Tarık Toros*
To make sense of the world today, we need to go beyond headlines and examine the deeper forces driving events. The role of journalism isn’t just to report what happens — it’s to ask the right questions, expose underlying motivations and bring clarity to public debates: What drives individuals, organizations or governments? What’s behind their words and actions?
Do they have hidden goals, or are their intentions different from what they claim? Most importantly, is the public interest being protected? History is full of orchestrated events.
Throughout history, transformative policies and controversial reforms have often been pushed through during moments of crisis. The public, caught in the immediacy of events, rarely notices the broader manipulation at play. But for those in power, controlling two key forces is essential: One is the ability to reinterpret or sideline legal obstacles through the judiciary, while the other is to shape public perception and suppress dissent using the power of the media.
This isn’t always the state at work. Where organized crime dominates, it seeks to control courts and the press just as much as any autocratic regime. In some countries, the military calls the shots; in others, corporate interests pull the strings. But the playbook remains the same: dominate the narrative, disable institutional checks and ensure that those in power stay in power.
Two recent cases illustrate this strategy, which are Trump’s tariffs and Brexit’s deception.
Last week Trump announced new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, citing two justifications, with one being the fentanyl crisis, which he claims is being fueled by foreign suppliers. His other justification was the immigration policies that allegedly threaten American security.
Trump framed these tariffs as a national security measure, allowing him to bypass congressional oversight. The problem? A critical fact was overlooked — last year, only 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl were seized at the Canada-US border, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection. The claim that Canada is a major supplier was never substantiated, but with weak fact-checking and a media cycle dominated by fear, the narrative stuck.
A similar manipulation played out in the UK’s Brexit referendum in 2016. Boris Johnson’s campaign made a bold promise: “We send the EU £350 million a week — let’s fund our NHS [National Health Service] instead.” The figure was deliberately misleading. It ignored rebates and EU contributions returning to the UK, painting a distorted picture of financial drain. By the time the deception was fully exposed, Britain had already voted to leave the EU.
The lesson? When lies or distortions are repeated often enough, they become accepted truth — especially when fact-checking is weak and propaganda dominates the conversation.
The security vs. freedom shift since 9/11
The 9/11 attacks reshaped global security policies, leading to a steady erosion of civil liberties. Governments used the attacks to justify mass surveillance, military interventions and legal frameworks that prioritized “preemptive security” over democratic safeguards.
Then came the 2015 migrant crisis, which triggered another shift. This time, far-right leaders weaponized immigration fears to justify new restrictions: The Trump travel ban, known as the Muslim ban, his border wall policies, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s threats to impose a naval blockade of Africa against migrants, Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ calls to “de-Islamize” the country and Swedish politician Jimmie Åkesson’s suggestion to criminalize migration under the pretext of national security are some of the examples.
Combined with climate crises, pandemics and economic uncertainty, these policies cultivated a climate of anxiety where public willingness to accept authoritarian rule increased.
The result? Democracy has been reduced to elections, while the rule of law and checks on power have withered. Winning an election is increasingly seen as a license for absolute control, with parliaments and courts bypassed or sidelined.
Democracy in decline: How fear controls public opinion
Freedom House reports show that democratic decline is accelerating globally. The mechanisms of control are subtle but effective: If the media disproportionately reports crimes committed by migrants or Black people, public perception shifts. Over time, fear turns into hate — and hate fuels policies that strip away rights.
This is why fact-checking is not just about accuracy but about context: If crime rates among migrants or minorities are actually lower than the national average, but media coverage suggests otherwise, what is the real goal? If 100 thefts occur and only two involving migrants make the headlines, the aim is no longer news — it’s shaping public sentiment.
The consequences are tangible. People believe in democracy but increasingly distrust how it functions. Courts appear compromised, police seem selective in their enforcement and journalism — once the watchdog of power — struggles against the tide of disinformation.
As a result, more people accept restrictions on democratic freedoms in the name of “national security.” Even in countries untouched by terrorism, surveys show terrorism is perceived as the biggest threat. Anti-migrant sentiment is high even in towns with no significant migrant presence. Perception outweighs reality, and that is a dangerous shift.
A growing divide: young vs. old
Generational divisions are deepening. Young people worry about economic survival, wages and housing while older generations prioritize security, migration and cultural identity.
Governments — especially authoritarian ones — are exploiting this by expanding police powers, shielding security forces from accountability and increasing surveillance under the guise of protecting citizens.
As security fears dominate political debates, police-state policies are normalized. People willingly trade rights for safety — without questioning who benefits from these restrictions.
Trump’s second term: a political earthquake
Trump’s second presidency is unfolding at breathtaking speed. His executive orders are reshaping fundamental policies on citizenship, foreign aid, immigration and judicial independence.
The sheer volume of orders has paralyzed institutions, creating a sense of inevitability and resignation. This is a familiar pattern — one used by leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “I am the state.”
Trump is using executive orders to bypass Congress, even with a Republican majority. The reason? He’s in a hurry. While the Supreme Court could theoretically check his power, here’s the reality: Three of the nine justices were appointed by Trump himself, and legal challenges take years, by which point policies become entrenched. The critical question now is: Will executive rule become the norm in the US?
Those who have lived under authoritarian regimes recognize the playbook: Use a shock event to disorient the public, paralyze the judiciary and legislature and push decisions through so rapidly that the opposition struggles to keep up. Once this becomes standard practice, reversing it is almost impossible.
A test beyond the US: How will the world respond?
This is not just an American crisis. The fate of democracy worldwide hangs in the balance. The real question is no longer whether Trump will reshape America — he already has. The question is: Can democracy recover? The coming months will not only determine the trajectory of the US — they will shape the future of governance worldwide.
*Tarık Toros is a well-known journalist and political commentator currently living in exile in the UK. He was formerly the editor-in-chief of Bugün TV, which was seized by the Turkish government in 2015 and subsequently closed down. Toros co-founded MoonStar TV, a YouTube platform dedicated to providing independent journalism for Turkish-speaking audiences. Through his personal channel and other platforms, he analyzes political developments, governance and social issues in Turkey.