The difference is that Western governments, unlike their authoritarian counterparts, cannot rely on simple repression to maintain order indefinitely. Revolutionary situations arise not when conditions are at their worst, but when the gap between popular expectations and institutional performance becomes unbridgeable. Today’s Western governments find themselves in the peculiar position of having neither the competence to solve pressing problems nor the legitimacy to ask for patience while they learn on the job. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the current situation is the refusal by Western political establishments to acknowledge the gravity of their predicament. Instead, we see doubling down on the very policies that created current problems: More immigration despite popular opposition, more climate regulations despite economic costs, more international interventions despite domestic priorities, and more restrictions on speech despite growing popular resentment.