Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

There has been so much read here. One of: Trump Might Govern as an Authoritarian. Is That What His Voters Want?

[...]

Zatlin: Calling Trump a fascist, as the historian of French fascism, Robert Paxton, recently did, poses problems for historians. There are just too many differences—between Vichy and the Nazis, between interwar Europe and contemporary America—for the category to fit. It also seems that calling Trump a fascist is less an explanation of his behavior than a mere insult. It gets in the way of understanding why so many people support him and understanding what’s to come.

That said, I’m mindful that many of the right wing strongmen who populated the last hundred years were helped into power by conservatives. Those conservatives believed they could outfox populist demagogues because those figures were crude, ill-educated, or inexperienced. Italian and German conservatives quickly discovered that the people they thought they could control were controlling them. Worse, the Nazis demanded loyalty, but were disloyal in return. That’s because those who view law, procedure, and custom as impediments to power have so little in common with people who are democratically inclined. Men like Trump aren’t simply unscrupulous, they’re playing a different game—chess, when we’re playing checkers.

What might protect us from creeping authoritarianism?

Longman: What we are seeing right now is not creeping authoritarianism but a full-frontal assault on liberal democracy. Trump has made clear that he will target the vulnerable and will use the tools of government to take revenge on his perceived enemies. Yet many ways for people to resist remain. Even highly authoritarian regimes must worry about maintaining popular support. Without checks on his power, Trump may overreach in ways that turn off even some of his supporters. Voter turnout was down by five million people this year compared to 2020, suggesting that many people simply disengaged. Policies like massive deportations, high tariffs that raise the price of goods, and excessive attacks on political opponents could turn off many people and get others involved in politics again.

Authoritarian regimes are often much weaker and more fragile than they appear on the surface. I don’t have a lot of faith in the ability of government to limit Trump, but I have a lot of faith in the American people.

https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=176224193

Is good to know also that i have many times here expressed my faith in the American people.