Trump: Totalitarian or Authoritarian?

This is an excellent article about mass movements of the type that is now led by Trump that disdain everything but "his tribe" and hate all other political parties, movements and people.  This article is an analysis of Kathleen Jone's writing (and others) and is deeply rooted in Hannah Arendt's work yet very up to date.

 President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Louisville, Ky., March 20, 2017. Trump is facing two lawsuits stemming from a 2016 event in Louisville: one filed by a black woman who was pushed toward the exit, and another by the white nationalist who tried to remove her. (Al Drago/The New York Times)

Speaking of the 1930's European "masses"drawn to fascism:

 She quoted Arendt's comment that these masses "remained unequivocally hostile to all existing political bodies. [Their] general mood was far more rebellious and [their] leaders were far more adept at revolutionary rhetoric."
    Jones explained that although the goals of the masses were vague and subject to frequent change, they consistently identified a conspiracy of enemies -- foreigners, especially Jews -- who they viewed as having fractured the social fabric of "the nation," and embraced an ideology of "enlarged tribal consciousness" and a movement to achieve its inchoate goals.
    According to Arendt, a vaguely defined ideology and a loose movement was "quite enough in a time which preferred a key to history to political action, when men in the midst of communal disintegration and social atomization wanted to belong at any price [emphasis added]."

The concept of the democratic party reaching Trump voters in this context (usually by moving to the right) is thus an suicidal mission.  Stopping the outward expressions of fascism and hate at town halls, public squares, schools, police forces and the halls of government that feeds the hate lust that builds the movement  is however absolutely necessary.  Deep and broad efforts to build a movement that addresses the root causes of "communal disintegration and social atomization" and the attendant political and economic disenfranchisement should be our principle goal. Just days after the stabbing murder of two Portland men defending a Muslim woman on a train by a white supremist. The regional GOP chair came out with this incredible and dangerous example of doublespeak suggesting that his "tribe's" right to to free speech is the victim and may need the protection of security provided by right wing militias at future rallies. This is indeed frightening and illustrates how everything and everybody outside their movements box is the enemy.

We of course have been sliding toward authoritarianism for many years (my first thoughts of leaving this country before it became a police state began ironically in 1984 -- it's why I now live in the North Bay on the left coast.)  I do not think this is going to stop. I have little faith in the American left and less in media. The established political group think and the mainstream media's obsession with  disparaging Trump while providing a 24/7 stage does nothing but move it forward.

 If I were to predict -- rather a very ugly collapse is in store for us before this is over.  Cheer up life is wonderful despite this insanity and reading quality writing such as this journalism gives me hope.  Speak truth to power.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40743-trump-totalitarian-or-authoritarian