The history of authoritarian/Fascist/dictators is that they are never taken seriously in the beginning. They seem ridiculous to normal people. And then it’s too late.
Turns out what they were promising was not just political theater nor just blowing off steam. They were promising to do exactly what they said they would do. So normal people who have become used to normal political parties and normal political intercourse can’t really take the promises seriously until it is too late. Normal people are shocked when the country becomes a cesspool of violence and vengeance. They are surprised.
But there is another group of people who do take them very seriously want and expect the threats to be carried out, and they want to be the ones who carry out those threats. Hitler did not personally murder 6 million Jews, Nazis did. Nazis loved doing it. Nazis wanted to do those things that Hitler promised. They can’t believe their luck that they get to be violent and vengeful. They are joyful.
Our country has had two times in the past that are very much like today. The America First movement in the 1930s was infiltrated by and run by Nazi sympathizers and Nazis themselves. Today’s Republican Party is filled with Russian sympathizers and perhaps Russian agents.
Secondly, in the 1950s the McCarthy “Red Scare” hunted down liberals calling them communists and ruined many lives. Today liberals are being wrongly accused of being socialists and communists. It can happen here. It is happening here.
The historian, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who specializes in the study of authoritarians, teaches that there are two stages of rhetoric used by fascist autocrats. First they normalize violence. They call for violence so that people get used to accepting violent speech - “punch a protester in the face”, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”, “ you'll never take back our country with weakness”, etc. etc. etc. etc….
The second stage of rhetoric is to dehumanize those who oppose them - “ root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, …”
I believe Donald Trump will do exactly what he promises to do if he is put back into the White House. He has plans which he is announcing. And he has his enablers who know how to carry out those plans.
I believe if he loses he will refuse to acknowledge that he lost, and he will call upon his fascist well armed cult to install him by force. (If he loses the Republican nomination he will attack the Republican Convention)
By the way, those who think they can use the fascist authoritarian find out they can’t. German industrial giants could not contain Hitler, and American oligarchs would have the same fate - and, if Christo-fascists think he gives a crap about their religious fantasies they could be in for a very rude awakening.
I believe he will fail. I believe in people of integrity upholding the Rule of Law. And I hope even his “base” will grow tired of this toxic person
We are on a dangerous journey, but I believe in America.
