I’m sorry Laura. Robert Kennedy is also insane and is perfectly capable of allowing people to die.
I really believe that Trump is emulating those monsters and will keep testing the limits until he is stopped. But by us. Nobody else will do it-that is tragically clear.
I’m afraid that’s right. He is following the playbook to a T. The fact that he suggested shooting at protestors during his last term and his kinship with violent white nationalists scares the hell out of me.
Already, there are concerns that some of the people rounding up immigrants are January 6 criminals. If that’s true, he now has brown shirts too.
As you noted, trump is very poor at originating concepts or formulating coherent plans.
It has to be done FOR him and that’s why the authors of P2025 hitched their wagon right up against his ass.
They so want those iron-fisted regime designs to make a full and enthusiastic comeback and they found trump tobe the (im)perfect carnival barker to bring the crowds in for them. Unfortunately, they can’t pretend to control his chaotic nature and their efforts no longer lie on clear, distinct instructional lines - it’s all impulse and the madness that comes with it - it’s terrifying to think of all this happening with someone competent at the helm.
Their major miscalculation though, is the U.S. population hasn’t been sufficiently primed to accept tyranny as a ruling ideology - unlike many countries which have endured generations of authoritarian rule and are culturally molded to find ways to accept and absorb the effects, the US is still fiercely independent at its core and its revolutionary spirit isn’t dead, it’s just slumbering deeply - that’s changing.
Soon, our decision is going to be between which historical fate we wish to have visited upon he and his ilk.
Shall it be hunkered down in a bunker with folk suiciding around him as opposition forces close in while he pushes markers of supporters who no longer exist around a map or perhaps a “Mussolini Spa Day” which features an abundance of sunshine, fresh air, and high-quality inversion therapy?
I have a feeling in the near future, trump and the gop will have ample opportunity to reflect on the immortal words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve”.
Giants leave big footprints made by irresistible weight - perhaps it’s time for a stroll.
I did say he didn’t have the organizing thoughts, so I definitely agree there. He also can be compared with Orban and Erdogan, but I really believe all three derive their approaches from Hitler and Mussolini.
Well argued as always Mark, however I think you could also expand your comparisons to include the communist dictators like Stalin and Mao. Unlike Trump and the fascists they never confronted democratic politics but they did have systems they undermined. In Mao's case it was the national constitution and the party rules which blocked him from serving beyond two terms. The cultural revolution ended that.
It also cultivated the personal and propaganda style. Previously the party was communist and was working out what that meant but there wasn't the same emphasis on "Mao Thought" or anything like it. But during the Cultural Revolution things were turned to his views and his alone enforced through endless propaganda about his greatness and the deep state of counter-revolutionaries that only he and the Red Guards could fight off. The end goal I think of both is much the same, one party rule with the dear-leader in harness for life.
I agree with your points and analysis. What truly worries me though is the.lack of pushback from our U.S. Senators and Representatives who are treating Useful Idiot Krasnov like a normal government leader they have political and.philosophical disagreements with. He's not normal. He's a con-man and an evil and.psycholically disturbed human being. The harm comes from normalizing him. I believe that is why Larry David wrote his op-ed.
In his firsr administration one million Americans died from Covid because of his lies and incompetentance. My brother-in-law lost his father and uncle to Covid. He also separated migrant families many who were seeking asylum.
Now he's taking his policies to 11.
Chicago now.has two measles cases. Lunatics are in charge. I feel unsafe. Because of my MS medication suppressing my immune system. I can’t get a measles booster. I fear my community will die in massive numbers and people still won't see the danger posed by this regime.
Crikey! That was horrible. Although I have read several other esteemed writers here on Substack write about the glaring similarities of H. & M. to rump, including HCR,, your today’s essay was a very welcome addition to the stack of evidence. There is one thing I need to add. Unlike Hitler and Mussolini, Trump inherited a booming economy and a calm and relatively relaxed citizenry. Unlike the Germans and Italians who were greatly suffering financially and socially. Our citizens are healthy and pretty well off and have a voice which they are not afraid to use. We haven’t been beaten down and starved like the Germans and Italians were. Up until right now, we’ve been very free. We have that in our favor and it’s beginning to show. I think as a nation, we’re shaking off the surprise at how close we are getting to tyranny and we are starting to fight back. It’s only been 101 days!!! Yes?
I don't know in what sense Donnie doesn't have total control. The judiciary gives him whatever he wants, and when it doesn't, he ignores it, and does whatever he wants anyway. The judiciary has enforcement mechanisms it chooses not to use. Congress admits it is afraid of him, and even when they reveal, usually somewhat privately, that they don't agree, they come to heel. It's certainly a question, the answer to which remains to be seen, if and how any of that changes after '26.
🤔. I often ponder on things for a while, trying to see things from multiple perspectives before I run around with the herd like my heads on fire! 😆. I love the article. But it brought to mind what Alan Watts said about " neurotic behavior". 🧐
Alan Watts believed that Western culture as a whole was neurotic, primarily because many people work jobs that bring little happiness and often do work they don't like for money He argued that this neurosis is exacerbated by the ego, which we try to protect but cannot hold onto because it is an illusion Watts emphasized that the ego consciousness has become the me
I have another similarity which is frightening to add. Brian Beutler, who writes, Off Message recommended the books Argentina's Dirty War By Donald Hodges. The Introduction and beginning of the first chapter read like current events here in the United States as trump dismantles our country.
I understand the reason for comparing him to H and M but aren’t his real role models MOR like people still living today, e.g., Putin, Orban, Erdogan, etcetera? The overall goals may resemble H and M but the tactics seem more like these modern day authoritarians. I think he’s driven by pettier and more immediate urges so the plan, if there is one (Project 2025) is someone else’s. T seems more like the front man for others who are doing the real planning here, their useful idiot. I’m loathe to become conspiracy-minded about this, but I have a hard time seeing T with anything like the kind of organized thought required to plan what’s unfolding. Am I underestimating him?
I’m sorry Laura. Robert Kennedy is also insane and is perfectly capable of allowing people to die.
I really believe that Trump is emulating those monsters and will keep testing the limits until he is stopped. But by us. Nobody else will do it-that is tragically clear.
I’m afraid that’s right. He is following the playbook to a T. The fact that he suggested shooting at protestors during his last term and his kinship with violent white nationalists scares the hell out of me.
Already, there are concerns that some of the people rounding up immigrants are January 6 criminals. If that’s true, he now has brown shirts too.
100%, Mark - Well written.
As you noted, trump is very poor at originating concepts or formulating coherent plans.
It has to be done FOR him and that’s why the authors of P2025 hitched their wagon right up against his ass.
They so want those iron-fisted regime designs to make a full and enthusiastic comeback and they found trump tobe the (im)perfect carnival barker to bring the crowds in for them. Unfortunately, they can’t pretend to control his chaotic nature and their efforts no longer lie on clear, distinct instructional lines - it’s all impulse and the madness that comes with it - it’s terrifying to think of all this happening with someone competent at the helm.
Their major miscalculation though, is the U.S. population hasn’t been sufficiently primed to accept tyranny as a ruling ideology - unlike many countries which have endured generations of authoritarian rule and are culturally molded to find ways to accept and absorb the effects, the US is still fiercely independent at its core and its revolutionary spirit isn’t dead, it’s just slumbering deeply - that’s changing.
Soon, our decision is going to be between which historical fate we wish to have visited upon he and his ilk.
Shall it be hunkered down in a bunker with folk suiciding around him as opposition forces close in while he pushes markers of supporters who no longer exist around a map or perhaps a “Mussolini Spa Day” which features an abundance of sunshine, fresh air, and high-quality inversion therapy?
I have a feeling in the near future, trump and the gop will have ample opportunity to reflect on the immortal words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve”.
Giants leave big footprints made by irresistible weight - perhaps it’s time for a stroll.
Thanks for the kind words! Let the sleeping giant awaken soon.
You make some excellent points about the economy and the state of the citizenry. Let the latter please be our salvation.
I primarily wanted to wake up those who poo-poo the comparisons.
I did say he didn’t have the organizing thoughts, so I definitely agree there. He also can be compared with Orban and Erdogan, but I really believe all three derive their approaches from Hitler and Mussolini.
Great point about the succession. The only thing there is that MAGA won’t be motivated by either of them. At least I hope so…
Well argued as always Mark, however I think you could also expand your comparisons to include the communist dictators like Stalin and Mao. Unlike Trump and the fascists they never confronted democratic politics but they did have systems they undermined. In Mao's case it was the national constitution and the party rules which blocked him from serving beyond two terms. The cultural revolution ended that.
It also cultivated the personal and propaganda style. Previously the party was communist and was working out what that meant but there wasn't the same emphasis on "Mao Thought" or anything like it. But during the Cultural Revolution things were turned to his views and his alone enforced through endless propaganda about his greatness and the deep state of counter-revolutionaries that only he and the Red Guards could fight off. The end goal I think of both is much the same, one party rule with the dear-leader in harness for life.
Excellent points. I had my hands full with the other two though!
I agree with your points and analysis. What truly worries me though is the.lack of pushback from our U.S. Senators and Representatives who are treating Useful Idiot Krasnov like a normal government leader they have political and.philosophical disagreements with. He's not normal. He's a con-man and an evil and.psycholically disturbed human being. The harm comes from normalizing him. I believe that is why Larry David wrote his op-ed.
In his firsr administration one million Americans died from Covid because of his lies and incompetentance. My brother-in-law lost his father and uncle to Covid. He also separated migrant families many who were seeking asylum.
Now he's taking his policies to 11.
Chicago now.has two measles cases. Lunatics are in charge. I feel unsafe. Because of my MS medication suppressing my immune system. I can’t get a measles booster. I fear my community will die in massive numbers and people still won't see the danger posed by this regime.
Crikey! That was horrible. Although I have read several other esteemed writers here on Substack write about the glaring similarities of H. & M. to rump, including HCR,, your today’s essay was a very welcome addition to the stack of evidence. There is one thing I need to add. Unlike Hitler and Mussolini, Trump inherited a booming economy and a calm and relatively relaxed citizenry. Unlike the Germans and Italians who were greatly suffering financially and socially. Our citizens are healthy and pretty well off and have a voice which they are not afraid to use. We haven’t been beaten down and starved like the Germans and Italians were. Up until right now, we’ve been very free. We have that in our favor and it’s beginning to show. I think as a nation, we’re shaking off the surprise at how close we are getting to tyranny and we are starting to fight back. It’s only been 101 days!!! Yes?
Let the public decide in 26’
Absolutely.
I don't know in what sense Donnie doesn't have total control. The judiciary gives him whatever he wants, and when it doesn't, he ignores it, and does whatever he wants anyway. The judiciary has enforcement mechanisms it chooses not to use. Congress admits it is afraid of him, and even when they reveal, usually somewhat privately, that they don't agree, they come to heel. It's certainly a question, the answer to which remains to be seen, if and how any of that changes after '26.
Why do you think back in 2017, I called him Donaldo Trumpolini? Because even then I saw the similarities between him and Mussolini.
Thanks! I hope you found it useful.
You’re most welcome. I absolutely did!
I’m sure. It was obvious. I thought a deep dive was warranted.
Thank you! No one has actually bothered to do an op-ed analysis on it before so we needed yours.
🤔. I often ponder on things for a while, trying to see things from multiple perspectives before I run around with the herd like my heads on fire! 😆. I love the article. But it brought to mind what Alan Watts said about " neurotic behavior". 🧐
Alan Watts believed that Western culture as a whole was neurotic, primarily because many people work jobs that bring little happiness and often do work they don't like for money He argued that this neurosis is exacerbated by the ego, which we try to protect but cannot hold onto because it is an illusion Watts emphasized that the ego consciousness has become the me
There is a lot to what Watts says.
I have another similarity which is frightening to add. Brian Beutler, who writes, Off Message recommended the books Argentina's Dirty War By Donald Hodges. The Introduction and beginning of the first chapter read like current events here in the United States as trump dismantles our country.
It’s a compelling read, and the beginning is just as you say.
It’s new information so I am reading a few pages at a time to absorb the information as best as possible.
well put together.... Welcome to America Project 2025 alive and Well....
Thanks. I scared myself writing it.
I understand the reason for comparing him to H and M but aren’t his real role models MOR like people still living today, e.g., Putin, Orban, Erdogan, etcetera? The overall goals may resemble H and M but the tactics seem more like these modern day authoritarians. I think he’s driven by pettier and more immediate urges so the plan, if there is one (Project 2025) is someone else’s. T seems more like the front man for others who are doing the real planning here, their useful idiot. I’m loathe to become conspiracy-minded about this, but I have a hard time seeing T with anything like the kind of organized thought required to plan what’s unfolding. Am I underestimating him?