Why 'Magastan' is a problematic term

As the United States becomes increasingly autocratic—drifting toward a one-man show that mirrors the very regimes it once harshly criticized—some have coined the term Magastan to describe the state of affairs there. The term fuses the nostalgic, mythologized vision of Make America Great Again with -stan, a suffix commonly associated with the authoritarian regimes of Central Asia. Many who use the term (even liberal Central Asians) seem to believe they are striking at the heart of the U.S. executive, yet in doing so, they unwittingly reinforce the very colonial structures and racist narratives that this same executive upholds and promotes.

First, lumping together all countries that end in -stan into a single homogenous entity is fundamentally ignorant. Would you do the same for countries that end in -land? If so, then your ignorance is truly blissful.

Second, the constant rhetorical reinforcement of the idea that -stan countries are inherently backward and inferior is not only unfair but also deeply problematic. Such discourse disregards the rich histories, cultures, and resilience of the people who live there. It perpetuates a colonial mindset, assuming these nations are doomed to corruption and stagnation—effectively denying them any agency or possibility of transformation. This is not just an unsympathetic take; it is outright racist.

Third, the political and social shifts currently unfolding in the U.S. should be analyzed and labelled for what they truly are. If anything, the country’s trajectory resembles that of russia more than it does Central Asia—marked by intensifying racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and, most crucially, imperial ambitions. So rather than lazily comparing the U.S. to the nations historically oppressed, direct your attention to its actual peers: imperial powers with a dangerous appetite for domination.

Discourse is power (Foucault). Let’s leave the countries that have long suffered under empires—past and present—out of these misguided comparisons.

Take care.