Comments on: December 7, 2015, Day of Infamy https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/08/day-of-infamy/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:45:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/08/day-of-infamy/#comment-34506 Robert Tue, 08 Dec 2015 19:29:43 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=53476#comment-34506 I was idly thinking about a top post with that title, because it's striking how this year in right wing politics has been a laboratory, almost a textbook example, of how a population of right wing authoritarians interacts with a fascist demagogue. Any fascist demagogue. Any demagogue who fits the bill of a strong man hitting all the standard pressure points of fear and xenophobia was guaranteed to win their hearts. Remember the frontrunners just before Trump announced in May, even then competing for the title of Junior Fascist; Trump didn't invent immigrant-bashing, he just rode it to the top. Which is why, not so paradoxically, I think you're underestimating Donald Trump. Or more properly, the passionate hunger of America's right wing authoritarians for a symbolic father figure who'll take away all their fears and make them feel safe again, while mercilessly fellating their little white supremacist egos. Wondering who will get Trump's followers if he crashes is immaterial; they'll flock to the next-most-fascist candidate, and pressure him to become the fascist strong man they're looking for. That's why this wasn't the year of Donald Trump, It was the Year of Right Wing Authoritarians. As loud and destructive as the RWAs are, I don't think that America's RWAs amount to more than about a third of the population. But with the pathetically low voter turnouts we've been seeing in recent years, an enraged and hateful and motivated minority really does have the mathematical chops to take over. There is one way that Donald Trump is hurting his/their own cause: He's scary enough to motivate sane people to vote in opposition to him. For anybody but Trump. Which is a pathetic outcome for our once-proud democracy, but it's still one step short of actually succumbing to fascism. I'll settle for what I can get. I was idly thinking about a top post with that title, because it’s striking how this year in right wing politics has been a laboratory, almost a textbook example, of how a population of right wing authoritarians interacts with a fascist demagogue.

Any fascist demagogue. Any demagogue who fits the bill of a strong man hitting all the standard pressure points of fear and xenophobia was guaranteed to win their hearts. Remember the frontrunners just before Trump announced in May, even then competing for the title of Junior Fascist; Trump didn’t invent immigrant-bashing, he just rode it to the top.

Which is why, not so paradoxically, I think you’re underestimating Donald Trump. Or more properly, the passionate hunger of America’s right wing authoritarians for a symbolic father figure who’ll take away all their fears and make them feel safe again, while mercilessly fellating their little white supremacist egos. Wondering who will get Trump’s followers if he crashes is immaterial; they’ll flock to the next-most-fascist candidate, and pressure him to become the fascist strong man they’re looking for.

That’s why this wasn’t the year of Donald Trump, It was the Year of Right Wing Authoritarians.

As loud and destructive as the RWAs are, I don’t think that America’s RWAs amount to more than about a third of the population. But with the pathetically low voter turnouts we’ve been seeing in recent years, an enraged and hateful and motivated minority really does have the mathematical chops to take over.

There is one way that Donald Trump is hurting his/their own cause: He’s scary enough to motivate sane people to vote in opposition to him. For anybody but Trump. Which is a pathetic outcome for our once-proud democracy, but it’s still one step short of actually succumbing to fascism. I’ll settle for what I can get.

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