Breathe
By Lourdes Encinas
"Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy."
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny.
In his book On Tyranny (Gutenberg Galaxy, 2017), historian Timothy Snyder introduces a crucial concept for understanding democratic erosion: "not obeying in advance," which warns against the anticipation and normalization of authoritarian measures.
With this concept, the author suggests that societies often ease the path to authoritarianism by adapting prematurely to what they perceive as inevitable, teaching those in power how far they can go without facing opposition.
He gives as examples the elections in Germany in 1932 and Czechoslovakia in 1946, which brought authoritarian governments to power. In both cases, a significant majority of the population volunteered their support to these regimes and it was impossible to peacefully reverse these first acts of citizen conformity.
In Mexico, this is manifested in the apparent resignation of certain sectors to reforms that will substantially modify the balance of powers and the constitutional structure of the country, such as the election of judges by popular vote, the so-called "constitutional supremacy" and the forthcoming disappearance of autonomous agencies.
Although they are presented as a "citizens' mandate", they are measures that open the door to the concentration of power, which will weaken the institutional checks and balances essential for democratic survival.
The social response to these initiatives has been mixed. On the one hand, there are the demonstrations of members of the judiciary, non-aligned ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, who exemplify the principle of "not obeying in advance", by refusing to normalize reforms that will affect the rule of law.
On the other hand, a process of normalization can be perceived in some sectors, where the rhetoric of the "necessary transformation" has managed to generate a preliminary acceptance of measures that, in other circumstances, would have provoked greater resistance. This reflects precisely Snyder's warning: the tendency to adapt to potential authoritarian scenarios before they materialize.
I divide this anticipated obedience into two parts: those who have resigned themselves to the fact that this is the way things are now and nothing can be done to avoid it, and those who have been paralyzed by not knowing how to react to this wave of change and uncertainty.
The challenge is not minor, but those of us who lived in the era of PRI authoritarianism know that there are alternatives to continue fighting for a country of balance and rights. It will again be a race of resistance, which requires patience, commitment and civic courage.
The real test for Mexican democracy is not only in the approved reforms, but in our ability to maintain a critical and active posture, even when the political environment suggests the inevitability of certain decisions by the ruling class.
Our response to the approved reforms will not only determine the structure of the Judiciary or constitutional interpretation, but will also set precedents for our democratic resilience.
Our challenge as a society, including citizens, the business sector, academia and civil organizations, is not to obey in advance.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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