[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRENDING TOWARD AUTHORITARIANISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, author and historian Timothy Snyder said in 
his book, ``On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,'' 
that ``history does not repeat, but it does instruct.''
  Indeed, we must constantly work to preserve our democratic 
institutions from those who wish to threaten them because one of the 
most powerful instructions or lessons from the last century is that 
democracy is deeply fragile, and more importantly, it can trend and 
fall into authoritarianism.
  There are those in this country who are ignoring the lessons of the 
past, or worse. Some of the most popular news programs, Facebook 
groups, and social media networks are those that spread deliberate or 
negligent misinformation for partisan gain, sure, but for financial 
gain especially.
  In 2018, the American Institutional Confidence Poll found that only 
69 percent of Americans believed democracy is always preferable to any 
other kind of government. The remaining 31 percent either reported that 
they were open to authoritarianism under some circumstances or they 
were so disillusioned with politics that the type of government didn't 
matter.
  While 69 percent may not seem alarming, it is nearly the same number 
of Hungarians who reported that democratic values, such as multiparty 
elections, were ``very important'' the same year that autocratic 
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban began his ascent to power.
  Alarmingly, American conservative pundits have been praising Orban 
for his brand of strongman authoritar
ianism for months, while Orban's rule has been marked by state control 
of the media; restrictions on LGBTQ and immigrant communities; and 
suppression of free speech, a free media, and political opposition.
  Despite Orban's assault on global democratic values, conservative 
commentators here at home have endorsed his policies and have held him 
up as an example of what Americans should look for in a leader. These 
pundits have praised him for rejecting immigrants and refugees and have 
embraced his brand of ethnoreligious nationalism.
  This praise for autocratic leaders and authoritarianism is dangerous.
  Perhaps many believe that what happened in Hungary, the swift 
consolidation of political power and manipulation of political 
institutions, could not happen here. But one of the important lessons 
of the Trump Presidency is that we cannot afford to be complacent.
  Over the past 4 years, we watched media and leaders on the right 
excuse or even support former President Trump as he leaned into 
authoritar
ianism and incited violence. During his time in office, the former 
President's actions often echoed those of strongmen like Orban.
  The former President used his office to target political rivals, 
including the efforts in Ukraine that ultimately led to his 
impeachment, treated the Department of Justice as his own personal 
police force, violently put down protests against him, used the 
Presidency to enrich himself, embraced political strongmen across the 
globe, and intentionally inflamed political tensions to his own 
benefit.
  I believe history can and should continue to inform us, but we don't 
have to look back very far. The trends developing around the world and 
in our own country are warning about the threat of authoritarianism.
  At a time when political polarization has led to violent attacks on 
democratic institutions across the country and in this very room, it is 
reckless to be feeding into these divisions.
  They are preying on deep ideological divides in this country and on 
their followers' fears. They exploit economic anxieties and concerns 
over immigration and globalization. They advocate for a society where 
the voices of those who offer different opinions are threatened or 
silenced.
  A poll just released by the Public Religion Research Institute found 
that 40 percent of those who subscribe to the farthest right media 
agree with the statement that ``true American patriots may have to 
resort to violence in order to save this country.''
  These statistics should be alarming to all of us. But those who 
peddle incendiary and harmful rhetoric are using the trends toward 
authoritar
ianism to their cynical advantage.
  Authoritarianism thrives on polarization and uncertainty. Those who 
exploit, not repair, these cracks in our democracy do so for the 
explicit purpose of increasing their own power.
  We must recognize their true intentions and work to preserve the 
democracy they seek to threaten.
  All media outlets have an obligation to present Orban and others like 
him as they are, repressive demagogues who threaten liberty and the 
rule of law.
  We must continue to recognize our common interests and those that 
have made our country the envy of the world: our freedoms of 
expression, economic mobility, and our deep cultural richness.
  Orban's rule is a warning to all of us.

                          ____________________