Part 5/6:
The overarching fear expresses that modern political conflicts may be veering toward authoritarianism not just through policy but via overt coercion and intimidation. The narrative warns that when citizens are made afraid, impoverished, or manipulated into complacency, democratic principles unravel. The danger lies in institutional and social structures becoming so compromised that the very idea of electoral legitimacy is undermined, leading to a permanent shift toward autocratic rule.