Authoritarianism Expert Predicts Why The GOP Will Implode, For Good

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat thinks the GOP’s increasingly extreme positions can only backfire on the party.

-snip-

The GOP is now an autocratic entity, hollowed out and in its “bunker stage” with its fervent support of former President Donald Trump, she argued.

But things can only go one way for Republicans, who are “so out of step with popular desires,” the academic said.

-snip-

“They already didn’t win the popular vote, and now being so extreme, they’ll alienate more and more Americans,” she said. “I don’t have a time frame for it. It has to happen before 2024, but we will get through this and our democracy will be strengthened as a result.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/authoritarianism-expert-predicts-why-gop-122345456.html

We'll see.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I agree. They can't fool enough of the people.

[Demsrule86]

2. I agree completely.

[mopinko]

3. she's my fave follow in the cesspool.

1 of the voices i lift up every chance i get, which is y i’m still there.

[Celerity]

54. 'If [Trump] gets back into power, he'll never leave,' says authoritarian expert

?si=0HoZGOx4Pz8GPyuq

[Delphinus]

59. Thank you

I've been away for a bit so missed that piece. She is great.

[Brainfodder]

4. Awaiting TFG support to tank once all these trials begin & OVERWHELMING AF evidence enters chat?

[Walleye]

6. He is terrified of the televising of the Georgia trial

The few videos I’ve seen of him in court he looks a lot different. Deflated passive resistance. He’s afraid to say anything to the prosecutor because he knew he will lie

[cilla4progress]

5. Encouraging!

Thanks.

[lindysalsagal]

7. I think deathsantis' recent free fall indicates this thesis is correct

He enacts trumping laws an talks like Trump. But it's a loser because the nihilism is unsustainable.

[Sky Jewels]

12. Yeah, Trump is a cult of personality, not a cult of policies.

DeSaster can try to imitate Trump's asshole-dictator schtick, but it's not the real deal and he'll never be Dear Leader, so it doesn't work.

[yardwork]

15. It is interesting how certain personalities become enormously popular.

I don't see it at all, but apparently millions of Americans are enthralled with Trump. It's not his "policies" - such as they are, they're all over the place. It's what he says and how he says it. He's truly a cult leader.

[Sky Jewels]

21. Yes. They like his "policies" only because he made them up.

It doesn't matter what the actual "policy" or opinion is. If Dear Leader says something is good, it's good. If He says it's bad, it's bad. And if he changes his mind, they instantly change their minds.

[Joinfortmill]

36. I think he built up a mythical image over decades especially the TV series where he 'fired' everyone

[3catwoman3]

19. He doesn't have any policies...

…except saving his own ass.

[Beartracks]

37. That's been his policy/schtick/M.O. for decades.

Trump just looks out for Numero Uno. That's it. No one else matters.

===========

[I_UndergroundPanther]

56. Imagine if he managed to become

President he would make a couple of laws .

# 1 We would be forced to eat pudding cups with our fingers or by law or its a felony.

# 2 We would all have to wear awful white boots every day or its a felony.

[Bev54]

8. Is there anything we can do to speed it up?

[ismnotwasm]

22. +1

[Joinfortmill]

38. No kidding.

[CaptainTruth]

42. Spread the word on just how radical the GOP has become.

I've found a lot of folks who don't follow closely don't know about all the GOP attacks on our freedom & democracy.

[Skittles]

43. get everyone who doesn't support these assholes to VOTE

AND KEEP ON VOTING!

[Cosmocat]

9. Skeptical

the one thing they have done through all their relentless propoganda and screaming is lead most of the country to believe WE are the problem.

That we are craven, subhuman, country and god hating spawns of satan.

And, frankly, in my over half a century I have seen this country indulge right wing/republican/GOP lunacy time after time after time. They RARELY are held accountable for anything, and when they do suffer some consquences the country comes back to give them power very quickly once again.

Example - W lied the country into Iraq, which blew up in his face and right wing policies led to the housing bubble which cratered our economy. We made gains in the mid term in Ws' second term and then had a fairly big election to get BHO into office.

They then did the Tea Party shit, which was basically just them throwing a low grade Jan 6 fit across the country, and ran against THEIR version of health care reform and won the biggest mid term win in our lives in 2010. There was absolutely no reason for this country to give them power again, especially with the wave of lunatics that was on the ballot that election, but ...

We managed to get BHO reelected, but then Trump.

This country elected a relentlessly immoral lunatic as POTUS over a decent and highly effective public servants, cause ... well, we are that stupid.

This whole mindset is based on the concept that the people of this country are making rational decisions.

They no longer are ...

[yardwork]

14. I agree, but is there a limit?

Fox News and hate radio continue their propaganda, but people have to choose to consume it. At some point, do enough people start to question the lies?

We only need a slight majority - in states and nationally - to get a lot of good things done. Even if 49% of voters remain racist, xenophobic, misinformed morans, we still win.

[Cosmocat]

65. I see little drawback

from their addiction to their hatred of others.

They cant' be reasoned with, and only see some light when things somehow effect them directly.

I fear that things are going to have to get pretty damn bad for any substantial amount of people to wtf up to the fact that they are complete lunatics and we are not perfect, but well intentioned and reasonable.

But, I just don't see how some really, really bad shit isn't going to have to happen, first.

[berksdem]

30. great post and I feel the same way.

[Joinfortmill]

39. There's a lot of dark money out there and it's really dark as in evil.

[True Blue American]

50. And it started with Citizens United

That fed that money into our system passed by a corrupt Supreme Court.

They did the same with Bush vs Gore!

[Locrian]

52. nobody is a truly "logical" being

>>This whole mindset is based on the concept that the people of this country are making rational decisions.
>>They no longer are

We are emotionally driven with only a recently added "logical / rational / language" part of our brain.
It's never a battle about fact. It's always feeling. Dems tend to not understand that to our disadvantage.

https://righteousmind.com/how-the-democrats-can-use-moral-foundations-theory-against-trump/
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/iBDkwir2FsG4DAiDh/book-review-the-righteous-mind-3

[Cosmocat]

66. Yep - unfortunately true

nm

[I_UndergroundPanther]

57. Weak minded people

Who want all decisions made for them and to openly hate apparently is a significant number of our population.

Why are we held hostage politically by degenerates and republican authoritarian self serving assholes.

Dems need to call them what they are more often. Words like american taliban and fascists extortionists,publicly. Over and over surround with inspiring words but tell the truth with passion and fire.

[Cosmocat]

67. 100% agree

the dems end of it is not being more overt and passionate about how things are WHEN THEY HAVE THE HIGH GROUND.

Big part of the problem.

[BlueIdaho]

10. That's the problem with living in an echo chamber

They have no idea how fucked they are - same goes for their delusional fascist leader. When you surround yourself with fawning sycophants you’re bound to walk off the plank voluntarily.

[area51]

11. I wish I could believe this. n/t

[rubbersole]

25. The Kansas (KANSAS!) reproductive rights vote, 60%+ for...

...women and the youth vote are the real indicators of where the country is headed. Skepticism is more than justified. But indicators are extremely positive.

[peppertree]

13. The problem, is corporate money

With notable exceptions, most of them are on board with the GOP's fascist rut.

They're the ones that keep them alive - like a a zombie, really.

[vlyons]

16. GOP is not the problem; it's just the symptom

The problem is the monied and corporate interests, who want to own all the money and resources in the world, and will do ANYTHING to maximize profits. Even if the GOP were to implode and disappear, the monied interests would just start another new party.

[Attilatheblond]

35. Exactly!

It's always been class warfare and idiot MAGA MINDS are only the most recent tools. There will always be weak, shallow people willing to preform for the big money guys and they will say/do anything for a bit of power and crumbs off the billionaires' tables.

[Shrek]

17. To be replaced by what?

Our political structure pretty much guarantees a de facto two-party system.

If the GOP implodes, what would rise in its place?

[I_UndergroundPanther]

58. Hopefully a party that leans more

Left than democrats do.

[Lonestarblue]

18. People have been predicting the demise of the Republican Party for years.

And it won’t die anytime soon. In 2020 74 million people voted for Trump. And in the 23 states where Republicans have full control, they will not lose power because they have gerrymandering on their side, along with rural, low information voters. I fear this party will be around until gerrymandering is outlawed and right-wing media is curbed.

[hay rick]

20. I hope, but I am also skeptical.

The problem isn't just the Republican Party. The bigger problem is an electorate that is increasingly infected by misinformation, foolishness, and moral rot.

[calimary]

26. This. I'm worried, too.

Look at the MOUNTAINS of evidence against trump - mountain RANGES of evidence as to why he shouldn’t even be trusted with a paper route, and STILL, he prevails.

He’s a drug! An absolute brain-eating drug that far too many Americans have happily swallowed whole - that damages their ability to see and think clearly.

Sometimes I just wanna SCREAM!!!!!

[hay rick]

31. He's a drug, but there are many other drugs available.

The bigger problem is the addictive personalities of his supporters. Most of them are NOT idiots. They see what we see and just don't care.

As adults, when we make mistakes we eventually admit our folly and try to mend our ways. If we have hurt others along the way, we apologize. Almost none of this is happening with Trump supporters. As Trump's corruption, spiteful personality, felonious habits, and likely treasonous behavior all become more obvious, many Republicans take a resentful path of doubling down.

The main positive sign I see is fewer Trump flags and MAGA hats. I think a lot of these people are currently unrepentant but also embarrassed by both Trump and their own complicity.

[lambchopp59]

49. Yup. Meth.

Sad damn state of affairs in MAGAland about that. This is only my fledgling experience:
Red hat, volatile temperament, positive for meth. I always made certain my N95 was snug to care for them and replace it as soon as I disinfected the area or called housekeeping to do so. Quite a few of them were in the final stages of doing themselves in. That's a total of a year in very "red" areas and I'd even bet quite a few of the gaunt looking goombahs interviewed on these humorous expose videos would test positive. It's been one exact year since 2016 of 3 month gigs (2 facilities, one extension each for my services) in Trumpistan I refuse to take anymore for several reasons, but all having to do with the crazy MAGA fools. I don't want to shop a WalMart with goombahs strapped with assault rifles and ammo belts like I got sick of seeing in rural Arizona this year. No more. California gigs or no.
The texas branch of my own maternal side family exception of one wiser 2nd cousin all voted for Trump in 2016. None of them except the younger one, clean, democrat and in college now made it to the 2020 elections. I had the futile "come to Jesus" talk with them all when I was there visiting about "you gotta cut that shit loose, cuz" that went nowhere. It absolutely crushed me to see how so many of them had screwed themselves, recalling how we'd played as little kids. I'll never return.
Tick tick tick, tempus fugit. Try to catch up with that, ya lose.

[hay rick]

60. Played with them as kids...

Exactly. These losses are traumatic and take an emotional toll. As adults we face choices where the available options are bad and worse, but life moves on.

[republianmushroom]

23. hopefully so.

[LostOne4Ever]

24. While I doubt the party implodes

I do hope their extremism costs them election after election long enough to rebalance the Supreme Court if not give us a 5-4 majority. But that will take years and years.

Right now I am terrified of project 2025

[CharleyDog]

27. "Ah, what kind of unkind hour is guilty of this lamentable chance" *

that gave representation to extreme positions with THREE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

Unfortunately these extreme peoples are wedged in tight in the hierarchy of our country

*the priest in Romeo and Juliet on discovering their bodies

[maxsolomon]

28. but Biden is old.

wouldn't most Americans prefer a slightly younger old person even if they're autocratic?

“I don’t have a time frame for it. It has to happen before 2024..."

LOL, sounds like a time frame, Ruth!

[Warpy]

29. Unfortunately, they still think their congress critters are decent enough

so it's your son of a bitch who needs to go. That keeps them voting for these extremist, lock step mofos every time.

Until we manage to overcome this shit at the local level, we'll see paralysis in Congress, the GOP sputtering on for years as a local party, unable to field presidential candidates. That happened to the Federalists and the Whigs.

When Hamiltonian parties (the ones favored by the rich) collapse, they do so suddenly and generally as a result of trying to make too many deals with too many devils. When the devils take over, the money flees and the party dies. Just be aware that the trip to the elephants' graveyard is probably going to be a long one.

[elleng]

32. Good, Ruth Ben-Ghiat is very good.

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

33. I can't see that . . .

Given that Trump either does not get nominated or loses the general election (or dies before Nov24) then I see the GOP going through a hard couple of years until some other strong man (I just don’t see them putting a woman in the top spot yet) beats out the other contenders to clinch the 2028 nomination.

They are too well entrenched in the state and local levels and the US has no other viable alternative for the tens of millions of voters who will never vote Democrat. Most of Trump’s supporters voted GOP before Trump and will continue to do so after him. Some will give up on voting as they were non-voters before 2016, and some may move to other parties, but most will continue to listen to RW media and friends and vote against us rather than for their own economic interest.

If the GOP as an organization somehow, against all my expectations, imploded, it would be instantly replaced by a new party with the same basic conservative/capitalist/nationalist bent. And the majority of current GOP voters would flock to it.

We are a country divided and our history and processes shape those divided into two, and only two, effective parties. The system would have to change before that number of parties can.

Or so it seems to me.

[Joinfortmill]

34. Amen to that.

[barbtries]

40. can't happen soon enough

but at any rate I hope she's right.

[calimary]

41. And AMEN to this, too!!!

[PatrickforB]

44. Let's hope so. n/t

[Godot51]

45. After Watergate.

I read an article in the 70s about this. It's been so long I've forgotten the name of the article and its author but it claimed that the Republican party could never recover from this scandal.

Of course, as we now know, Ford pardoned Nixon and the world moved on and and Reagan started the mess we're in today by lying his way into the White House and showing U.S. conservatives that all you need to do is lie often enough and over and over and the swing voters will vote for you and your lie.

The base voters seldom really change.

Now the Republicans are putting forth the idea that Joe Biden should be impeached for... for... I don't know, maybe being President after receiving the majority of the votes?

Bill Clinton was impeached for a blow job he wanted to hide from his wife. Of course this was the end result of an investigation that started as retribution for Nixon.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Republican party manages to ride this out in spite of the Trump disaster or, indeed, because of it.

Never underestimate the ignorance, stupidity and selfishness of the "people".

[czarjak]

46. Ruth Truth. Traitor Trump done done.

[elocs]

47. Frankly, it's like Trump ever going to an actual prison...I'll believe it when I see it. n/t

[Zeitghost]

48. "so out of step with popular desires"

Parties that are "so out of step with popular desires" don't win mid-terms by 3%/3 Million votes.


Anyone celebrating the impending death of the Republican party isn't paying attention.

[Oopsie Daisy]

51. Who needs to pay attention to facts when we can just make sweeping generalizations, right?

Who needs to pay attention to facts when we can just make sweeping generalizations, right? I mean, who needs to consider the complexities of the political landscape, shifting demographics, or the nuances of voter behavior? Nope, let's just jump to conclusions based on one election outcome. But, having said that... It's hard to deny that things aren't looking very hopeful for the GOP right now.

[Emile]

53. We have heard this before.

Hopefully it will come true this time.

[cstanleytech]

55. I hope she is right but then there is Germany and how the Nazi party rose

up into power despite being as extremist as the current Republican party.

[Demsrule86]

61. Germany was devastated after WWI. Food and jobs were scarce and once a overly proud nation, they were now

completely humiliated with a huge war debt to pay. Different times.

[cstanleytech]

64. The Republicans could use a similar playbook though due to inflation spiking prices up

and wages being kept artificially low by corporations which is causing people to stuggle and to top it off you have our national debt and our countries credit taking a 2 strike hit because of deliberate sabatoge from the Republicans.

[peggysue2]

62. I've been following Professor Ruth for some time

She's very knowledgeable and considered an authority on the rise and fall of authoritarian regimes around the world and through history. So . . . this comment gives me comfort because I know how seriously she takes the rise of MAGA and Donald Trump's destructive nature.

The caveat, however is here:

It has to happen before 2024, . . .

The timeline is a hairy!

[SpankMe]

63. No pre-hatched chicken counting, please

Stories like this kind of piss me off because they may cause people to relax in their voting and activism. The old "Trump can't win this time; Republicans are imploding" talk could generate a false sense of security among Democrats and left leaning independents and lull them in to thinking that "everything will be alright - my vote may not be needed, so I'll go play poker tonight".

Among other things, this is what I believe happened in 2016 when the Orange Asshole ® "won" the election. So many people thought OA ® was so ridiculous that he couldn't possibly win and that the "problem" would take care of itself with the other 120 million "good voters" out there. I know there were other issues, but this is top among them.

We must keep the alarm level high and don't characterize anything as a "done deal" for Dems.