Why would you be concerned that President Trump would lead America into totalitarianism, but that senior Democrats would not?
Personally, I don’t believe that either Trump or the major Democrats would actually turn America into a totalitarian dystopia. I trust in our democratic institutions and the rule of law to prevent it, and they haven’t let me down yet. But I raise the comparison point here in light of Don Lemon’s commentary on his CNN show. On Tuesday, Lemon warned that we cannot take for granted that Trump won’t one day become an American Hitler.
Challenged by fellow CNN anchor Chris Cuomo that this assertion was perhaps a bit excessive, Lemon then tried to emulate Martin Niemöller’s famous post-war confession on the dangers of Nazism: “First they came for … ” Trump could be Hitler, Lemon said, because “it starts with little lies that become bigger lies, and it starts with people who become brainwashed.”
Not really. History actually suggests that totalitarianism requires the co-opting or destruction of the middle class, the collapse of independent societal institutions, and the emergence of a violent populism matched to exclusionary myths of political purity. I would suggest none of these things is anywhere near occurring in today’s America. I would also suggest that if Trump did seek to make himself into a totalitarian emperor, he would quickly end up in prison.
Regardless, I find it odd that Lemon is so distinctly concerned with Trump’s supposed threat to our free society.
After all, when one considers the massive regulatory and government expansion proposed by Democrats such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the threat to freedom would evidently appear sourced far more from Democrats than from Trump. Again, I’m not saying that a President Sanders or President AOC would destroy American freedom. I believe they would be truly disastrous presidents (albeit very good ones from Vladimir Putin’s perspective), but I don’t believe they could trample democracy.
I’m simply suggesting that it is odd that Lemon ignores the ramifications for freedom of politicians who propose to take vastly more privately held money into government hands, who propose far greater control over the economy and society, and who are quite explicit about wanting to legislate in overt contravention of established constitutional rights.
In short, why does Don Lemon fear Trump’s rants more than he fears politicians who believe they have the right, responsibility, and character to rule with powers former presidents have never felt entitled to?
