As the title gives away, this article will not lift your mood. In recent years, illiberal tendencies made headlines all over the globe, from China to the Philippines, from Turkey to Hungary, Brazil to the USA, to mention just a few. Noah Smith connects the dots and argues that illiberalism is, indeed, on the rise again and that we could be looking at the darkest period since the 1930s.

From Weekly Filet #348, in May 2021.