I’m presently reading “The Despot’s Apprentice” by Brian Klaas.  The book is subtitled “Donald Trump’s attack on Democracy” and the author expertly lays out how despots around the world have taken democracies and turned them into dictatorships – as in Thailand and Turkey to name a couple of his examples.  He’s been studying this phenomenon for several years and, while the United States is a much more difficult “problem” for an authoritarian, the reality is that “we” are not immune – and, Trump has all the makings of a fascist type dictator.  There’s, in my view, more than one reason why Trump NEVER says a bad word about Vladimir Putin.  And, one of the reasons isn’t the so-called “Russia thing.”

One of the most egregious ways a democracy can be turned into an authoritarian regime is via attacks on the “free press.”  Right now, this evening, I happen to be watching MSNBC as so many Americans are attempting to understand the most recent school shooting (and, my perspective is that I’m a retired school teacher) and what, if anything considering the “hold” the NRA has on our politicians, what “we the people” can do to prevent future tragedies from happening.  As I’m watching the TV – MSNBC is widely considered the “liberal” antidote to Fox – at least with the people I know – I’m witnessing a great example of the false equivalency Klaas refers to regarding to how the media is used to “weaponize” autocrats.

Even the guests on the shows I’m watching – many of them either students or teachers who’ve been given a temporary “platform” to express their views – are giving a clear example of the danger when the media is being used by those who would accept an authoritarian state.  Let me explain:

Both commentators and guests, when referring to the “gun debate” are suggesting the problem is with “politicians” – and, I just listened to a teacher from the school in Florida which was attacked last week say, “it doesn’t matter which party” when referring to the “politician  problem.”  Now, keep in mind, I’ve always been an independent – but, had I been the host of the show where that comment was made I would have to have said – “yes, it does matter which party” you’re talking about when talking about gun safety.  While there are certainly democrats who take NRA money, the REAL problem is with the republican party.  They are the ones who, every time something like this happens, propose MORE guns as the solution.  They are the ones taking BOATLOADS of NRA money AND they are the party where if you even suggest some kind of sensible gun legislation, as Trump himself would say, “you’re fired!”  (Although, I have to say, Trump is proposing things the NRA may not be all that happy with – although, he’ll probably never actually support anything making to actual legislation)

This is the perfect example of how Trump and those who support him manipulate our “free press” in their effort to marginalize it – therefore, allowing them to “rule” as they please.  We’ve seen this since the early days of Fox “news” where they came up with the moniker “fair and balanced” – as if to be “fair” in discussing an issue you need one democrat and one republican.  This often has led to what I (and many others, I’m sure) call the “false equivalency” I mentioned above.  If you have one side of an issue presenting actual facts which are responded to by LIES the situation/discussion is not “fair and balanced.”  What you get is a “muddying of the waters” – which is a key tool of the autocrat.  This is how people like Trump manipulate the discussion.  (If you are unfamiliar with the “Big Lie Theory” check out some of my previous posts – it was devised by Joseph Goebbels of the Third Reich and it’s been “adopted” by Fox – and, their friends)

I’ve said on this site many times that when I can stomach watching the “news” I usually watch MSNBC and they are a great example of an outlet that has fallen for this “Trump trick.”  As I watched the previous election unfold I noticed MSNBC going out of their way to, what appeared to me at the time, be “fair” to the Trump campaign.  It seemed as if there was an endless number of Trump speeches broadcast from end to end.  I remember, at the time, wondering if Mrs. Clinton was giving speeches or why was Trump the subject on MSNBC almost endlessly.  I struggled with believing they were attempting to be fair as opposed to they didn’t like Mrs. Clinton and I finally decided they were attempting to make sure the election was close so they could generate more MONEY in advertising revenue.

Regardless, I don’t remember much, if at all, of MSNBC actually reporting on Mrs. Clinton’s positions on the “issues of the day.”  It seemed as if neither candidate had positions on the issues of the day – but, I know that’s not true and I actually knew Mrs. Clinton’s positions from other sources – but, my point is it appeared to me at the time (and, I still believe this) MSNBC was attempting to create a false equivalency between the two candidates – they weren’t  “telling it like it is” and this type of reporting is evolving into a plague on our republic.

I think MSNBC has recognized what they did during the election – just as, I believe, James Comey recognized, after the fact, what his announcement just 11 days prior to the election did.  While places like MSNBC and, in addition, the FBI are attempting to actually figure out what they enabled on November 8, 2016, the republican party has recognized that Trump provides them with what they see as “the opportunity of a lifetime.”  He’ll sign their stuff – whatever they can get to him.  So, they’re willing to go along with his attack on the fundamentals of our nation.

This is leading to another of the “tenets” of authoritarians who are in the process of destroying democracies and that is they attack the intelligence community.  Virtually every day Trump is attacking the FBI and the Justice Department.  By turning as many Americans as possible against our Justice Department Trump is attempting to create a circumstance where Americans lose trust in the most important institution which creates stability in our nation.  It is “we the people’s” belief in the fairness of our Justice system that allows us to feel we really do live in a “nation of laws and not men.”  In fact, while most, like myself, believe the president is not “above the law,” what the authoritarian attempts to create is an environment where “we the people” don’t trust the “law” and, therefore, we “grant” him/her more authority.

Clearly, Trump is the type of person who wants to make decisions unilaterally – without regard to what our founders put into the constitution – the “checks and balances” – which were designed to prevent EXACTLY what Trump is attempting to create.  Trump has attacked what he called “so-called” judges who ruled against his unconstitutional “travel bans,” he attacked a judge of Mexican heritage for being unable to render a fair verdict because of his heritage, and he’s been RAILING against Jeff Sessions since almost day one of Sessions’ term as Attorney General – because he followed Justice Department protocol and recused himself from the so-called “Russia thing.”  Sessions was integrally involved in the Trump campaign and was obligated to recuse himself from any investigations into the campaign – the reality is that it’s Trump’s lack of knowledge of how the government works that is the problem (for him) because it shouldn’t have been a surprise to him that Sessions would need to recuse himself from any investigation into his campaign.  The Attorney General’s job is NOT to protect the president – it is to uphold the constitution.

One more example of what Trump is doing that mirrors other authoritarian personalities is his willingness to profit from his office.  Trump has business interests around the world and it appears he’s tied into some very questionable financial interests and he brazenly continues to profit off of his various interests.  Just in the United States alone – there are some obvious examples.  He has a hotel in the old Post Office building close to the “White House” and foreign governments are paying premium prices to use that facility apparently in an effort to gain more access to the so-called president.  Trump has interests in places like The Philippines, Turkey, Panama, and other countries around the world where democracies have succumbed to authoritarians.  Trump has chosen to focus America’s foreign policy on these places at the expense of our traditional European allies.  Aligning himself with people like Vladimir Putin, Rodrigo Duterte, or Recep Tayyip Erdoğan takes any mystery of Trump’s inner thoughts away.

Additionally, Trump’s authoritarian tendencies are showing themselves in another way as he attempts to circumvent our constitution.  This strategy is called “divide and conquer.”  Trump clearly has associated himself with the “white nationalist” (many call it the “white supremacist”) movement – it’s actually been his “motor” to the Oval Office.  Trump, early on in the administration of Barack Obama, showed his racist beliefs as he led the so-called “birther” movement.  Over the course of his campaign he attacked those of Mexican heritage, Muslim heritage, African heritage, and anyone who disagreed with him.  Since the election he’s continued this strategy – unwilling to “bend” even after a woman was killed – as he called those carrying tiki torches, wearing Nazi armbands, carrying Nazi flags, and chanting “Jews will not replace us” at Charlottesville “very fine people.”  Clearly he’s attempting to pit “white” against “other.”  This is a traditional tactic of the authoritarian “leader.”  Trump’s propensity to LIE allows him to continue to fuel division among Americans in strategic ways.

Lastly, Trump is showing classic authoritarian tendencies as he continues to attack his political opponents.  He’s still leading chants of “lock her up” regarding Hillary Clinton in a classic parallel to third world nations deal with the problem of “dissent” by jailing or “disappearing” the dissenters.  He’s also attacking people like James Comey – who, in reality, is the reason he’s in the “White House” in the first place.  Even Trump’s own internal polling, in the days prior to the election, identified Comey’s ill advised announcement that the “Clinton email investigation had been re-opened,” swung the election in his favor.  Yet, he’s still attacking Comey and suggesting even he should be jailed.  Trump has been continually reported to be considering FIRING Robert Mueller, apparently thinking THAT would end the “Russia thing” – just as he felt firing Comey would put that investigation to an end.  Sadly, there appear to me way too many members of the republican party who are willing to go along with Trump in this aspect of his attempt to turn America into a fascist state.

People like Devin Nunes, Trey Gowdy, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, and Orrin Hatch to name a few seem willing to carry Trump’s “water” as he tries to become America’s dictator.  It’s been shocking to me to see some of these people, who, in the past, would have been at the forefront of the opposition to an administration so beholden to Russia – and, KNOWING, Russia HELPED them during the election – actually, willing to disregard the intervention and HELP enable it.  The bottom line here is that America is under attack and the attack is coming from “within.”  Trump is demonstrating virtually ALL the tendencies of a fascist authoritarian dictator.  It is up to “we the people” to stop this madness.  I believe too many Americans have just taken our democratic republic for granted.  I read the other day only 1 in 4 Americans can name the three branches of government.  This is a national disgrace and it needs to be dealt with.  Our founders gave us a solution and it’s NOT the so-called “2nd amendment.”  It’s the voting booth and the change needs to begin in 2018.  I’ve said this for years, “if we don’t vote, we deserve what we get.”

Final Thought:  I’ve written about the “damage” Trump is doing to our nation many times.  Soon I”ll have another post regarding Trump’s unhinged economic policy that threatens our economic stability – the stability he inherited from President Obama.  Obama worked to “fix” the MESS he inherited from Bush/Cheney – the “Great Recession.”  I believe what Trump is conceivably creating will be MUCH worse than what happened under Bush/Cheney.  That post will be next.  (And, the “damage” from Trump will likely be much greater than a ravaged economy – the “damage” he’s creating with our traditional allies may be very difficult to “fix” – depending on how long republicans allow this nightmare to continue)