jackelgull
An aberration of nature
This was written as a thought experiment to all those middle and upper class white people who protest that of course American democracy is infallible and Trump could never be a dictator even if he wanted to.
Now let me preface this by saying I don't think Trump can get rid of all pretenses of democracy, but democracy is not just limited to voting. It's in citizen participation in the decision making. In an undemocratic government, the only citizen participation allowed in the governing process is through riots. How many levels of opacity and coercion is there truly between a poorly functioning democracy and an undemocratic government parading as one?
So let me begin by noting the steps any would be dictator needs to take in order to seize control of the state.
1. Build an electorate
Before they can dream of starting a race war or what have you, a potential despot needs a power base, not only to allow access to the reigns of state, but also to draw coercive power from, free from bureaucratic checks and balances. Trump's already managed to this, drawing on the angry white guys crowd. Not only this, but he's supercharged them on a rhetoric of hate. There's no doubt in my mind that some would be willing to kill for him, to save their democracy. There certainly seemed to be a legitimate reason to fear violence had Hillary won. Of the 50 million that voted for Trump, let's be generous and say that one percent would be willing to use their guns in defense of their fuh, er sorry I meant president.
2. Gaining control over the mechanisms of the state
Now the mechanisms of the state are the agencies through which the state executes its executive, legislative and judicial responsibilities. So this means bureaucracies like the IRS, EPA, and many more, as well as Congress and the Supreme Court.
a) Executive branch
Well, Trump has already won this one. As per the rules Trump has plenty of spoils of war to hand out to his dedicated followers, ensuring their loyalty. All the cabinet positions as well as department heads.
b) Congress
The legislative branch will be a little more tricky. However, Trump has one advantage - he already has his party built, unlike Hitler who had to build his party over a decade. And they're the majority. It will be easier for him to keep them in his iron grip given that his electorate and theirs overlap, and his electorate is more motivated than theirs. So Trump can threaten to publicly denounce them and risk having them trounced in election season. Of course, this won't always work, especially in safe seats, but there are a few more weapons the president can bring up his sleeve. He can for example, threaten to veto all of the offending senator's bill, or any bill that has that man or woman's name attached to it, and make that man or woman's time in office a fight for every scrap. This will certainly scare their donors away. And he could resort to good old fashioned intimidation. He could ask one of his loyal follower's in the senators area to follow the man or woman around taking pictures and digging through trash to find any incriminating evidence. Even if there is none, the threat an be read clear enough - " I know where you live, and I have people". Who knows, maybe it might not even be just some follower, it might be the FBI, or CIA.
i) Legislation to pass
In order to keep a tighter grip on his Congress, and demoralize and destroy the opposition, an investigate corruption act can be passed by Congress giving the president and the executive branch the power to launch investigations for corruption. The president can use this to drag his enemies name through the mud ala Clinton email scandals. There are ways to make even the most innocuous things look sinister.
c) The Supreme Court.
Well considering that three appointments are up for grabs, I don't think Trump will have too much trouble with this one. However, he can always pass legislation he knows will be challenged in Court, and when the Court repeals his decisions, he can demonize them as the enemy of the public, as relics, as not worthy of respecting. I mean, it should be easy. Trump is a populist with a populist base, and courts and law is the opposite of democratic. And we've all heard the complaints of "activist judges" by conservatives. He can do this until respect for the Supreme Court is so low, the Courts can make a decision and Trump will say, "You've made your decision, now let's see you enforce it".
3. The media
I doubt I have to explain to anyone the power of propaganda and the media. It's the reason why diamonds are traditional for weddings for god's sakes. It has the power to move the public consciousness - and Trump needs to control it lest it expose his tactics and inspire a back lash. Slap lawsuits are certainly a way. Fox news is already in Trump's pocket, all Trump needs to do is destroy the alternatives or have them present the same narratives. This will probably be the hardest part, but once it is done the rest is just consolidation.
4. The army
A private force is nice and all, but once you have domestic power, earning the support of the army is paramount in keeping support and in ensuring favorable international footing. This'll probably include actually paying up for veteran benefits, and increasing military spending. It may also include a call by Trump for his loyal followers to join the military, which I expect many will tend to. A common insult of the liberals by the alt right is "****" a word insinuating a lack masculinity. In times in which people feel that society lacks manliness, glorification of the military as a bastion of masculine values follows. Pair that with a shakedown of potentially disloyal generals, and the note saying the military would press the red button if Trump told them to, and I don't see them resisting Trump's orders, especially if he frames them in a mostly legal framework, and not a straight up unconstitutional one.
I'm not saying it will happen, or that it will be this smooth and easy, but it isn't as impossible as people think, but it is possible and that's the scary thing. Feel free to mock me for fear mongering, or tell me relax (as if I haven't had enough condescension today) or engage and explain if I've missed something etc.
Now let me preface this by saying I don't think Trump can get rid of all pretenses of democracy, but democracy is not just limited to voting. It's in citizen participation in the decision making. In an undemocratic government, the only citizen participation allowed in the governing process is through riots. How many levels of opacity and coercion is there truly between a poorly functioning democracy and an undemocratic government parading as one?
So let me begin by noting the steps any would be dictator needs to take in order to seize control of the state.
1. Build an electorate
Before they can dream of starting a race war or what have you, a potential despot needs a power base, not only to allow access to the reigns of state, but also to draw coercive power from, free from bureaucratic checks and balances. Trump's already managed to this, drawing on the angry white guys crowd. Not only this, but he's supercharged them on a rhetoric of hate. There's no doubt in my mind that some would be willing to kill for him, to save their democracy. There certainly seemed to be a legitimate reason to fear violence had Hillary won. Of the 50 million that voted for Trump, let's be generous and say that one percent would be willing to use their guns in defense of their fuh, er sorry I meant president.
2. Gaining control over the mechanisms of the state
Now the mechanisms of the state are the agencies through which the state executes its executive, legislative and judicial responsibilities. So this means bureaucracies like the IRS, EPA, and many more, as well as Congress and the Supreme Court.
a) Executive branch
Well, Trump has already won this one. As per the rules Trump has plenty of spoils of war to hand out to his dedicated followers, ensuring their loyalty. All the cabinet positions as well as department heads.
b) Congress
The legislative branch will be a little more tricky. However, Trump has one advantage - he already has his party built, unlike Hitler who had to build his party over a decade. And they're the majority. It will be easier for him to keep them in his iron grip given that his electorate and theirs overlap, and his electorate is more motivated than theirs. So Trump can threaten to publicly denounce them and risk having them trounced in election season. Of course, this won't always work, especially in safe seats, but there are a few more weapons the president can bring up his sleeve. He can for example, threaten to veto all of the offending senator's bill, or any bill that has that man or woman's name attached to it, and make that man or woman's time in office a fight for every scrap. This will certainly scare their donors away. And he could resort to good old fashioned intimidation. He could ask one of his loyal follower's in the senators area to follow the man or woman around taking pictures and digging through trash to find any incriminating evidence. Even if there is none, the threat an be read clear enough - " I know where you live, and I have people". Who knows, maybe it might not even be just some follower, it might be the FBI, or CIA.
i) Legislation to pass
In order to keep a tighter grip on his Congress, and demoralize and destroy the opposition, an investigate corruption act can be passed by Congress giving the president and the executive branch the power to launch investigations for corruption. The president can use this to drag his enemies name through the mud ala Clinton email scandals. There are ways to make even the most innocuous things look sinister.
c) The Supreme Court.
Well considering that three appointments are up for grabs, I don't think Trump will have too much trouble with this one. However, he can always pass legislation he knows will be challenged in Court, and when the Court repeals his decisions, he can demonize them as the enemy of the public, as relics, as not worthy of respecting. I mean, it should be easy. Trump is a populist with a populist base, and courts and law is the opposite of democratic. And we've all heard the complaints of "activist judges" by conservatives. He can do this until respect for the Supreme Court is so low, the Courts can make a decision and Trump will say, "You've made your decision, now let's see you enforce it".
3. The media
I doubt I have to explain to anyone the power of propaganda and the media. It's the reason why diamonds are traditional for weddings for god's sakes. It has the power to move the public consciousness - and Trump needs to control it lest it expose his tactics and inspire a back lash. Slap lawsuits are certainly a way. Fox news is already in Trump's pocket, all Trump needs to do is destroy the alternatives or have them present the same narratives. This will probably be the hardest part, but once it is done the rest is just consolidation.
4. The army
A private force is nice and all, but once you have domestic power, earning the support of the army is paramount in keeping support and in ensuring favorable international footing. This'll probably include actually paying up for veteran benefits, and increasing military spending. It may also include a call by Trump for his loyal followers to join the military, which I expect many will tend to. A common insult of the liberals by the alt right is "****" a word insinuating a lack masculinity. In times in which people feel that society lacks manliness, glorification of the military as a bastion of masculine values follows. Pair that with a shakedown of potentially disloyal generals, and the note saying the military would press the red button if Trump told them to, and I don't see them resisting Trump's orders, especially if he frames them in a mostly legal framework, and not a straight up unconstitutional one.
I'm not saying it will happen, or that it will be this smooth and easy, but it isn't as impossible as people think, but it is possible and that's the scary thing. Feel free to mock me for fear mongering, or tell me relax (as if I haven't had enough condescension today) or engage and explain if I've missed something etc.
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