The right wing playbook for authoritarianiam is playing out as intended, and they are close to winning

[Axulus]

Destorying a democracy and inserting authoritarian power can not be done overnight. A sufficient portion of the population needs to be fooled to allow it to happen.

So, what is the playbook to make that happen?

First, you need to convince the population that democratic liberalism has led to the destruction the country, and therefore we need a new system or a new leader that will do something radically different. However, this is not easy to do with facts.

So how to do this without the facts on your side? Spread lies. But lies are not easily believed in a free and open society where the marketplace of ideas can often reveal the truth.

So how to overcome this inconvenient problem? Convince the population that those with knowledge and the facts in society are actually all biased, corrupt and liars themselves. They are the beneficiaries of the liberal democratic order and just trying whatever they need to do to maintain their own power.

Demonize universities, public schools, the media, corporations, experts, fact checkers, Hollywood. Claim anyone that calls out your lies is biased and a shill. Point out a few instances where they showed bias or were wrong. Because if they were wrong one time and biased, they are just as wrong and biased with everything they say and do.

This comes directly from the playbook of the New Apastolic Reformation. A Chriatian Nationalist movement that is the fastest growing segment of Christianity today. In it, they describe taking over the seven mountains of society: education, media, business, family, religion, entertainment, and government. The current power is in the hands of those who come from and support liberal democracy, and therefore they must be attacked and deligitimized one by one.

The end goal is to convince a sufficient portion of the population that all facts spread by those they have demonized are suspect and part of a plot to entrench the establishment's power, which at its core obtains its legitimacy from the liberal democratic system.

The right has laid the groundwork for this for decades. Fox News, talk radio, youtube personalities spread this narrative constantly. And also the populist left buys into it and spreads it as well with phrases like "corporate media".

Now the groundwork has been successfully laid out for a charismatic authoritarian to capitalize on this. Why is a charismatic leader needed for this? Because to get the strong, blind loyalty needed to overturn the system and for the population to accept total control in the hands of one or a small group of people, you to you need to start a cult of personality.

This is where a figure like Trump steps in. Dr. Steve Hassan has described the cult of Trump in his book and lays out the techniques cult leaders employ to obtain followers with blind loyalty.

First, establish your street cred that you are not part of "the establishment". Say gross, racist, sexist and incendiary things. Constantly insult others. The establishment is too politically correct, so by breaking the conventions of polite, decent society, you convince people you are not a member of the corrupt elite.

It is why whenever Trump does something outrageous, he gains more credibility, not less, because it reaffirms he is not a member of the establishment.

Next, create lies about the left (who are all socialists and communists) and immigrants are destroying the country. Dial up the fear factor to 11. This is an emotional control technique to make people too afraid to question the leader. Also, control their information with thought stopping techniques for anything that disagrees with the leader's position. "Liberal bias", "elites", "Trump Derangement Syndrome", "Corporate media". Spread lies and conspiracies at all opportunities if it fits the political narrative of the leader.

And when democracy does not get you the outcome you need to get or maintain power, claim that the voting system was all rigged and a big fraud. Erode any semblance of trust remaining in the democratic process, and the population will not trust democracy.

And why would any group need to do this to get power? Because they could never get power legitimately in a liberal democracy. Groups like Christian Nationalists (who are huge Trump supporters and have openly discussed many of the techniques I describe, and who have stated that democracy is anti-biblical and whose goal is to get rid of it), white nationalists (Trump frequently pals around with them, like Laura Loomer), among others. The only way they gain real power is by eroding or eliminating democracy. And they are damn close to winning.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

But even if she wins, the problems will not go away. Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

 

[robnisch]

They use the immigrants like the Nazis used the Jews in the 1930's.
Take an old fear and keep pounding on it.
Same play book.

 

[SLD]

Very good analysis, Axulus. I agree that the problems will not go away with Trump. Indeed Trump has set a precedent that will be followed, and indeed has been followed, by his supporters since 2020: refuse to accept the legitimate results of the election and use violence or semi-violence, to try to overturn the results.

If Kamala wins, runs again in 2028 and wins, the Republican candidate will likely also refuse the results. It’s becoming the MO.

The real question is why is this happening?

Historically, Republics have often descended into chaos resulting in autocracy. I read a fascinating history of the Roman Republic that compared its various crises with those of the United States. It was written just before Trump was first elected, so I think the author missed some important points about Trump. But one of the interesting parallels between the two Republics is the rise of inequality. For us that has been an ongoing problem since the election of Ronald Reagan.

The issue of income inequality is, to me, the driving force behind all of these issues that we are having. People will not support a governmental system that does not provide for them but only for a privileged few. Trump and Julius Caesar do indeed have a lot in common. Both coming from fabulously wealthy backgrounds but appealing to disenchanted groups that have been left behind. Populares v. Optimates. Hard working ‘mericans v. Elites. Such left behind people, particularly White left behinds, are thus easily vulnerable to manipulation by a charlatan like Trump, and Fox News. It’s not their fault; it’s the immigrant’s fault.

The problem is that these left behinds have a valid point that is often ignored by the Democrats. Why should they support our democratic institutions when it has failed them? Our supposedly free and democratic institutions have been captured by special and moneyed interests. Both Democrats and Republicans have to rely on powerful corporate and wealthy donors for their own political survival. The result has been a skewering of the rules in their favor. But these are often in subtle and unseen ways.

Now many of those very wealthy see the threat to themselves and their way of life. So they are turning to autocracy and using the masses against those who truly see them and their power as the real threat. It’s a classic playbook. Hitler used the threat of communists to get the monetary backing he needed from wealthy industrialists. They naively thought they could control him. John Paulson previously supported Hillary Clinton when she ran for Senate, and she paid him back by killing any reform of the carried interest rule. Now he supports Trump. Trump gives lip service to tax cuts, but he means only to cut the billionaires’ taxes and not ours.

This may be a fatal flaw in all Republics. Elites capture the free institutions and then use them to their advantage and then turn to autocracy when they are threatened by the masses. Venice started out as a good standard Republic, but ultimately devolved into an oligarchy run by Aristocratic families. The United States’ fatal flaw is that it has a built in mechanism for minority rule. Two senators from each of three states, Wyoming, South and North Dakota have as much power as those from California, New York and Pennsylvania, despite huge differences in population. The electoral college easily allows, and has numerous times in recent history, for the popular vote loser to take power. Our founders were so concerned with the tyranny of the majority, that they may have gone too far and created a system that can be too easily controlled by the minority. The stupid filibuster is another example of minority rule.

We have some tough times ahead. I truly fear for the future.

 

[TSwizzle]

Such drama.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

I’ll take my chances with Trump

 

[robnisch]

Such drama.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

I’ll take my chances with Trump

How will tRump help you, personally?

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

Such drama.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

I’ll take my chances with Trump

Trump is like the character of President Stilson in the Dead Zone who wants to destroy the world. If Trump became president (again) it would be everyone having to take their chance that he can be stopped before he commits further atrocities (he has already killed about one million Americans in his first term).

 

[Swammerdami]

Destorying a democracy and inserting authoritarian power can not be done overnight. A sufficient portion of the population needs to be fooled to allow it to happen.

So, what is the playbook to make that happen?

First, you need to convince the population that democratic liberalism has led to the destruction the country, and therefore we need a new system or a new leader that will do something radically different. However, this is not easy to do with facts.

So how to do this without the facts on your side? Spread lies. But lies are not easily believed in a free and open society where the marketplace of ideas can often reveal the truth.

So how to overcome this inconvenient problem? Convince the population that those with knowledge and the facts in society are actually all biased, corrupt and liars themselves. They are the beneficiaries of the liberal democratic order and just trying whatever they need to do to maintain their own power.

Demonize universities, public schools, the media, corporations, experts, fact checkers, Hollywood. Claim anyone that calls out your lies is biased and a shill. Point out a few instances where they showed bias or were wrong. Because if they were wrong one time and biased, they are just as wrong and biased with everything they say and do.

This comes directly from the playbook of the New Apastolic Reformation. A Chriatian Nationalist movement that is the fastest growing segment of Christianity today. In it, they describe taking over the seven mountains of society: education, media, business, family, religion, entertainment, and government. The current power is in the hands of those who come from and support liberal democracy, and therefore they must be attacked and deligitimized one by one.

The end goal is to convince a sufficient portion of the population that all facts spread by those they have demonized are suspect and part of a plot to entrench the establishment's power, which at its core obtains its legitimacy from the liberal democratic system.

The right has laid the groundwork for this for decades. Fox News, talk radio, youtube personalities spread this narrative constantly. And also the populist left buys into it and spreads it as well with phrases like "corporate media".

Now the groundwork has been successfully laid out for a charismatic authoritarian to capitalize on this. Why is a charismatic leader needed for this? Because to get the strong, blind loyalty needed to overturn the system and for the population to accept total control in the hands of one or a small group of people, you to you need to start a cult of personality.

This is where a figure like Trump steps in. Dr. Steve Hassan has described the cult of Trump in his book and lays out the techniques cult leaders employ to obtain followers with blind loyalty.

First, establish your street cred that you are not part of "the establishment". Say gross, racist, sexist and incendiary things. Constantly insult others. The establishment is too politically correct, so by breaking the conventions of polite, decent society, you convince people you are not a member of the corrupt elite.

It is why whenever Trump does something outrageous, he gains more credibility, not less, because it reaffirms he is not a member of the establishment.

Next, create lies about the left (who are all socialists and communists) and immigrants are destroying the country. Dial up the fear factor to 11. This is an emotional control technique to make people too afraid to question the leader. Also, control their information with thought stopping techniques for anything that disagrees with the leader's position. "Liberal bias", "elites", "Trump Derangement Syndrome", "Corporate media". Spread lies and conspiracies at all opportunities if it fits the political narrative of the leader.

And when democracy does not get you the outcome you need to get or maintain power, claim that the voting system was all rigged and a big fraud. Erode any semblance of trust remaining in the democratic process, and the population will not trust democracy.

And why would any group need to do this to get power? Because they could never get power legitimately in a liberal democracy. Groups like Christian Nationalists (who are huge Trump supporters and have openly discussed many of the techniques I describe, and who have stated that democracy is anti-biblical and whose goal is to get rid of it), white nationalists (Trump frequently pals around with them, like Laura Loomer), among others. The only way they gain real power is by eroding or eliminating democracy. And they are damn close to winning.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

I agree with all the above enthusiastically. Axulus has composed a brilliant essay on a topic of prime importance. (I've reduced the font just to save a little space.) It's too bad that the "mainstream media" is too committed to advertisers' dollars to tell some of this story.

But even if she wins, the problems will not go away. Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

But for once, I'm happy to play the Optimist! There are several reasons I think American politics MIGHT start on a road to recovery IF Harris-Walz prevail in November:

* WHO is "lurking around the corner" to take over Trump's role? By 2028 Trump will be senile. Among his children, all but Ivanka are morons and Ivanka doesn't seem to endorse his politics. Vance is a flop, DeSantis and probably Cruz are flops. Some Trumpists, e.g. Rubio, might start acting human again once they're no longer kissing the Psychopath's ring. Seriously: Who am I overlooking? Is there anyone in QOPAnon capable of walking in Trump's shoes? Tucker Carlsen?? Even his fans understand that he is just a clown.

* Americans are PROSPEROUS and their country still LEADS the world. When Hitler took over Germany, the German people were impoverished -- even desperate for food -- and had legitimate grievances against foreigners. Trumplickers' grievances OTOH are mostly based on fantasies. Expect these fantasies to dissipate (at least to some extent) when the Orange Monster is no longer stoking his fans' racism.

It will be an uphill fight. We must hope that some of the criminals on SCOTUS fall short of their threescore-and-ten. Republicans are very heavily favored to gain control of the Senate even if Harris wins the White House. But anyway, "Optimism is our friend!"

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Such drama.

There is only one major political party that stands for liberal democracy in this upcoming election. The only sane vote is for Kamala Harris if you at all claim to care about democracy.

I’ll take my chances with Trump

Axulus, much like Loren aren't flaming liberals. It shows how far a person like you have flung to the fascist side of the spectrum.

Trump support has become like flat earthers. Trolling liberals became a performance art.

 

[scombrid]

This is a great summary from SLD. We are on that precipice. We were pretty close to it in the gilded age.

Elites capture the free institutions and then use them to their advantage and then turn to autocracy when they are threatened by the masses.Venice started out as a good standard Republic, but ultimately devolved into an oligarchy run by Aristocratic families.

 

[TSwizzle]

Trump support has become like flat earthers. Trolling liberals became a performance art.

Having dopey Kamala Harris as a candidate for POTUS is top tier trolling.

 

[Elixir]

Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

I expect that if and when The Apricot goes down in flames politically or literally dies, there will be significant disruption, and possibly even a reversal of the American March toward authoritarianism.
No, he’s not the cause, but his constituency includes a huge percentage of individuals who view said apricot as their personal savior. Those people and will not easily transfer their devotions and affections to a Shady Vance or whoever may be the heir apparent.
It took decades to create and market Donald Trump, and IMHO it will take decades for the GQP, Putin, Kim and the “dictator community”l to gin up a replacement.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump support has become like flat earthers. Trolling liberals became a performance art.

Having dopey Kamala Harris as a candidate for POTUS is top tier trolling.

Like I said, it has become a performance art for you.

 

[abaddon]

Bashing a brick on his head kind of performance 'art'.

 

[southernhybrid]

I'm not sure the income inequality is the major thing, as I personally know many Trump supporters who are middle class or wealthy. My neighborhood and the surrounding area are full of Trump yard signs, with just a few Harris signs. Most of the Trumps signs are in front of the most expensive homes. A friend who lives in an exurban area says there are lots of Trump signs in her area.

The one person I've discussed this with is afraid of all those terrible immigrants that Biden is allowing to come into the country, her words, not mine. She is a decent person, but also a conservative Christian, ( I think ) and she thinks Trump is great and he just says a lot of nutty things that he doesn't really mean. Another Trump supporter is my bro in law, who is wealthy and believes the economy will crash if Harris is elected. He's a dentist and a moron, a low information voter, who doesn't read or watch the news, unless it involves his stocks. The Harris supporters who I know are mostly Black friends, as well as 3 white friends who don't have much money at all. One barely made 40K last year working her ass off in retail, one is a new friend who is retired and one is my neighbor who survives on SS. The three of them are mildly religious, 2 Christians and one sort of Paganish.

It's a cult with mostly white people, regardless of their social or financial status, but most of them are Christians.

 

[TSwizzle]

I’ll take my chances with Trump

Trump is like the character of President Stilson in the Dead Zone who wants to destroy the world.

Wait, I thought Trump was literally Hitler.

If Trump became president (again) it would be everyone having to take their chance that he can be stopped before he commits further atrocities (he has already killed about one million Americans in his first term).

Sure, Jan.

 

[Elixir]

Wait, I thought Trump was literally Hitler.

Two things can be true at once, Jan.

 

[Politesse]

But even if she wins, the problems will not go away. Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

Or just, you know, Trump. It's not as though he dies if he loses, at least a third of the country and much of our military will still consider him the president in January no matter what the numbers say.

 

[TomC]

But even if she wins, the problems will not go away. Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

Or just, you know, Trump. It's not as though he dies if he loses, at least a third of the country and much of our military will still consider him the president in January no matter what the numbers say.

This is why I want him convicted of a capital crime and publicly executed. I'd settle for assassination, but it's not my first choice.

Rather like some other vicious populists, such as Saddam Hussein, I believe that Trump will continue inspiring mayhem as long as he lives. He's cultivated enough deranged and violent followers to keep causing trouble from prison.
Tom

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump support has become like flat earthers. Trolling liberals became a performance art.

Having dopey Kamala Harris as a candidate for POTUS is top tier trolling.

You would know.

 

[Politesse]

But even if she wins, the problems will not go away. Another Trump like figure is always lurking around the corner.

Or just, you know, Trump. It's not as though he dies if he loses, at least a third of the country and much of our military will still consider him the president in January no matter what the numbers say.

This is why I want him convicted of a capital crime and publicly executed. I'd settle for assassination, but it's not my first choice.

Rather like some other vicious populists, such as Saddam Hussein, I believe that Trump will continue inspiring mayhem as long as he lives. He's cultivated enough deranged and violent followers to keep causing trouble from prison.
Tom

A case could certainly be made that Trump is guilty of both treason againat the state and espionage, both of which are in theory capital crimes. But this seems like an exceedingly unlikely scenario. Given that Nixon and Kissinger got away scot free from with colluding with foreign powers to extend the Vietnam conflict and killing millions of innocent people, I don't have much hope that Trump is going to get called on the carpet for any of the things he has done, none of which even approach that level of severity.

Well.

Yet.