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The Trump/Bill Barr/GOP response to the black lives matter protests/movement highlights not just the “slouching towards authoritarianism”, but the acceleration of the pace of authoritarianism into a full-blown sprint…1/ https://twitter.com/psychunseen/status/1275791090868764673
In a previous article, @psychunseen also analyzed how the “Firehose of Lies” is utilized in disinformation campaigns…. a fascist tool that has been repeatedly used by Trump, the GOP, and the Right Wing Media Echo Chamber. 2/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/202001/illusory-truth-lies-and-political-propaganda-part-2
In a follow up thread, I expanded upon and applied @psychunseen’s article on the “Fire Hose of Lies” to Trump, the Republican Party, and the Right Wing Media Echo Chamber….and the effect this has had on the country during Trump’s presidency… 3/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1225030897184886786
Authoritarianism is defined as the enforcement of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
Although the Right fetishizes “Freedom”, the reality is that they’ve sold their soul for Trump/judges that they hoped would deny other people freedom/rights....4/
Although the Right fetishizes “Freedom”, the reality is that they’ve sold their soul for Trump/judges that they hoped would deny other people freedom/rights....4/
Furthermore, fascism is defined as far-right, ultra-nationalistic authoritarianism that is characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong "regimentation" of society and the economy. 5/
True democracy relies upon the “consent of the governed” (the “many”) empowering a representative government (the “few”) to act on behalf of the many…
...whereas fascism exploits the power of government (“few”) to control, “suppress”, or “regiment” the governed (“many”)... 6/
...whereas fascism exploits the power of government (“few”) to control, “suppress”, or “regiment” the governed (“many”)... 6/
The core principles of a functioning Democracy are “majority rule” (majority of voters), and the protection of “minority rights”. 7/ https://www.civicsnation.org/2018/06/11/democracy-majority-minority-rights/
Unfortunately, the U.S. no longer has a functioning democracy. Instead, the U.S has devolved into minority rule, where those in power corruptly engage in tyrannical/authoritarian/fascist actions in order to cling to power over the “many”….8/ https://www.vox.com/2018/9/12/17850980/democracy-tyranny-minority-mob-rule-james-madison
There are a number of reasons why and how America’s democracy became broken. Perhaps the most obvious is an antiquated constitutionally-sanctioned, anti-democratic Electoral College system that inherently allows for minority rule. 9/ https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/1/30/20997046/constitution-electoral-college-senate-popular-vote-trump
This was on display in 2016 when Trump won the election despite losing by 3 million votes. Some have estimated that if he wins again, that deficit could grow to as many as 5 million votes. 10/ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/how-trump-could-lose-5-million-votes-still-win-2020-n1031601
Another way to maintain “minority rule” is for those in power to weaken their opponents’ advantage, while amplifying the power of their own advantage. Or put another way, to enforce obedience by suppressing the opposition by “economic regimentation”…11/
For years, the GOP, on behalf of the “donor class”, has disempowered the “opposition” with a two-part strategy:
1.Increase their economic advantage (income gap disparity) over “the many”
2.Increase the power/effect/role that advantage (money) has in the political process. 12/
1.Increase their economic advantage (income gap disparity) over “the many”
2.Increase the power/effect/role that advantage (money) has in the political process. 12/
This economic regimentation has been achieved by first inciting the highly emotionally-charged cultural civil war divisions to increase their economic advantage (record level income inequality gap),… 13/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1262361626042265600
…..and then by manipulating and exploiting the political/governmental/judicial process in order to amplify the power of that economic advantage: Citizens United….. 14/ https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained
This thread explores Citizens United and consolidating “power in the few”, through the lens of the Browning of America, and immigration….. 15/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1120290957159624704
[Sidenote…..there was actually a third option that seemingly was being employed early in Trump’s presidency: 16/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1194586895516237824
The GOP has also attempted to “suppress the opposition” through “societal regimentation”:
....lack of health care..
...voter disenfranchisement...
.....systemic racism.
18/
....lack of health care..
...voter disenfranchisement...
.....systemic racism.
18/
The culture war is an attempt to implement a form of cultural “regimentation”.
Anti-Immigration Nationalism is driven by the desire for ethnic “regimentation”.
At it’s core, systemic racism has authoritarian underpinnings, because….19/
Anti-Immigration Nationalism is driven by the desire for ethnic “regimentation”.
At it’s core, systemic racism has authoritarian underpinnings, because….19/
…there is often is an authoritarianism thread that weaves through law enforcement, Right Wing government, and even religion. 20/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1198685705410469889
In fact, religious authoritarianism has become an increasingly prominent factor in the U.S. government’s creep/slouch/sprint towards authoritarianism….21/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1198685708241653760
I’ve written many threads analyzing the interplay between Trump, the Right Wing media Echo Chamber, and “Authoritarian followers”…..as well as the role authoritarian followers play in propping up a sociopathic narcissistic demagogue….22/ https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1166306576161918982
Circling back to the black lives matter protests, law enforcement, and Trump’s/Barr’s/GOP’s response….Although not all cops are racist, authoritarian personalities (followers) are drawn to law enforcement in disproportionate numbers. 28/
One of the Right’s main arguments against the existence of systemic racism is that the country has evolved and changed considerably since 1968. Although that may be true,.. 29/
….when authoritarian followers disproportionately represent the government, it results in policies that don't accurately represent the majority of the country…..and the overaggressive/unequal enforcement of those policies by disproportionately represented police departments…30
We are seeing this with the George Floyd protests, where the overwhelming majority of the country is in disagreement with Trump’s/Barr’s/the Republican Party’s rhetoric. 31/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/09/floyd-protests-have-changed-public-opinion-about-race-policing-heres-data/
I’ll finish with an observation about how fascism underlies racism, while also drawing some cultural parallels to historical fascist movements: 32/
The confederate flag was the original red MAGA hat. The confederate flag symbolizes the glorification of a shameful inhumane/treasonous history, and the longing for a future that never existed (secession). In many ways, 33/
…..the Confederacy parallels Nazi Germany because like Nazi Germany, the Confederacy was a fascist movement that was eradicated before it could reach full maturation.....yet both still managed to kill and inhumanely enslave/intern millions of people.....34/
Yet, even today we're locked in a politicized battle with factions of society to preserve the symbolism that celebrates the inhumanity of a failed fascist movement, and a treasonous succession that never came into existence......35/
The difference is that in Germany, the “Make-Germany-Great-Again” movement (Nazis) represent a relatively small minority of the country…..whereas in the U.S., the fascists represent a large portion of what’s left of one of the two major political parties. 36/
The hypocritical irony, is that when the Left has explained, if not excused, the oppressive brutality of other countries/religions as showing respect for other "cultures"……
.....the Right has (often justifiably) lost its mind in its opposition to that “culture”. 37/
.....the Right has (often justifiably) lost its mind in its opposition to that “culture”. 37/
Yet, when a long overdue movement attempts to reform not just the centuries-long practice of brutal oppression, but to cease honoring its symbols…..the Right suddenly morphs into cultural snowflakes who melt over the lack of respect/reverence shown to their Dixie “Culture”. 38/
Related, relevant thread: https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1285585319736352768
