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@wdlindsy@toad.socialScott Nelson and Bradley Klein maintain that,
"The Democratic Party in particular, and liberalism in general, seriously underestimate the emotional and affective dimensions of right-wing authoritarianism in America."
As they note, there's a deep strand of authoritarian thinking in sectors of US culture that has been there for a long time now. Trump has proven skilled at tapping into it — and the Republican party at using it.
#Trump #authoritarianism #democracy
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https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-republican-appeal-cultural-animus-2024
What Trump offers, which appeals to many Americans:
"What’s different about Trumpism is the way he lets vast numbers of a disgruntled populace know that it’s okay to offend, to attack, to break the law, to evade the regulatory culture required to sustain political and economic life. The psychological ease he affords those feeling vulnerable is extremely powerful. Put simply, it amounts to community building for those who have felt excluded."
And, as Nelson and Kiein note, while Trump's followers gorge themselves on cruelty, while they eat up the transgressive invitation to hate openly, they ignore the very center of the GOP agenda — "what’s happening behind the scenes — the GOP’s wholesale dismantling of New Deal policies and agencies that created the middle class whose disappearance they now mourn."
They're so excited to hurt others that they have no recognition they're hurting themselves.
@wdlindsy I disagree with the last sentence. How have his White supporters been excluded? And by whom?
@kaydenpat I would say their point is that these people roiling with resentment have "felt" excluded — not that they actually have been excluded.
@wdlindsy True. I agree with that.
@wdlindsy this post terrifies me. I see this mirrored in the UK. 'Permission' has been given to be openly racist and some are taken advantage of the change in climate.
I don't know if I was previously deluded, but what I thought was my country is no more.
I wish I could see a turning point and I fear what may have to happen to bring it about.
@TalktoBeverley Yes, I see this trend happening in many places. It's one reason chaos agents like Steve Bannon deliberately want to induce chaos in various societies — and why they welcome the chaos produced by climate change. Their hope is to use the fear and anxiety created by chaos to goad people to target minority communities. They think that creating these social conditions will drive people to an authoritarian solution to the chaos.
@TalktoBeverley Good commentary.
@wdlindsy This is absolutely brilliant. Must read!
@seth_88278 I agree — a very good piece of commentary.