Donald Trump helps us relive the 1930s

[steve2470]

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/08/27/donald-trump-helps-us-relive-the-1930s.html

Give this to Donald Trump: he helps us picture how the anti-democratic, right wing, personality-driven movements of the 1930s came to power. Those movements are usually characterized as fascist though they were diverse, and the term itself is hellishly hard to define. As time passed, they faded into an inexplicably “evil” moment in history which thankfully couldn’t happen here or now.

In fact a satirical 1935 novel set in the U.S. was titled, It Can’t Happen Here. When it was adapted for the 1980s TV series, V, homegrown authoritarians seemed so unlikely to network execs, they were turned into alien invaders. But, though Trump’s certainly no fascist, he helps us revisit the spirit of that distant era.

He’s relatively indifferent to democracy. Very early, he said he’d like to “expedite” the election, i.e., get it over with and on to taking power. This week in Iowa he said he wished the vote was tomorrow. His policies are utterly vague; there’s no point articulating them, it’s all in his head. He’ll get the best people, make the best deals, “you’re gonna love it.” It amounts to trusting him absolutely, the strong leader, whose brilliance, success, even his physical beauty, are undeniable. There’s no concrete participation. He “loves” his base and will look after them; their only role is to love him back.

He’s about his own strength and power, as were those movements. His favourite word is strong; the “guys” he’ll recruit to beat back the Chinese and Japanese are “killers,” it’s an upbeat version of Nietzsche’s will to power. He mocks weakness in opponents; his code word for it is “low energy.” He’ll restore national greatness, which was lost due to “stupid,” weak leaders. He’s not racist in any explicit sense — quite the opposite — but there’s clear racist appeal in his attack on evil, murderous Mexican illegals in “our” midst.

[PatrickforO]

1. Hmm. You're suggesting he expects his followers to embrace the fueher prinzip?

I heard one of his speeches. Unfortunately, you are pretty close to the truth.

[murielm99]

2. I read that book

early on in the first Bush stolen election.

It was worth the time.