Author Archives
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Hungary Could Free Itself from Orbánism Next Spring
Entropy is a term physicists use to describe decay, and it’s starting to look as if entropy could be catching up with Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. I write about the possibility that Orbánism is heading toward regime collapse in this piece… Read More ›
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Viktor Orbán’s Use of Soft Power to Create a Sonderweg
The following is a short article I wrote on Viktor Orbán’s foreign policy strategy. The first paragraph of the article is included below; the rest of the article can be read via the link. Viktor Orbán has dedicated enormous financial… Read More ›
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Why Are Some Catholic Intellectuals Enamored with Austrofascism?
I was recently invited to speak on podcast called Why Postliberalism Failed, hosted by James Patterson and Thomas Howes. The topic was Austrofascism and its influence on a small segment of American Catholic intellectuals. The conversation was wide ranging, although… Read More ›
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Facing a Serious Challenger, Orbán Moves Closer to Naked Authoritarianism
Since exploding onto the political scene last February, Péter Magyar had completely upended Hungarian politics and has Orbán and his cronies in a state of panic. My latest piece for The Bulwark. “IF IT KEEPS ON RAINING, [the] levee’s going… Read More ›
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The Influence of Austrofascism on JD Vance
One troubling feature of our current politics is the extent to which certain religious intellectuals have become enamored of early 20th century “clerical fascism.” Clerical fascism shouldn’t be confused with Nazism. It wasn’t committed to Hitler’s Aryan and social Darwinist… Read More ›
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A Hetiválasz podcast vendége voltam
“Drámai fordulat borzolta fel a kedélyeket az amerikai elnökválasztást megelőző kampányban: Donald Trump ellen merényletet követtek el. Fordít-e ez a korábbi esélyeken? Mit jelent a kereszténység a politikában Amerikában és mit itthon? Remélhetünk-e bármi jót egy esetleges Trump győzelem esetén?… Read More ›
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Is This the Man Who Could Topple Viktor Orbán?
“FORTUNE IS A LIBERAL MISTRESS,” Napoleon is reported to have said before his defeat at Borodino. “I have often said so, and now begin to experience it.” Words of wisdom, perhaps, for Viktor Orbán, who some have said suffers from bouts of Bonapartism. Since winning… Read More ›
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In Hungary, Scandal and Crisis Suddenly Energize the Opposition
ALTHOUGH ONE MIGHT NOT KNOW IT given Hungary’s current reputation, the country has noble liberal traditions. In 1848 Hungary gave birth to one of the most successful democratic revolutions in Europe, sadly suppressed after a year by Austrian and Russian… Read More ›
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How To Understand Germany’s Policy Toward Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a photo opportunity ahead of bilateral talks at the 2022 Munich Security Conference on February 19, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexandra Beier – Pool/Getty Images)
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Lashing Out, Rod Dreher (Again) Reveals His Ignorance of Hungary
People interested in Christianity, American politics, and the culture wars may have run across the name of Rod Dreher. He’s a rather prolific writer and journalist who maintains a regular blog with the magazine The American Conservative. Some years ago… Read More ›
H. David Baer 