Democracy, Death by a Thousand Cuts

Democracies rarely die quickly. Sometimes the decline occurs so slowly, the change is not detected until someone asks, when did that happen? There is a Chinese form of torture called lingchi, or “death by a thousand cuts.” In that process, the condemned was tied to a wooden frame, in a public place, and flesh was cut from the body in a slow tortuous process.

The same term is used in psychology to describe a major negative change that happens slowly in many unnoticed increments where it is not perceived as objectionable. I’m sure there would have been some Chinese folks who would have taken umbrage with the “not perceived as objectionable” part of that comparison, had they survived.

The term might also be applied to modern politics. In the slow demise of a democracy, it would be the process where a small freedom is taken away, then a larger one, then another, and another, and eventually you are living in an authoritarian autocracy. Then, whatever freedoms you might enjoy, would be defined by whomever is in power. It would be doubtful in an autocracy that freedoms would be enjoyed equally by all.

The removal of freedoms may sometimes be explained with some casual justification. Banning books is excused as your freedom from information that might remind you of an unpleasant history. Then there is the “new freedom” to not be bothered by the likes of those in the LGBTQ community. A new move to secrecy surrounding the use of government funds and donations that involve the movements of a governor in the name of protecting that governor’s freedom and safety. The information will be kept secret even after it would no longer present any threat to the governor.

During the peak of the covid pandemic, there was the new freedom to not have to wear a mask even if it meant others might get sick and die. Then there is the “freedom” that allows women to suffer and die carrying an unviable fetus to term. This “exchange” of freedoms is sold to us as if our freedoms are fungible assets. Freedoms are the new bitcoin of the radical right. They will trade them as they see fit even if we are left with a worthless portfolio. Constitutional protections would be but a distant memory.

One thing that can’t be tolerated in an authoritarian regime is any election that does not assure the success of the party in power. Control the vote with gerrymandering, voter intimidation, limited voting times or locations, and make sure you control of the entire process with “your people.” Influence the vote with fear-mongering and false or misleading information. Maintain your control of the election process and you can continue the erosion of freedoms until you have your autocracy.

Power can be an addictive narcotic. A simple taste is enough to develop a craving that cannot be satisfied until it is absolute. We have seen such cravings throughout history. In post-WW1 Germany, Hitler’s rise to power provides such an example. Today we see Erdogan in Turkey, Modi in India, Netanyahu in Israel, Donald Trump in America, and DeSantis in Florida, all craving more and more power. Trump has promised that, if re-elected, he will expand the executive power of his office so he may limit independent agencies. Democracy is but an inconvenient obstacle.

In many instances, the path to power has a simple roadmap. The authoritarian playbook suggests manipulation of the unwitting by pandering to their fears and fanaticism. It can be xenophobia, white nationalism, white supremacy, or an appeal to the desires of evangelical Christians. It is this fear-mongering that creates the foundation for a coalescing of strange bedfellows in an amorphous cult of personality. Truly, a rough 40% of the Republican party could be described with many of these terms.

When Donald Trump attempted to invoke his flawed theory of an independent state legislature to override the will of the citizens of the states to overturn his lost election, that action was thankfully thwarted to prevent his authoritarian takeover of our democracy. Even his heavily conservative Supreme Court, in Moore v. Harper, has recently ruled that theory to be without merit. That decision involved an attempt by North Carolina politicians to wrest any balance of power away from the state courts claiming that their political will should be the final say without any court oversight. This would be like what Netanyahu is trying to do (update, has done) in Israel in removing the only check on his power by limiting the power of the court.

Even down to the state level of government, we see that Florida’s governor DeSantis has used and abused his power with his Republican rubber-stamp legislature. He has not only expanded the power of the governor’s office, but he is also forming his own personal military to enforce his will. This will be a militarized police force with arrest authority over civilians that will answer directly to him and will operate outside federal jurisdiction. His new “state guard” was initially sold as a civilian disaster relief force. This is just a cover for a personal combat-ready militia.

The DeSantis army’s original budget provided $10M and 400 recruits. It has now turned into a $107M operation with 1,500 personnel. The original disaster-type training has morphed, and its new mission is now wholly militaristic with camouflage uniforms and military boot camp-level instruction. This personal army is reminiscent of Hitler’s Sturmabteilung (SA) or brownshirts who played a key role in his rise to power. Hitler’s SA was initially formed from the Freikorps made up of ex-soldiers. DeSantis is drawing from former military and police personnel as well, many of who are now resigning as they were “misinformed” as to the mission and function of the unit.

Donald Trump has already announced that, when he wins the presidency and takes back the White House in 2025, he will order the expansion of his powers. He wants an all-powerful executive branch. He must envy his friend Vladimir Putin who has been the effective president of Russia for all this century. Rivals are jailed or poisoned. Russian elections are predetermined with but a single possible outcome.

Power, especially that of the unchecked authoritarian variety, is addicting at a neurochemical level. It may manifest itself in many ways but of most concern is a lack of inhibition, poor judgment, extreme narcissism, cruelty, and perverted behavior. While we would all like to think politicians are as altruistic as Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) in the 1939 movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the reality is quite different. Think more along the lines of Hitler, Mussolini, Castro, and Putin.

In Britain, members of Parliament are recruited using a review panel that will screen candidates with a combination of job-specific competency questions. Looking across the pond from the US we might observe that this process doesn’t always work, but at least they make the effort. Had the Republican Party bothered to even glimpse into the background of George Santos, perhaps they wouldn’t have suffered the embarrassment they now face having to deal with this miscreant power seeker.

To achieve the transformation to authoritarianism in the existence of an ongoing democratic society, you need a distraction. The practitioners of this effort are masters of misdirection. Look, immigrants. Look, people of color are replacing white people. Look, drag queens are trying to groom your children. Look, they are coming for your guns. So, in their quest for power, politicians will see the easiest path forward is one that uses fear and distraction.

A taste of power begets a thirst that is unquenchable. The desire to control others releases dopamine and may affect the brain’s pleasure centers. If that person happens to also be a narcissist, the addiction is even more powerful. What narcissist do you know where this might be true? It is this insatiable lust that is the bane of democracy. We live in dangerous times.