Another phrase that needs to be abandoned for at least a decade is “a threat to democracy.” It’s been so overused that anybody who still pronounces it seriously comes off like an intellectual lightweight.
Phase Out Phrasing
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Clarissa's Blog 
Again, it seems to me that is a very US-centric and very shortsighted view. If there was a threat to democracy by Trump, maybe it is over now, because he’s getting unpopular and will lose the midterms, OK, that is possible, I don’t know. But there are countries which have become less democratic in the last 10-20 years or so, like Turkey, Hungary and also I assume Russia, or not? So why do you think people are dumb when they are worried that this might happen in their country too? Are you just talking about the US?
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Because “democracy” is currently defined as “when liberals are in power.” When they lose elections in any country, that spells the end of democracy. The word has lost all its meaning and therefore needs to be retired.
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Spot-on, thank you.
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As the nation-state fades away, its institutions lose power and meaning. No matter how you vote, the result is the same. National governments are no longer responding to the needs of the population because this new form of statehood does not derive legitimacy from the consent of the governed.
This is what we need to be talking about. This is the real problem. Democracy is meaningless outside of the nation-state. It’s an empty ritual. But nobody is discussing the actual issue.
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As for Russia, it didn’t become less democratic because there was never democracy in Russia. Literally, never.
Which is fine. Democracy is not for them, great. As long as they don’t drop bombs on people, I support them not being a democracy. Especially since nobody is really in a democracy anymore.
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“maybe it is over now, because he’s getting unpopular”
Can you hear yourself?
Populism *is* democracy.
I get why people are afraid of populism, but claiming populism is a threat to democracy is like claiming eggs are a threat to souffle.
-ethyl
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