Getting the Mumps

Yesterday, I mentioned the "Mump regime," to describe the "partnership of Musk and Trump," an expression coined by Yale historian Timothy Snyder who's an expert in authoritarians.  That's as far as I got into my description, but Snyder has a far more detailed article on why he came up with the description and how he believes it fits far more than "MAGA."  At its core, he says that MAGA really only refers to Trump, but Mump Regime carries with it a much wider spectrum.

As he puts it, "For a new world, we need new words."  He explains --​

Facing the coming Musk-Trump regime, we will have to be creative. It will not be enough just to rely on the standard terms that come to easily to our lips and pens ("administration," "presidency", and the like). That normalizes the abnormal.​And to repeat unreflectively the words that Musk and Trump and other mumpers use is to take part in the transformation that they bring. Opposition requires clarity and clarity requires concepts. "Mump regime" is one I propose.

But he can describe it and all the reasons a whole lot better than I can.  So, you can read his article from December 24th here.​