There are many factors which are pushing America in the direction of fascism, far more than I or anyone else could fully discuss without writing a book. But things like this don't happen in a vacuum. A country with weak democratic traditions like Hungary or Poland, or in social upheaval and economic chaos like Spain or Germany in the 1…
There are many factors which are pushing America in the direction of fascism, far more than I or anyone else could fully discuss without writing a book. But things like this don't happen in a vacuum. A country with weak democratic traditions like Hungary or Poland, or in social upheaval and economic chaos like Spain or Germany in the 1930s may be likely to turn to a strongman, but it is difficult to see how this could happen in a stable country with strong social institutions. From that perspective, the implication is that America's foundations are in serious trouble, which unfortunately is no surprise. And one or two elections may slow the rightward drift but are not going to fix it.
To my mind part of the problem is that people have become conditioned to being told what to do by the state and to the point where many feel helpless. And a population that gives up is ripe for a takeover. Each little step in control over them may have been taken for good reasons and without any long term plan, but the result is the same as though they were. Consider just the amount of paperwork typically involved in hiring a single person, or what it takes to file a tax return of any complexity. Carry the idea further, drug testing, body scanners at airports, the need to show identification to check into a hotel, metal detectors in absurd places like minor league baseball stadiums and now even some theaters...as people get conditioned to such abuses their sense of control will continually erode. (Seen in this way outlawing abortions is simply a logical part of the process.) Then too even the ability of a person to be an independent worker has declined. Truckers, pharmacists, physicians, farmers...the list goes on of occupations where one must join a corporation to survive.
As a final point there is a contradictory process which works in favor of totalitarian rule. On the one hand citizens may feel less and less in control of the levers of power. In post-Citizens United America people know that they have virtually no influence beyond the immediate level. In fact, what is a citizen's sense of being "an American"? Using the money of the state, maybe having a passport, saluting a flag and singing about being free, perhaps half recalling some school lessons, paying taxes...all together this is not an investment in maintaining the country and leaves the doors open to those who do have an agenda.
On the other hand, I suspect many Americans sense their nation is declining. No public figures are admitting this, and those citizens who notice enough to be uneasy will often not know what questions to ask to dig deeper. That leaves the path open for a demagogue who will promise to turn things around, as we saw all too well in 2016. A genuine plan is not needed, just the promise of one, perhaps wrapped in a mindless slogan. History is littered with tyrants who came to power on such a basis, because scared people don't think clearly.
I wish that I had an easy answer, but real change is a project of generations. Putin hijacked Russia's move into being a decent modern country and Trump and those around him certainly would drag us in the same way. Schools should do a much better job of teaching civics and history, but these often were not well done and in these areas their classes are increasing being muzzled. But then teaching people to think is a threat to every system of power. Perhaps we can turn this trend around and perhaps not. No tyranny lasts forever, but that certainly does not help the people who are caught in one.
There are many factors which are pushing America in the direction of fascism, far more than I or anyone else could fully discuss without writing a book. But things like this don't happen in a vacuum. A country with weak democratic traditions like Hungary or Poland, or in social upheaval and economic chaos like Spain or Germany in the 1930s may be likely to turn to a strongman, but it is difficult to see how this could happen in a stable country with strong social institutions. From that perspective, the implication is that America's foundations are in serious trouble, which unfortunately is no surprise. And one or two elections may slow the rightward drift but are not going to fix it.
To my mind part of the problem is that people have become conditioned to being told what to do by the state and to the point where many feel helpless. And a population that gives up is ripe for a takeover. Each little step in control over them may have been taken for good reasons and without any long term plan, but the result is the same as though they were. Consider just the amount of paperwork typically involved in hiring a single person, or what it takes to file a tax return of any complexity. Carry the idea further, drug testing, body scanners at airports, the need to show identification to check into a hotel, metal detectors in absurd places like minor league baseball stadiums and now even some theaters...as people get conditioned to such abuses their sense of control will continually erode. (Seen in this way outlawing abortions is simply a logical part of the process.) Then too even the ability of a person to be an independent worker has declined. Truckers, pharmacists, physicians, farmers...the list goes on of occupations where one must join a corporation to survive.
As a final point there is a contradictory process which works in favor of totalitarian rule. On the one hand citizens may feel less and less in control of the levers of power. In post-Citizens United America people know that they have virtually no influence beyond the immediate level. In fact, what is a citizen's sense of being "an American"? Using the money of the state, maybe having a passport, saluting a flag and singing about being free, perhaps half recalling some school lessons, paying taxes...all together this is not an investment in maintaining the country and leaves the doors open to those who do have an agenda.
On the other hand, I suspect many Americans sense their nation is declining. No public figures are admitting this, and those citizens who notice enough to be uneasy will often not know what questions to ask to dig deeper. That leaves the path open for a demagogue who will promise to turn things around, as we saw all too well in 2016. A genuine plan is not needed, just the promise of one, perhaps wrapped in a mindless slogan. History is littered with tyrants who came to power on such a basis, because scared people don't think clearly.
I wish that I had an easy answer, but real change is a project of generations. Putin hijacked Russia's move into being a decent modern country and Trump and those around him certainly would drag us in the same way. Schools should do a much better job of teaching civics and history, but these often were not well done and in these areas their classes are increasing being muzzled. But then teaching people to think is a threat to every system of power. Perhaps we can turn this trend around and perhaps not. No tyranny lasts forever, but that certainly does not help the people who are caught in one.