Thoughts on Trump's Rapidly Increasing Authoritarianism

Some will deny that Trump is not dangerous, but he has firmly established himself as willing to go after political opponents. There are hurdles in his way, but don't doubt for a moment that he wouldn't knock them down if he could.

On that note, I have this to say: We must not even contemplate letting this administration round up millions of people, based on political affiliation, race, religion, or country of origin. Unfortunately, it's possible that millions of Americans will stand by, or perhaps cheer, or at least shrug, like it’s a patriotic duty. That isn’t American, or decent, or patriotic, or good. And we owe it to the victims of Trump’s targeting to draw a line in the sand right now.

In fact, if Trump is interested in slowing the spread of "far-left" ideals, then he should do it through intellectual engagement, not by targeting his political/ideological opponents for incarceration. And, if he is truly concerned about rioting and looting, he should seek to address the injustices in our system which are making people so angry. He also needs to acknowledge that not only are most protesters non-violent, but many police forces have been violent and getting away with it for far too long.

This is not just a "far-left," anti-police talking point. It is a fact, and it's a testament to Donald Trump's stark-raving moral cowardice that he has done nothing to confront it as an issue, and has in fact exacerbated the problem. To him, there are no crooked cops, no corrupt D.A.'s, and no unjust outcomes worth mentioning inside (and, presumably, outside) of our criminal justice system.

Good Guys vs. Bad Guys?

Are all police good guys? Nope! In reality, it's already been well-established that, to some degree, some police forces have been infiltrated by white supremacists. Millions upon millions have also seen police abuse footage, even aside from George Floyd. I have personally watched videos of police not only targeting protesters but doing things like killing dogs in people's yards, and without the dogs even attacking them (this, of course, is another thing Trump would be too cowardly to address).

In short, we know at least some police officers are violent sociopaths. Of course, this does not matter to someone like Donald Trump, who has let his authoritarianism shine brighter than his bronzed-up face. Yes, it's obvious that plenty of Democratic politicians deserve criticism, and I will gladly dish it out to them. However, let me put it this way: This is not an either/or equation. Joe Biden had to suspend a previous Presidential campaign due to his constant lying and serial plagiarism, but when Trump says Biden will "hurt God," it means he's being an even bigger liar (which, frankly, is quite a feat).

Also, when Trump looked at the footage of protester Martin Gugino and accused him of staging his own injury (after being pushed by police and cracking his skull on the sidewalk), Trump revealed himself as having a truly twisted mind, with even less regard for truth than the standard politician. But I knew Trump would be horrible from the start, and it's not very surprising that he's gotten worse.

How We Got to Trump

When I first heard of Trump’s proposed Muslim ban, I was outraged and heartbroken. It reminded me of the Japenese-Americans who were interned during World War II. However, let's not kid ourselves about this: The groundwork for Trump was laid well before he became President.

The so-called Patriot Act and the wars were all bi-partisan efforts, and so was the constant buildup of the military-industrial and prison complexes. Both parties were fine with stripping people of rights and further de-legitimizing a system we are supposed to consider just.

Both parties gladly trampled over freedom on the way to the trough of corporatism and militarism, and so much of it was paid for with American tax dollars, which means corporate welfare. So, when Trump tells us we can't afford healthcare yet can afford trillions in military spending, isn't he just reading from an already-familiar script?

Chaos Unfolding

What am I supposed to say regarding the reports of chaos across America? Ultimately, it reflects an overall principle: If you put chaos in, you get chaos out. There have been many moments in history where our ancestors were stuck in limbo, caught up in international fights and dealing with tyrants both real and, in some cases, largely imagined.

However, we cannot change what happened back then. In contrast, we might be able to change our coarse right now, especially if we're able to stay intellectually engaged and refuse to look away from the tyranny unfolding before our very eyes.

Don't just do it for your country, but your family members, and even for yourself. If this system is willing to destroy people "over there," never doubt what it's capable of "over here." If nothing else, they will rip you off and lie to every step of the way, which should be bad enough, let alone any tragic outcomes you might face directly.

When Trump threatens to jail his political opponents, it is a serious matter, but it's far from just being about Trump. This is a weakness that's all but totally inherent to positions of power. They can and will use such power to abuse people they don't like. Trump did not invent this phenomenon, nor will he likely be the last to take advantage of it. We should challenge all cult-like leaders, whatever their party affiliation or stated ideals. If we don't challenge them, they will challenge us, and we most definitely can lose.