This expands my level of fear and concern for our country. The unconditional support from his minions (cult) is of utmost concern! Americans had better stand strong against this form of fascism before it’s too late! We can’t go hide!
Timothy Snyder, who I have followed since 2016 also predicted this behavior.
It’s very frustrating for me to see it and not feel I can discuss it with my brothers. I seem unable to get family members to have any reaction at all. Anything I would forward to them is always met with...silence. I have no idea what they think.
Before he became elected, I always felt he was a “Hitler wannabe”; people thought my ideas about T. was silly. Unfortunately, my worst fears have become true, he is another Hitler.
How many in his former administration are compromised? Is there anyone in the GOP not tied/or afraid of T? Are they defending him due to their own role in the coup attempt?
Where is Merrick Garland? DOJ? Is the SCOTUS guilty, too?
Ruth, I just wanted to say I am a new subscriber after watching you on Rachel Maddow’s show last night. I am looking forward to reading your work, and achieving a greater understanding of our country as it attempts to stave off authoritarianism. Thank you so much! I’m glad to be here!
Ruth, this is a very well-written and comprehensive development of the Nazi party movement in Nuremburg with some contrasts to the Trump rally in Waco....including the 'Horst Wessel Song' v. 'Justice for All.' Although the J6 choir and political prisoners references was totally funky to say the least! But thank you so much for these unforgettable contrasting image references!
The parallels with Hitler and Nuremburg are chilling. I also see a lot in common with Mussolini, a murderous clown, who was able to gain power through violence and persuasion.
Whomever is elected King, or Queen in 2024, CBP and DHS will be the place to watch. They are most likely to rise as a national police force. We must have the leader, crisis and organization for a rapid police force, in place. Netanyahu is seeing what happens when you don’t. After the latest shooting, the hatred aimed toward the LGBTQ community will rise exponentially. Franklin Graham was already stirring the pot on Twitter last night. Perfect scapegoats. Thanks for your work Ruth. Kitchen is heating up.
I just saw an interview with several attendees at the Waco rally. It was a study in social psychology. The degree of nihilism/postmodernism was off the charts. The danger of this sort of thinking is that it easily leads to post-truth, the belief that emotion supersedes facts. There was a retreat from reality seen in the interviews, in addition to delusional thinking.
It has been said that fascism promotes fantasy in society to accomplish its mission, and given what I saw at Trump's rally, he has surely done just that.
Excellent writing, Ruth. Thank you for speaking out. We all must do the same. We cannot ignore this behavior. Our future safety depends upon calling it what it is: an invitation to be violent.
I fully agree with the premise of this piece. However, I am wondering if we are overly concerned about Mr. Trump. It is not my intention to minimize the overall issue of the growth of authoritarianism in the U.S. (In this regard, Trump is less concerning than DeSantis, who is actually implementing proto-fascist policies in Florida, even if he doesn't have a private mob under his control.) But consider the following.
Trump has lost every election since 2016 (i.e., his own and those of the vast majority of his chosen candidates). In doing so, he has lost the support of whatever part of the "establishment" GOP still supported him. He will never "pick up" a new vote, since no Democrat would ever vote for him, and independents are increasingly sick of him. (And the imminent indictments are only going to make this truer.) His base in simply not large enough to win a general election; the only way he can do so now is through chicanery on the State level - which is certainly possible, but not probable (yet). And that base is eroding - slowly, to be sure, but eroding nonetheless.
As one pundit pointed out, Trump has ~73 million supporters. Of those, less than 50,000 (.00006%) showed up in DC on Jan. 6. And of that 73 million, less than 2,000 (.000002%) marched on the Capitol during the insurrection. Thus, 99.9998% of his supporters have no interest in protest, much less violence. And finally, his rallies - which used to bring in tens of thousands of people - are barely scraping 10,000 now.
Yes, Trump remains a worrying figure. And if he were to be able to steal the 2024 election, he would test the limits of our democracy even further than he has. But this is not 1930s Italy or Germany. 66% of Americans not only do not support Trump, but see him for what he is. We still have a robust media, despite the presence of Fox and the rise of right-wing sources, and that is unlikely to change. We also still have a robust judicial system, despite a right-leaning Supreme Court (which has not supported Trump in many cases) and Trump-appointed federal judges (ditto). So our country still has very strong bulwarks against the rise of an authoritarian leader who would actually have the support of "the people" beyond his (eroding) base and be able to implement very many (if any) regressive policies.
This expands my level of fear and concern for our country. The unconditional support from his minions (cult) is of utmost concern! Americans had better stand strong against this form of fascism before it’s too late! We can’t go hide!
Timothy Snyder, who I have followed since 2016 also predicted this behavior.
It’s very frustrating for me to see it and not feel I can discuss it with my brothers. I seem unable to get family members to have any reaction at all. Anything I would forward to them is always met with...silence. I have no idea what they think.
Great work... perceptive and frightening. Already sending it out to dozens of other folks. ~ Paul
Brilliant article Ruth, and terrifying , it’s hard to comprehend how millions of Americans have fallen into his spell !
Before he became elected, I always felt he was a “Hitler wannabe”; people thought my ideas about T. was silly. Unfortunately, my worst fears have become true, he is another Hitler.
How many in his former administration are compromised? Is there anyone in the GOP not tied/or afraid of T? Are they defending him due to their own role in the coup attempt?
Where is Merrick Garland? DOJ? Is the SCOTUS guilty, too?
Ruth, I just wanted to say I am a new subscriber after watching you on Rachel Maddow’s show last night. I am looking forward to reading your work, and achieving a greater understanding of our country as it attempts to stave off authoritarianism. Thank you so much! I’m glad to be here!
Thanks for the blueprints; even if we go no deeper into details, that's all we need to know.
Trump theme song:
I'm a grifter and I want your money
but in exchange
I will teach your children how to hate
I will teach them to discriminate
I will teach that white rule is our fate
If we act now and don't be late
So put your money in my plate
For a bigot needs a mate
So put your money in my plate
Don't wait until it's too late
for you see
I'm a grifter and I want your money.
Simply horrifying. What an indictment of a large and increasingly violent population of angry mis-lead sheep.
trump doesn't know the pledge of allegiance. He had to read it. Melania taught him to put his hand over his heart.
Ruth, this is a very well-written and comprehensive development of the Nazi party movement in Nuremburg with some contrasts to the Trump rally in Waco....including the 'Horst Wessel Song' v. 'Justice for All.' Although the J6 choir and political prisoners references was totally funky to say the least! But thank you so much for these unforgettable contrasting image references!
The parallels with Hitler and Nuremburg are chilling. I also see a lot in common with Mussolini, a murderous clown, who was able to gain power through violence and persuasion.
This is really getting scary.
Whomever is elected King, or Queen in 2024, CBP and DHS will be the place to watch. They are most likely to rise as a national police force. We must have the leader, crisis and organization for a rapid police force, in place. Netanyahu is seeing what happens when you don’t. After the latest shooting, the hatred aimed toward the LGBTQ community will rise exponentially. Franklin Graham was already stirring the pot on Twitter last night. Perfect scapegoats. Thanks for your work Ruth. Kitchen is heating up.
I just saw an interview with several attendees at the Waco rally. It was a study in social psychology. The degree of nihilism/postmodernism was off the charts. The danger of this sort of thinking is that it easily leads to post-truth, the belief that emotion supersedes facts. There was a retreat from reality seen in the interviews, in addition to delusional thinking.
It has been said that fascism promotes fantasy in society to accomplish its mission, and given what I saw at Trump's rally, he has surely done just that.
Excellent writing, Ruth. Thank you for speaking out. We all must do the same. We cannot ignore this behavior. Our future safety depends upon calling it what it is: an invitation to be violent.
I fully agree with the premise of this piece. However, I am wondering if we are overly concerned about Mr. Trump. It is not my intention to minimize the overall issue of the growth of authoritarianism in the U.S. (In this regard, Trump is less concerning than DeSantis, who is actually implementing proto-fascist policies in Florida, even if he doesn't have a private mob under his control.) But consider the following.
Trump has lost every election since 2016 (i.e., his own and those of the vast majority of his chosen candidates). In doing so, he has lost the support of whatever part of the "establishment" GOP still supported him. He will never "pick up" a new vote, since no Democrat would ever vote for him, and independents are increasingly sick of him. (And the imminent indictments are only going to make this truer.) His base in simply not large enough to win a general election; the only way he can do so now is through chicanery on the State level - which is certainly possible, but not probable (yet). And that base is eroding - slowly, to be sure, but eroding nonetheless.
As one pundit pointed out, Trump has ~73 million supporters. Of those, less than 50,000 (.00006%) showed up in DC on Jan. 6. And of that 73 million, less than 2,000 (.000002%) marched on the Capitol during the insurrection. Thus, 99.9998% of his supporters have no interest in protest, much less violence. And finally, his rallies - which used to bring in tens of thousands of people - are barely scraping 10,000 now.
Yes, Trump remains a worrying figure. And if he were to be able to steal the 2024 election, he would test the limits of our democracy even further than he has. But this is not 1930s Italy or Germany. 66% of Americans not only do not support Trump, but see him for what he is. We still have a robust media, despite the presence of Fox and the rise of right-wing sources, and that is unlikely to change. We also still have a robust judicial system, despite a right-leaning Supreme Court (which has not supported Trump in many cases) and Trump-appointed federal judges (ditto). So our country still has very strong bulwarks against the rise of an authoritarian leader who would actually have the support of "the people" beyond his (eroding) base and be able to implement very many (if any) regressive policies.
Am I wrong here?