“Rather than let a crowded field enable Orbán to retain power, parties stood down their candidate to maximize the vote behind Magyar and his Tisza party.” www.liberalcurrents.com/two-lessons-...
This is pure, unadulterated preference falsification under authoritarian rule — @timurkuran.bsky.social getting it right yet again… www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/o...
A lot of Orbán's American fans are saying that this election proved he was never an authoritarian in the first place.
This is completely wrong — and, in fact, betrays a complete misunderstanding of both Hungarian politics and modern authoritarianism.
Here's why.
This Methodist is highly impressed by the three cardinals who took on Trump on 60 Minutes tonight--they were focused, tough, straightforward.
The Catholic church is emerging as a potent center of resistance. As one said, "We're better than this."
www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/were-bette...
There is now a massive street party with huge crowds dancing in Budapest. Hugs, tears and bottles opening. Orban is gone, Peter Magyar took power
Hungarians deserve every congratulations for giving Peter Magyar a bigger margin than Orban has ever gotten in all of his rigged elections - and this within the system that Orban rigged. Magyar now has a constitutional majority to undo Orban's constitutional prison and govern as a democratic leader.
To scholars of democratic backsliding, it is difficult to overstate how big a deal today's election in Hungary, a country of less than 10 million people, is likely to be as a narrative milestone for our age, regardless of which way it goes.
Aerial view of enormous crowd. Haven’t managed to source picture credit. Will post when I do
This is the massive turnout for last night’s “anti regime” concert in Heroes Square, Budapest, ahead of tomorrow’s crucial Hungarian elections. Tens of thousands chanted “Russians go home”. #Orban
Since discovering that today is the anniversary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s execution by the Nazi regime (Apr 9, 1945), I thought it would be appropriate to repost this thread of some key, and timely, lines from his Prison Letters. 🗃️
(over a list of hundreds of towns and cities that have hosted No Kings protests) WE HAVE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE NOKINGS.ORG (NO KINGS LOGO)
Host a local organizing meeting to gather newly activated people in your community and plan for what’s next after No Kings. We put together a toolkit with everything you need: docs.google.com/document/d/1FiB6mAXLloLn...
Really timely re-release of @davidmcraney.bsky.social’s brilliant You Are Not So Smart podcast with @chenoweth.bsky.social. #NoKings feels so close to 3.5%. Also makes the key point that the likes of the odious MTG opposing the US government really helps. Stoking division works both ways.
Veiled Power: How Rosenwald Teachers Quietly Shaped the Civil Rights Movement Omar Wasow∗ Jacob M. Grumbach∗ April 1, 2026 Abstract What precipitates the collapse of seemingly durable social orders like Jim Crow? During the 1920s, approximately 5,000 “Rosenwald Schools” were built across the rural South through a partnership between philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and Black communities who raised matching funds, donated land, and petitioned local governments. Local elites saw vocational training that would preserve the racial order. We argue Black educators used this accommodationist cover to build veiled capacity: organizational infrastructure for collective action behind a veil of compliance. Counties with more Rosenwald Schools show greater civil rights protest in the 1960s. Mediation analysis reveals that pre-existing social capital predicted protest through Rosenwald teacher placements, not enrollment. Instrumental variable models suggest the effect is not driven by community selection. Moving from no Rosenwald teachers to the 75th percentile predicts 45% more protest. The political effects of education may depend less on what elites intend than on what educators build where elites cannot see.
Excited to share new paper w/ @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social: "Veiled Power: How Rosenwald Teachers Quietly Shaped the Civil Rights Movement"
The puzzle: did ~5,000 segregated schools built in rural South emphasizing “manual labor” strengthen or weaken Jim Crow? 🧵 omarwasow.com/wasow_grumba...
This is powerful, if true. More of this. Refuse. Stand on principle.
Join @stevelevitsky.bsky.social & me tomorrow morning at 9am ET for our latest episode of The Breakdown: ash.harvard.edu/events/the-b...
The level of organizing & engagement happening in communities all across the US on a daily basis is beyond anything I have seen in my lifetime. (This is not counting actual protests, whose volume these days is also unprecedented).
Serbia in 2000. But the popular movement there wouldn’t say the bombing helped them.
Man, @donmoyn.bsky.social's substack remains one of the best places to get concrete political science insights into our authoritarian consolidation. His guest authors today talk about secret police. I will definitely be getting their book open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
This interview with the great @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social was a "wow" moment for me. Thanks, New York Times and David Marchese.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/m...
I couldn't help noticing the question that seemed the most Times-like to me.
We the people are worth fighting for.
Our training series Organizing to Protect Democracy supports your fight for civil liberties in our communities.
RSVP today for our next training on March 11 at 8pm ET.
🧵 Some personal news:
My new book, ON COURAGE – with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist @juliaangwin.com – is available for pre-order NOW (out June 30).
It’s a deeply reported manual with sixteen lessons for how each of us can defy authoritarianism.
Pre-order: www.harpercollins.com/products/on-...
Media consolidation is bad for consumers, journalists, creators, communities - and democracy. Good to see this getting a lift from @warren.senate.gov and Committee for the First Amendment
Two mega-mergers must be stopped.
Ellison's Paramount-WBD
Nexstar-TEGNA
Contact your local elected officials.
“Everything we can save is worth saving. Everything we can do is worth doing. We’ve already lost a lot, but we don’t have to lose everything. We don’t have to surrender.” 💯
- @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social
gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/m...
This International Women’s Day, five women at EFF talk about the women who have inspired them. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Rachel Maddow called Bill a genius of exposition. Which rings true to me. Who else finds such clear, concise, vivid ways to sum up where we are and where we could and should be?
The report highlights the grim state of freshwater ecosystems, degraded marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and the risk of extinction for many species. But it also emphasizes the potential for improvement through conservation, restoration, and renewed connections between people and nature.
Bernard LaFavette, voting rights advocate, non-violence theorist, & teacher has died. Another mighty oak has fallen whose legacy will fertilize the aspirations of future generations rising from the forest floor. May his memory be a blessing.
"The Trump administration on Monday abandoned its attempts to impose potentially crippling executive orders against law firms that refused to capitulate to the president, walking away from its appeal of victories the firms had won against the White House."
Sen. Tammy Duckworth: "If there was ever a time for Republicans to find their spines, it's now, when the Commander in Chief readily admits that he is choosing to put our troops' lives at risk without a legitimate imminent threat to our homeland or our citizens."
OCASIO-CORTEZ STATEMENT ON TRUMP'S COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAN "The American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions. This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic. "Just this week, Iran and the United States were negotiating key measures that could have staved off war. The President walked away from these discussions and chose war instead.President Trump flippantly acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating "that often happens in war.' "Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people. "Violence begets violence. We learned this lesson in Iraq. We learned this lesson in Afghanistan. And we are about to learn it again in Iran. Bombs have yet to create enduring democracies in the region and this will be no different. "In moments of war, our Constitution is unambiguous: Congress authorizes war. The President does not. I will do my part to uphold our Constitution by voting YES on Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie's War Powers Resolution. Every member of Congress must join us in rejecting this aimless war.
My statement on President Trump’s combat operations in Iran⬇️
