play a vital role in democracy’s collapse.

When mainstream parties tolerate, condone, or protect authoritarian extremists, they become authoritarian enablers. Throughout history, cooperation between authoritarians and seemingly respectable mainstream politicians has been a recipe for democratic breakdown. Many of the politicians who preside over democracy’s collapse are just ambitious careerists trying to stay in office or perhaps win a higher one. They do not oppose democracy out of a deep-seated principle but are merely indifferent to it.

They tolerate or condone anti-democratic extremism because it is the path of least resistance. These politicians often tell themselves they’re just doing what’s necessary to get ahead. Ultimately, they become indispensable partners in a democracy’s demise and join a long line of semi-loyal politicians who were willing to sacrifice democracy for political expediency.