Democracy or dictatorship - the choice for Americans in November 2024
12 March 2024
This next election is about whether the United States will continue as a democracy or become a dictatorship for the foreseeable future.
Donald J. Trump loves dictators:
Former President Donald Trump met Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as the likely Republican presidential nominee continued his embrace of autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions.
Orbán has become an icon to some conservative populists for championing what he calls “illiberal democracy,” replete with restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. But he’s also cracked down on the press and judiciary in his country and rejiggered the country’s political system to keep his party in power while maintaining the closest relationship with Russia among all European Union countries.
In the video, Trump praised Orbán to a laughing crowd. “He’s a non-controversial figure because he says, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it. Right?” Trump said of the Hungarian prime minister. “He’s the boss.”
The meeting also comes as Trump has continued to embrace authoritarians of all ideological stripes. He’s praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Orbán’s government has reciprocated, repeatedly praising the former president. Washington Post
In today’s blog, historian Heather Cox Richardson also describes Donald J. Trump’s love affair with dictators:
In excerpts from his forthcoming book that appeared on the CNN website today, journalist Jim Sciutto reported conversations with Trump’s second chief of staff, General John Kelly, and Trump’s third national security advisor, John Bolton, in which the men recounted Trump’s fondness for dictators. “He views himself as a big guy,” Bolton told Sciutto. “He likes dealing with other big guys, and big guys like Erdogan in Turkey get to put people in jail and you don’t have to ask anybody’s permission. He kind of likes that.” “He’s not a tough guy by any means, but in fact quite the opposite,” Kelly said. “But that’s how he envisions himself.”
Kelly noted that Trump praised Hitler and what he thought was the loyalty of Hitler’s generals (some of whom actually tried to assassinate him), but both Kelly and Bolton noted that he “most consistently lavished praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Certainly, Trump prizes loyalty to himself: today Alex Isenstadt of Politico reported a “bloodbath” at the Republican National Committee as the incoming Trump loyalists are pushing out more than 60 RNC officials and staffers to make sure everyone is “aligned” with Trump. Source
If Trump is elected, it may be the last free election for the United States for some time. Trump and his Republican followers agree, as noted at the Conservative Political Action Conference:
“Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely,” Posobiec said as the event began. 23Feb24, The New Republic.
We get the government we deserve. Each one of us needs to pledge to work to defend democracy, not just by voting for pro-democracy candidates and political parties (which means President Biden and the Democratic Party), but by being more involved in the political process, in some way:
We can blame poor political leadership, a corrupt right-wing media and voting restrictions, to name a few, for the rise of a right-wing, authoritarian movement. However, ultimately, democracy is our collective responsibility. Republican primary voters know exactly who Trump is and what he plans for a second term (tyranny); we can blame them if they nevertheless imperil our democracy again by nominating him.
When tens of millions of Americans reject the premise of our Constitution, resort to fascist methods to hold power and demand the country be redefined along racial and religious lines, no structural remodeling nor crop of virtuous politicians can save the republic.
So, yes, reform the system and vote for better people, but the only real solution to what ails us is a surge of democratic activism, civic involvement and collective rededication to our constitutional system. If that happens, the rest will follow. Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
What are you going to do?
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Scary as hell, Nat, and every word true. Well, except maybe for that part where you say "If Trump wins, that may be the last election for some time." In reality, it may be the last election seen by any American now alive. Look at what it took to get a democratic government back in Germany after Hitler. Look at what lengths Putin would evidently go to in order to retain power. Look at Trump's insane best friend in North Korea. Remember, in the novel that introduced most of us born after WWII to the idea of autocracy, what was said to Winston Smith near the end of "1984:
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever. ”