I have yet to read the article but i am going to start momentarily. My comment is on the idea that this is a 21st Century phenomenon. It actually was lying dormant after the Progressive Era when gains were made regarding working conditions, collective bargaining and child labor laws. The Robber Baron, or Guilded Age, was the first roots of Fascism, it just was not an available label at the time. Immediately following the end of World War II the Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act, largely with the total support of the GOP and sadly a significant contingent of the Democrats. (Knowing that at that time the Democratic Party was more influenced by Racism and Jim Crow than it is now.) That was the first salvo in the destruction of the nation. (We do have to keep in mind that America First was a major part of the prewar landscape and was populated by the likes of Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh and a Congress full of American Firsters who attempted to pull off a coup but were never prosecuted. Oddly enough they were mostly GOP members as well. The 21st Century component is simply the last stages of the long term strategy of the GOP, couched in performative religion (to give it legitimacy among the fundamentalists), performative patriotism (seen in “support the troops” rhetoric, anti-protest faux rage, and of course Fox News and the mini-me clones of News Max and OAN. This has been a long time coming, we were just a bit froggy in the pan as it heated up.
You’re forgetting the importance of the Electoral College and the malapportioned Senate. Yes, there are a lot of poorly informed voters, but they’re not a majority. They have disproportionate power in our system largely because of the EC and Senate. Trump lost the PV in 2016 and 2020, and is highly likely to do so again in 2024; the only reason he has a credible chance is the EC’s bias towards rural areas means the Dem candidate has to win the PV by 4-5% to win the EC. The Senate is even worse. IOW, the playing field isn’t level, and that’s a huge part of the problem.
Thank you. I don’t disagree with much of what you’re saying (btw I had the same disagreement with Tom Nichols, a writer I admire, recently), but I think it’s important to remember that the majority of the country doesn’t support RW authoritarianism. The group that does is unfortunately over-empowered by our system. That’s a huge problem, as is the fact that a significant minority does support authoritarianism, but those are somewhat different problems than a majority being in favor of authoritarianism.
Thanks. I have to watch my article lengths. If I go on too long, many people won't bother to read them. And at 1500 words-plus, this piece reached my limit. Your point is so spot on, however, I may wedge in a sentence on the structural problems.
Thank you for being open to my perspective. I totally understand the concern about length. Periodically I have to remind myself to shut up before my students tune me out. 😉
I have yet to read the article but i am going to start momentarily. My comment is on the idea that this is a 21st Century phenomenon. It actually was lying dormant after the Progressive Era when gains were made regarding working conditions, collective bargaining and child labor laws. The Robber Baron, or Guilded Age, was the first roots of Fascism, it just was not an available label at the time. Immediately following the end of World War II the Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act, largely with the total support of the GOP and sadly a significant contingent of the Democrats. (Knowing that at that time the Democratic Party was more influenced by Racism and Jim Crow than it is now.) That was the first salvo in the destruction of the nation. (We do have to keep in mind that America First was a major part of the prewar landscape and was populated by the likes of Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh and a Congress full of American Firsters who attempted to pull off a coup but were never prosecuted. Oddly enough they were mostly GOP members as well. The 21st Century component is simply the last stages of the long term strategy of the GOP, couched in performative religion (to give it legitimacy among the fundamentalists), performative patriotism (seen in “support the troops” rhetoric, anti-protest faux rage, and of course Fox News and the mini-me clones of News Max and OAN. This has been a long time coming, we were just a bit froggy in the pan as it heated up.
You’re forgetting the importance of the Electoral College and the malapportioned Senate. Yes, there are a lot of poorly informed voters, but they’re not a majority. They have disproportionate power in our system largely because of the EC and Senate. Trump lost the PV in 2016 and 2020, and is highly likely to do so again in 2024; the only reason he has a credible chance is the EC’s bias towards rural areas means the Dem candidate has to win the PV by 4-5% to win the EC. The Senate is even worse. IOW, the playing field isn’t level, and that’s a huge part of the problem.
Good point.
Thank you. I don’t disagree with much of what you’re saying (btw I had the same disagreement with Tom Nichols, a writer I admire, recently), but I think it’s important to remember that the majority of the country doesn’t support RW authoritarianism. The group that does is unfortunately over-empowered by our system. That’s a huge problem, as is the fact that a significant minority does support authoritarianism, but those are somewhat different problems than a majority being in favor of authoritarianism.
Thanks. I have to watch my article lengths. If I go on too long, many people won't bother to read them. And at 1500 words-plus, this piece reached my limit. Your point is so spot on, however, I may wedge in a sentence on the structural problems.
Thank you for being open to my perspective. I totally understand the concern about length. Periodically I have to remind myself to shut up before my students tune me out. 😉