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 ›
Opinion
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 ›
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 ›
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)
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 ›
What the ‘National Conservatives’ Get Wrong About Liberalism
National conservatism is a new “movement” of public intellectuals who purport to be conservative. But if conservative is related to conserving, I don’t think they are. They’re actually disgruntled revolutionaries intent on tearing things down. As their name suggests, national… Read More ›
Hungary’s Autocrat Orbán Fends Off Opposition Challenge
I wrote this short article for The Bulwark on April 3, 2022, the night of Viktor Orbán’s big election victory. It was a first take, which I think has held up pretty well. You can read it here.
CPAC Is Going to Hungary, Never Mind Viktor Orban’s Attacks on Churches
Here’s a short piece about Hungary that I wrote for The Unhttps://theunpopulist.substack.com/Populist, a substack newsletter started by Shikha Dalmia which is committed to defending liberal democracy and opposing the rise of authoritarianism around the globe. “In his Metamorphoses, written after… Read More ›
Three Myths About Viktor Orbán and His Remaking of Hungary
This article was published in The Bulwark. Below is a teaser. You can read the full article by clicking the link at the bottom of the post. “When Hungarian armies invaded Europe around A.D. 900, shooting arrows from horseback and… Read More ›
Reflections on Suffering
I form light and create darkness; I make weal and create woe; I am the LORD, who does all these things. — Isaiah 45:7 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to… Read More ›
H. David Baer 