What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Solmyr]

According to Trump's Twitter, Larry Kudlow had a heart attack.

It was probably Trudeau's fault.

[HVC]

According to Trump's Twitter, Larry Kudlow had a heart attack.

It was probably Trudeau's fault.

First he came for his back, then he came for his heart

[DGuller]

The policy of this administration, to the extent that it can be articulated, is closer to fascism then any another political ideology I can think of.  Chest-beating nationalism shot through with nativism.  A corporatist economic worldview emphasizing self-sufficiency in resources and industrial production and bilateralism in trade. Rhetorical populism and rabble-rousing. Militarist symbolism. Hostility to free speech and the press. Open hostility to liberal and democratic institutions, contempt for check-and-balance government.  Propagandistic communications style.  Promotion of conspiracy theories involving internal covert shadowy threats. Unpredictable and aggressive diplomatic strategy.

Trump doesn't seem to have a thing for uniforms.  He also doesn't have the gee-whiz futurism of Italian and German fascism.  But the policy mix is there.  It is much more restrained and less virulent that the 30s era fascist regimes, or even the postwar one in Spain and Argentina, but it is pretty clearly recognizable.

The biggest omission is a adoration of the State.  I don't see that, and that's sort of a major factor.  There is a weird cult of personality going on though.

I think it's a mistake to look for every single characteristic of the original fascist states, before you conclude that yes, there are worrying similarities.  Russia has been a fascist state for quite some time, and there is nothing but deep disdain for the State outside of Putin.  Every fascist state adapts to some local specifics, even the original German and Italian ones, and some of the traits we judge as "fascist" may simply have been idiosyncratic to Germany or Italy.

[derspiess]

American populism doesn't tend to sustain itself for very long.  It'll burn out sooner than most of you think.

I hope you're right.

What sort of scenario are you thinking we'll see when the populism burns out?

Populist voters become disheartened and effectively dissolve as a voting bloc.  A vacuum in the GOP until it regroups and finds a new identity.  Dems controlling White House & Congress for 8 years before pendulum swings back and favors another new GOP movement.

[The Minsky Moment]

The biggest omission is a adoration of the State.

Adoration of the Leader as the avatar for the State.  It's not like the Nazis adored Weimar, or the Francoists adored the Republic.

[derspiess]

They adored the states they created, though.

[Valmy]

They adored the states they created, though.

We will never know if they would have continued to do so without the great leader.

[derspiess]

Speaking of Trudeau, I didn't realize how tall he was until I saw him lined up with the rest of the G7. 

Fidel was also fairly tall

[Valmy]

Speaking of Trudeau, I didn't realize how tall he was until I saw him lined up with the rest of the G7. 

Fidel was also fairly tall

But Fidel had a beard.

[Barrister]

Speaking of Trudeau, I didn't realize how tall he was until I saw him lined up with the rest of the G7. 

Fidel was also fairly tall

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/justin-trudeau-is-fidel-castros-love-child/

[derspiess]

Pierre - 5'10"

Justin - 6'2"

Fidel - 6'2"


CASE CLOSED

[The Minsky Moment]

Dizzy Dean - 6'2"

You Cardinal hater you.

[Oexmelin]

Seriously, the "pendulum" theory of history needs to die a violent death.

[derspiess]

Dizzy Dean - 6'2"

You Cardinal hater you.

Don't drag Dizzy's good name into this   

[Valmy]

Seriously, the "pendulum" theory of history needs to die a violent death.

Now hold on surely a peaceful death can be arranged.

I think the basic idea is useful but, like most historical theories, falls apart when you try to apply it to actual historical events.