So, apparently, the Narrative™ is now 'Competitive Authoritarianism' because... Orange Man bad? These Harvard eggheads, Levitsky and Way, are dusting off some 20-year-old term they cooked up for Third World backwaters and trying to slap it on the good ol' US of A. Because Trump pardoned some J6'ers? Seriously?

These guys came up with this 'competitive authoritarianism' thing to describe places where they have elections, but the ruling party cheats like a mf to stay in charge. Now they're saying Trump was basically Orban-lite? Gimme a break. Maybe he ruffled some feathers in the Swamp, but that's hardly turning America into Hungary. Although, ngl, Hungarian women kinda bad.

Levitsky whines about Trump using the Justice Department to go after his critics. As if the FBI wasn't already a political weapon before 2016? Remember Lois Lerner? Remember the IRS targeting conservatives? But suddenly, now it's a problem?

He's clutching his pearls because Trump supposedly shielded his 'allies' after January 6th. As if the Dems haven't been shielding their own for decades? Hello, Hillary? Hello, Biden family grift?

Way and Levitsky came up with the term after initially calling it 'Contested Autocracy,' which Way admits was 'horrible.' No kidding. Sounds like something a soyboy would come up with after binge-watching MSNBC. Competitive Authoritarianism sounds way cooler, though, if you're trying to justify your next grant application.

Of course, Google searches for 'competitive authoritarianism' are spiking. The MSM loves a good scare story to keep the normies glued to their screens. And you know who benefits? The Deep State, baby. They're the ones actually pulling the strings while these academics are busy LARPing as geopolitical analysts. It's like they never heard of the military-industrial complex, or the Patriot Act, or the surveillance state. They think Trump invented those things? Bless their hearts.

Trump saying 'I'm not a dictator' is clearly just him playing 4D chess. You gotta admire the guy's hustle. Even if he did pick some real losers for his cabinet.

Maybe the real competitive authoritarianism was the friends we made along the way. Or maybe it was just a bunch of overpaid academics trying to stay relevant. Either way, keep stacking silver and learn to code, bros. The revolution won't be televised, but it will be memed.