We asked activists from authoritarian regimes what they wish they'd known sooner. Here's what they said

[douglas9]

Donald Trump makes no secret of his admiration for strongmen like Hungary’s Viktor Orbán or El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele. Last month, he praised Orbán’s hardline stance on immigration and urged European leaders to show more “respect” for the president; earlier this year his administration struck a deal with Bukele to send more than 200 detained migrants to a notorious, maximum-security prison in El Salvador.

Many international organizations, experts and historians have sounded the alarm about the United States heading in a similar direction as these authoritarian regimes.

One year after Trump’s re-election, the Guardian asked activists and opposition leaders from Hungary, El Salvador and Turkey what their experiences have taught them about authoritarianism – and what they wish they’d understood sooner.

Americans “should look to other countries, especially in the global south for solutions and for what not to do,” said Ece Temelkuran, a Turkish writer and author of How to Lose a Country. “Drop the arrogance, drop the exceptionalism.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/experts-authoritarian-regimes-trump

[NJCher]

1. Very helpful article

I intend to bring up the point about focusing on the peoples’ needs at my Indivisible zoom meeting tonight.

Re dropping the American exceptionalism, I doubt that too many people, particularly here, believe in that.

[UpInArms]

2. More from your link

“Authoritarian systems give the appearance of performing, but their solutions are not thorough, they are not sustainable, and they are not fair,” she went on. “They will decay because the way they function is to exclude, abuse, and allow massive corruption.”

But she says she’s also learned to never underestimate the autocrat.

Whether it’s undermining the judiciary or intimidating local governments, “In many cases, you think, ‘No, they won’t do it,’” she says. “But we have seen how [centralization of power] has advanced very quickly. So it’s important that democracy is defended at every turn,” she said.

[NJCher]

3. Oh yeah!

They will do it. Whatever is the most stupid, incompetent way, they will do it.

[mountain grammy]

4. This article literally screams at us!

THERE'S STILL TIME!!!

[Martin68]

5. Excellent article. We are seeing the Salvadorian experience in real time. "Authoritarian systems give the appearance of

performing, but their solutions are not thorough, they are not sustainable, and they are not fair,” she went on. “They will decay because the way they function is to exclude, abuse, and allow massive corruption.”

[Mr. Sparkle]

6. "When they come to power for the second time,they feel more ruthless,and they behave as if there are no boundaries"

That's exactly what we are seeing