This is provocative, but with recent statements from Donald Trump, our selected president, anointed not by most Americans, but by the outmoded Electoral College, it's appropriate to discuss how tyranny begins.
Few people would compare Trump and his oft-vicious pronouncements against ethnic/religious groups with, let's say, Adolf Hitler. We look back at Hitler as a horrific, terrifying beast , and while most polls disparage Trump he couldn't possibly be likened as such. Why not?
Unchecked power and post-war economic distress helped fuel Hitler's rise and by a democratic method. He won an election, became chancellor, then systematically blamed the problems Germans faced on a group beset upon for centuries by no less than William Shakespeare -- the Jews.
His fiery shrieks were delivered in a foreign tongue, incomprehensibly ominous to most of the world but understood by the locals.
It's time to stop excusing Trump, presuming he'll get better when this man who received almost 3,000,000 fewer votes than Hillary Clinton outdoes himself every month.
After offending people with outrageous "birther" charges against Barack Obama, one hoped a New York cosmopolitan wasn't serious ranting about Mexicans, saying he'd ban Muslims from the country and lying repeatedly about his opponents.
But once president he stuck to his campaign, appointing a mostly right-wing cabinet and ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice.
He tried to restrict Muslim immigration and cast aspersion on the press, as purveyors of Fake News. He tweeted unpleasantly about anyone who disagreed with him, even House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Finally, in a coup against justice he fired FBI Director James Comey, whose foolhardy action helped propel him into office, because Comey examined increasing evidence Trump had possibly colluded with Russia to tamper with our presidential election.
But to my original point, Trump flirted with society's fascist elements, who appeared to be the bulk of his followers at campaign events, urging them to rough up his opponents, assuring he'd pay for their defense.
How is this different from Hitler's rhetoric at Bund rallies?
Why couldn't a despot democratically placed in office by an obsolete system grow a minority mob and overthrow our democratic tenets?
Trump used economic disadvantage to convince Americans in certain states to deflect from Democratic leanings and give him a chance. How ironic Trump's attempts to undo Obamacare appear to be hurting his supporters more than others, and his promised economic recovery has no real foundation. Announced projects to save American jobs were started under Obama or are not Trump’s boastful numbers or will cost billions of tax dollars to incentivize companies to stay.
Recent events in Charlottesville and Trump's lame reaction say miles about this man, whose “outrage” was suspect concerning reprehensible protests and murder by white supremacist groups. Trump first said he was against violence "on many sides" giving forth the perception he’d yielded to White House aide Steve Bannon, muting neo-Nazi factions. Though Trump’s accent was from New York his mindset might’ve been at home in 1930’s Berlin.
Then, after two days of bipartisan dissent criticizing his inability to lambaste damnable souls who, not only criticize the "un-American" background of some citizens but also folks like Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both Jewish, he finally half-heartedly dissed the groups by name at the White House. Amazingly, though chastised for the delay, many applauded his words. How quickly even reporters look for signs Trump has the wherewithal to lead.
Then yesterday he backtracked completely saying “there’s blame on both sides," not understanding it's not the same to angrily confront those who march with torches saying "Jews will not replace us." I wonder what Ivanka and Jared thought about that?
We don't know how far Trump would go if he had the capacity to do so. We don't really know if he could round up opponents he wouldn't do so. We are momentarily protected by constitutional protections, like courts and congress prohibiting most of his actions. One hopes political leaders and military honchos would prevent someone like Hitler from taking hold in our nation.
But can we seriously believe our people are different from others? We've seen mobs form in other civilized countries, and people, reluctant or not, join factions wreaking chaos, doing nothing to stop injustice.
How else did what happen in Germany happen? People stick to the winning side or are afraid to buck the system, lest they be lumped into the group suffering oppression. How quickly did major Republicans who excoriated Trump extensively -- and I include Paul Ryan -- join hands when he got the nomination? They knew he was unstable and incompetent, but were so hungry for the White House they backed him even as many conservative newspapers backed Democrats for the first time in years.
At least we know Americans didn't choose Trump. And with what's happening it should be the spur that gets us to change our presidential election system to popular vote. If constitutional amendments are too difficult, throw your support to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which empowers states to send its electoral votes to the national vote winner, irrespective of state tallies. Ten states plus D.C. have ratified it, totaling 165 votes, but it needs states with 105 more votes for enactment, so America's choice becomes president, not an amalgam of states, sometimes with tiny pluralities for one candidate, puts someone in the White House who received millions of votes fewer than his/her opponent.
Donald Trump, using his own favorite word about Obamacare, is not only a disaster it would be more appropriate to say his rants have become monstrous. Whatever you personally thought of Hillary Clinton, can most of you not see what a difference her presidency might have been?
Michael Russnow’s website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com
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