Democracy vs. Fascism
In a democracy, truth holds power at bay. When the Watergate tapes come out, Nixon is forced to resign. Cancer curbs smoking, eventually. Harvey Weinstein is brought down by the women he assaulted.
Under fascism, power overwhelms the truth. Uyghuers are terrorists who must be controlled by the state. Women are freed by the hijab. Navalny dies in prison.
The men and systems Trump is constantly expressing admiration for — Putin’s Russia, Kim’s North Korea, Xi’s China, and even Hitler’s Germany (“he did a lot of good things”) are all systems where a leader decides the truth, and people go along or become enemies of the state.
When he says his crowd was bigger than MLK’s, or that the election was stolen, or that immigrants are eating the dogs, he doesn’t do so because he believes those things are true. He does so because he doesn’t care. He says those things to assert power over his followers, who express their loyalty by agreeing with him.
The change is already underway. The war on institutions meant to empower the truth in our democracy — the “fake news,” the “deep state,” the “corrupt judges,” and the “rigged election” — has been going on since Trump came down the escalator in 2015. There’s no doubt those institutions were flawed. But were they more flawed than a thrice married, six-time bankrupt, twice-impeached ex President, indicted 61 times, convicted 34, and already sentenced for both sexual assault and fraud?
When you’re alone in that booth, or about to seal that envelope, think long and hard about whether this is the man you want to give power — even power willing to do some things you want — over the truth.
That’s what he’s telling us he wants, one lie at a time. Once he has it, he and the government he will build on loyalty instead of patriotism won’t be giving it back without a fight.
