Lies Are the Building Blocks of Trumpian Authoritarianism

[Nevilledog]

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Bill Kristol
@BillKristol
Terrific piece by @saletan, emphasizing the important of lies to today's American authoritarianism. The followers believe they're defending the republic. One footnote: The liars don't believe those lies. They despise the real, existing, American republic.

thebulwark.com
Lies Are the Building Blocks of Trumpian Authoritarianism - The Bulwark
Deceit and the danger to democracy.
7:57 AM · Feb 7, 2022

https://www.thebulwark.com/lies-are-the-building-blocks-of-trumpian-authoritarianism/


Americans like to think our country is immune to authoritarianism. We have a culture of freedom, a tradition of elected government, and a Bill of Rights. We’re not like those European countries that fell into fascism. We’d never willingly abandon democracy, liberty, or the rule of law.

But that’s not how authoritarianism would come to America. In fact, it’s not how authoritarianism has come to America. The movement to dismantle our democracy is thriving and growing, even after the failure of the Jan. 6th coup attempt, because it isn’t spreading through overt rejection of our system of government. It’s spreading through lies.

It turns out that you don’t have to renounce any of our nation’s founding principles to betray them. All you have to do is believe lies: that real ballots are fake, that prosecutors are criminals, and that insurrectionists are political prisoners. Once you believe these things, you’re ready to disenfranchise your fellow citizens in the name of democracy. You’re ready to cover up crimes in the name of fighting corruption. You’re ready to liberate coup plotters in the name of justice.

And that’s where we are. Donald Trump and his party have sold these lies to more than 100 million Americans. He has built an army of authoritarian followers who think they’re saving the republic.

*snip*

[sop]

1. "They seem to have an almost religious belief that democracy will endure

no matter how many lies poison it—that the status quo is strong and sustainable, and will outlive Trump. This is an unthinking faith, allowing people to believe democracy can withstand anything. Far from making democracy invincible, this sort of blithe confidence makes it vulnerable. It gives us license to indulge our grievances regardless of the consequences." - David Runciman, "How Democracy Ends" (2018)

[tanyev]

3. Kick