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How do democracies slip into authoritarianism?

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The prospect of a second Trump term, the current composition of the supreme court, and the rise of the MAGA movement, has prompted not just elected and stalwart democrats and political commentators, but former leaders and members of the Republican Party to suggest that the United States risks the possibility of becoming an authoritarian state.

Barring technical distinctions among similar political processes or systems like autocracy, despotism, dictatorship,  fascism, oligarchy, and tyranny the phenomenon of democratic countries becoming authoritarian states is real and has historical precedents.

This includes, but is not limited, to European countries like Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as Latin American states such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Uruguay, not to mention Turkey and Iran.

Undoubtedly, some democracies are more susceptible than others to slipping into authoritarianism. Scholars have identified several major causes of the turn toward authoritarianism. Some of these factors originate externally, while others internally, or both. The former can include external threats, such as countries that threaten or actually invade democratic countries.  The latter can be the result of weakened democratic institutions like the judiciary, rule of law, and the constitution. Meanwhile unresolved internal crises such as political corruption, inflation, income, racial or ethnic inequality, unemployment, and even guerrilla warfare and terrorism can contribute to the rise of authoritarianism. Additionally, an apathetic, distracted, docile, uneducated public, one that is willing to settle for so-called quick fix solutions to the countries’ challenges can exacerbate these vulnerabilities.

It’s important to recognize that certain causes carry more weight in specific contexts. Moreover, as observers and participants of politics, we often fall into the trap of believing that one political ideology, party, or leader is inherently better at preserving democracy. However, history teaches us otherwise.

Many entities with ostensibly prosocial agendas have devolved into personalist crusades, ultimately paving the way for authoritarian regimes. More specifically, democratically elected leaders, too numerous to list, when faced with crises such as accusations of corruption or the fear of external invasion, may exploit these situations to consolidate power.

Building on the simple idea elaborated by Sinclair Lewis, we must remain vigilant and resist the temptation to believe that “it can’t happen here.” Complacency is the enemy of democracy, and safeguarding it requires constant vigilance, education, critical thinking, and active involvement from citizens.

In conclusion, understanding the factors that contribute to the erosion of democracy and protecting those that uphold democratic principles and processes is crucial for preventing the descent into authoritarianism. By addressing weaknesses in our democratic systems, engaging in informed discourse, and remaining vigilant against threats, we can strive to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure that the phrase “it can’t happen here” remains nothing more than a fallacy of hindsight.

Photo credit

Charlie Chaplin from the movie “The Gold Rush”

Gas stations and random acts of urban incivility

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As long as people drive gas powered cars, they are going to need a steady supply of this fuel, and most individuals purchase this at gasoline stations.

Recently the empty sign light on my car’s dashboard instrument panel went off, and after close to 24 hours or so, I finally decided to buy gas.

But as I approached the station I had to make a decision where to best park.

Like most urban self-service gas stations in big cities, the surface area of station was comparatively small, and three lanes for vehicles with two islands of pumps. The left outer island had access to two pumps (including one diesel).  The middle lane offered access to four pumps, while the right outer lane provided access to two pumps.

It was mid-morning and there was only one car, a brand new beautiful luxury Range Rover, parked in the middle lane. But it was situated, closest to the last pump, on an angle blocking the possibility of other drivers from filling their vehicles with gas from the other three remaining pumps.

As I pulled into the outer right lane, on other side of the Range Rover, in the time it took me to completely fill up my tank and pay, I noticed a white woman in her late thirties- early forties standing outside of the car talking on the phone via her air buds. She seemed to be discussing properties and gave off a real estate agent vibe.  After starting the pump, the Range Rover driver went back inside her vehicle, and occasionally glanced back over at the pump.

In the meantime, two cars waited behind the Range Rover. One was even halfway into the sidewalk and in the street. I glanced at the drivers and they were visibly upset waiting for her to complete the transaction and leave the space.

In certain neighborhoods, this situation may have escalated from a heated conversation, to a shouting match, potentially leading to physical altercations such as fistfights or the brandishing of weapons, and in extreme cases, even gunfire.

Short of directly asking the Range Rover driver why she parked her car in the manner she did, what might explain her actions? Perhaps she was distracted? People who are on their phones often forget what is going on around them. We’ve all been there.

Alternatively, if the driver of the vehicle was comparatively younger, we might opine that the reason that this senario unfolded in the manner that it did, could be attributed to  the drivers’ inexperience.

Then again, maybe the Range Rover driver, wanted to avoid the possibility of getting her car door hit by someone parking beside her.

Or perhaps  it’s a demonstration of entitlement, (whether it is socioeconomic or white privilege) or a little bit of both?

Whether you like it or not these small and often subtle  actions are demonstrations of personal power.  And they can rightfully be interpreted as microagressions and even acknowledged as acts of urban incivility.

Admittedly there are no formal courses in gas station etiquette.  When we first learn to drive a car, we may observe our parents at the gas station and may imitate their behavior. Alternatively a friend, girlfriend, or spouse tells us to park closer so that we can let other people fill the tank of their vehicle unencumbered. Or we learn through trial and error. But there is little excuse for a middle aged woman to do this.

This vignette has at least four principle takeaways.

The incident highlights the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings, especially in shared spaces like gas stations. The actions of the Range Rover driver, whether due to distraction or lack of consideration, demonstrate the potential consequences of not being mindful of how one’s actions affect others.

The situation also underscores why it’s important to be mindful of others in public settings. Proper parking etiquette at gas stations ensures efficient use of limited space and allows for fair access to fuel pumps. Failing to consider the needs of other drivers can lead to frustration, conflict, and potential safety hazards.

The scenario sheds light on the social dynamics and power plays that can occur in everyday situations. The Range Rover driver’s actions, whether intentional or not, can be interpreted as a display of personal power or entitlement, highlighting the subtle ways in which individuals assert control in public spaces.

Gas station etiquette may not be formally taught, but the incident emphasizes the importance of cultural norms and social expectations in shaping behavior. While people some may learn proper etiquette through observation or guidance from others, deviations from these norms can lead to perceptions of urban incivility and disrupt social harmony.

If we want to minimize hostility and possible violence, it’s important to recognize the impact that our actions may have on others. By cultivating awareness and empathy, we can take positive steps towards reducing urban incivility and the chain reaction of negative events that may stem from this.

Photo Credit

Photographer: Thomas Hawk

Title: Town Pump

My Go-To scholarly books on graffiti

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Numerous English language books have been written and published on the subject of contemporary Graffiti and Street Art.

A subset of these publications have focused almost exclusively on graffiti.

This work falls into a handful of genres ranging from coffee table books to academic and scholarly efforts.

Least prevalent are a handful scholarly/academic (I use these terms interchangeably) reference books such as Anna Waclawek’s Graffiti and Street Art (2011),  Konstantinos Avramidis and Myrto Tsilimpounidi’s Graffiti and Street Art (2016), and my Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art (2016).

Most books on graffiti appear to be large format coffee table ones that primarily consist of photographs depicting the subject matter. They focus on the work of one particular writer or artist, or graffiti and street art that appears in a single city or country.

Sandwiched in between these types of publications, are a growing number of academic books, most of which have been released by university presses and treat the subject of graffiti, and the people who engage and respond to this activity in a thoughtful, comprehensive, and considered manner. They also understand and convey the complexity of the subject matter.

All of these books, serve different purposes, but if you are looking for thoughtful scholarly treatments of the subject matter, I have a handful of recommendations.

Also, although it might be tempting to list the scholarly books from least to most helpful, not only is this finer level analysis an extremely difficult exercise, probably provides minimal benefits, but in the end, it may also be impossible. In short, some of the books listed here are better than others with respect to accomplishing their mission. Thus, I’ve chosen to list the books below in chronological order.

Craig Castleman’s, Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York (1982), is one of the first scholarly books on graffiti writing, focusing almost exclusively on the New York City subway scene. Castleman examines not just the different types of graffiti that was placed on the cars, but the inner dynamics among different political actors connected to graffiti. The book includes interviews with “graffiti writers, transit police officers, active and former public officials, MTA employees, and other interested parties” (pp. x-xi).

Jeff Ferrells’ Crimes of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality (1993),  tackles the subject of contemporary graffiti through a relatively broad lens. Not only does it review the significance of graffiti, but part of his study involves an ethnography of graffiti and writers in Denver Colorado. Through this process Ferrell attempts to understand why the writers chose particular targets, the cultural significance of graffiti and how this form of expression challenges notions of property, art, and identity. He looks at the subculture of graffiti writers and the battle between writers and moral entrepreneurs who want to abate graffiti. Ferrell primarily sees graffiti, in its various forms as resistance to authorities.

Susan A. Phillip’s Wallbangin’ Graffiti and Gangs in L.A. (1999) examines the history of graffiti in Los Angeles, with an intense focus on gang graffiti.  She covers the work produced by Chicano and African-American gangs including the meanings produced by writing, and with different writing styles. Phililips also touches on more contemporary hip-hop graffiti in L.A. The book was the product of an ethnography, that included conversations with graffiti writers, with the aim of trying to understand what the meaning of graffiti was and is for these individuals and the groups they belong to.

The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (2001)  written by Nancy Macdonald, is the result of her research that encompassed hanging out with graffiti writers in two major international cities, for a considerable period of time, primarily trying to derive insights into what motivated the writers. In this respect, competition among male graffiti writers seemed to be a driving force.

Taking The Train: How Graffiti Art Became an Urban Crisis in New York City (2001), by Joe Austin, is one of the first books to treat the subject matter of graffiti on the New York City trains in a comprehensive manner, involves observation, ethnography, and reviews of the scarce scholarly literature on graffiti at that time.  Austin argues that “At the foundation of this book’s argument is the assertion that the cultural forms that writers developed in New York City constitute what is perhaps the most important art movement in the late twentieth century” p. 6).

Ivor L. Miller’s Aerosol Kingdom: Subway Painters of New York City (2002) reviews the history of graffiti in the NYC subway, including the authors’ journey into this world and the reactions he got from other people in the academia, the importance of photography for graffiti, and meanings of the work produced by writers engaged in this activity.

Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York’s Urban Underground, by Gregory J. Snyder. (2009) is a considered approach to the subject of graffiti looking not only at New York City based writers, but intensely at their subcultural careers, including how the writers entered into the writing scene, how they got out, and for some of them the careers they moved on as they decreased their involvement in this activity.

Ronald Kramers’ The Rise of Legal Graffiti Writing in New York and Beyond (2016) looks at how graffiti emerged from the subways and on to the streets of New York City. It also looks at the city’s attempts to eradicate it. Later chapters examine the rise of legal graffiti walls and how graffiti writers, and the city responded to these initiatives.

Stefano Bloch’s Going All City: Struggle and Survival in L.A.’s Graffiti Subculture (2019) traces the author’s trajectory from a lesser known tagger to one of the most well-known graffiti writers in Los Angeles. The book is an auto ethnography and integrates the scholarly literature which is relevant to this narrative.

Caitlin Frances’ Bruce Painting Publics: Transnational Legal Graffiti scenes as spaces for encounter (2019) examines the rise of legal graffiti places, as distinct from illegal, and the meetings that people have to practice or present their craft. It is international in scope. This effort questions dominant narratives about what graffiti is, what it means, and is intended to achieve.

John Lennon’s Conflict Graffiti: From Revolution to Gentrification (2021)  recognizes that there are several different types of graffiti, and each has their own specific purpose. Lennon then focuses on graffiti that has been dominant in political conflict, focusing on Egypt, during the Arab Spring, and Northern Ireland as a result of the troubles. He examines the utility of this work, and how people have responded to them. The book consist of interviews with graffiti writers and people who are responsible for abatement.

Although some of these efforts are better than others in their ability to systematically examine specific aspects of graffiti, the people who engage in this activity, and community, societal, and political reactions, all of these books should be considered as classics and be read and digested in a slow and deliberative manner.

Undoubtedly there are numerous honorable mentions (e.g., Janice Rahn’s Painting without permission: Hip-Hop Graffiti Subculture -2002; Jacob Kimval’s The G-Word: Virtuosity and Violation, Negotiating and Transforming Graffiti -2014, etc.), that I encourage scholars of graffiti (and street art) to check out. I also recognize an American (and New York City and Los Angeles) bias to my list,  but at the end of the day the books I listed are the ones that have consistently led me to better understand the phenomenon we now consider to be graffiti.

Photo

Title: Corner Graffiti in Paris’ 4th Arr.

Photographer: Jeffrey Ian Ross