The Man Who Would Be King

 

     “No political truth is of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty: The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” —James Madison, Federalist 47 

     “All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body. The concentrating of these in the same hands, is precisely the definition of despotic government. An ELECTIVE DESPOTISM was not the government we fought for; but one ... in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.” (emphasis Jefferson’s) — Thomas Jefferson, commentary on Federalist 48

 (By American Zen's Mike Flannigan, on loan from Ari) 

Even in a supposedly flattering AI rendering, Donald Trump can't hide his fear. He looks scared, cowardly, unsure of his surroundings, which, one supposes, isn't necessarily at odds with a coddled rich boy who was so frightened of going to Vietnam that he got five deferments citing fictional bone spurs.

    The screengrab above is, of course, taken from an AI video that Trump thought to post on his Truth Social account showing him dumping enormous amounts of shit on American citizens in Times Square during the No Kings rallies from earlier this month, starting with Harry Sisson. The so-called wag  who'd created it (note the reckless placing of the oxygen mask, leaving the nose exposed) had the brazen nerve to use Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" from the Top Gun soundtrack. It's perfectly emblematic of the contempt that Trump feels for all Americans not in the 1%.

    This "Let them eat shit" attitude is eerily consistent with someone who has royal or dictatorial ambitions, and Trump has more than flirted with both. In fact, his very contempt for those who criticize him alone gives legitimacy to the No Kings protests. We got more than a glimpse of this on the campaign trail last year when Trump vowed to be "your retribution", although he didn't specify retribution for what. He also channeled Hitler and Goebbels when he called Americans "vermin".

     Eliminationist rhetoric is part and parcel to dictators and wouldbe dictators. It's a common tactic used by these types in order to divide a population, create a fictional enemy and Otherize those deemed disloyal to the state. Hitler did it with the Jews. Trump? Anyone who opposes or criticizes him. And when you have a strongman at the top of the government, there will always be plenty of those who revel in their cruelty and sadism just quivering to do his bidding. Make no mistake about it- Fascism and fascistic tendencies have been a fixed feature in American society since before Mussolini's march on Rome.

    Trump has already invaded Los Angeles, Washington DC, Portland Oregon, Chicago, Illinois and now he has his crosshairs trained on San Francisco, California. You don't need to be a genius to see that the one thing these places have in common- They're run by Democratic mayors in states run by Democratic governors. And his brazen lies about violence and crimes rates aren't even necessary because if you're a government goon, you don't need facts. All you need are your marching orders.

     Yet, the violation of the sovereignty of our cities' streets (And, at least in the case of LA, a violation of Posse Comitatus), is just one facet of Trump's authoritarian tendencies. A whistle-blower at HHS recently revealed to the Huffington Post that the White House is using loyalty oaths as part of the year-end performance reviews. It says in part, “Faithful administration of one’s role in the Executive Branch requires commitment to the principles of the Founding, including equality under the law and democratic self-government. All Senior Professionals must clearly and demonstrably support implementation of the President’s policy priorities through specific results that align with and advance the President’s specific policy agenda.”

     Enforced loyalty oaths are a clear indicator of fear and it's fear that motivates every autocrat. Because if one thought their policies were popular and supported, they wouldn't need the full weight of the government to artificially enforce allegiance on those with little power. Every dictator fears a public uprising, a rebellion, a revolution, which is why they always have brutal thugs to do their bidding. This was why the No Kings protests bothered Trump so much and why he lashed out at the 7,000,000 people who'd taken part in it. The First Amendment protecting peaceful assembly be damned.

    This loyalty oath would have horrified the Founding Fathers, especially John Adams, who once wrote that we are a nation of laws and not men. And virtually all of them warned us about an authoritarian figure who held much if not all of the government's power in his hands. This was why the Founding Fathers created the separation of powers, with three co-equal branches of government, checks and balances.

    The problem is, the type they'd warned us about isn't interested in sharing power. They feel they need the rest of the government to be an extension of their will. This is why Trump refers to military leadership as "my generals", why he regards the Department of Justice as his personal law firm existing solely to punish his enemies or self-perceived enemies.

     But when a strongman dies, the agenda often dies along with him. Trump will be gone soon enough. But there's always the danger that this time, the fascistic infrastructure he'll leave behind will remain standing. True, no one in the Republican party has the crude charisma that Trump wields but sometimes charisma isn't as important as the Agenda. 

     The grinning psychopaths behind and around Trump know he's an idiot who isn't long for this world. Nonetheless, they propped him up as if he represented a viable future for the Republican Party and America. But in reality, it's obvious they regard him as a tottering Trojan horse that will rubber stamp their agenda and all they have to tell him to get him sign those EOs is that it will cause pain for his enemies.

      Which is literally 99% of the population.

      This will not end well.