key to the rise of
authoritarians, they …
use false history
The key to the rise of authoritarians, they explained, is their use of language and false history.
Authoritarians rise when economic, social, political, or religious change makes members of a formerly powerful group feel as if they have been left behind. Their frustration makes them vulnerable to leaders who promise to make them dominant again. A strongman downplays the real conditions that have created their problems and tells them that the only reason they have been dispossessed is that enemies have cheated them of power.
Such leaders undermine existing power structures, and as they collapse, people previously apathetic about politics turn into activists, not necessarily expecting a better life, but seeing themselves as heroes reclaiming the country. Leaders don’t try to persuade people to support real solutions, but instead reinforce their followers’ fantasy self-image and organize them into a mass movement.
Once people internalize their leader’s propaganda, it doesn’t matter when pieces of it are proven to be lies, because it has become central to their identity.
As a strongman becomes more and more destructive, followers’ loyalty only increases. Having begun to treat their perceived enemies badly, they need to believe their victims deserve it. Turning against the leader who inspired such behavior would mean admitting they had been wrong and that they, not their enemies, are evil.
This, they cannot do.
From Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson (Author) Viking (September 26, 2023).
This is one short passage from just the short forward to the book, Democracy Awakening.
Reading the forward was about all I could get through.
I am reminded of the story about a lady who walked into a police station and asked if she could sit in the lobby.
She was reading a Stephen King book and got so scared she couldn’t keep reading at home.
I did look ahead through the rest of the book, all to easy to do with an e-reader and I keep saying yup, yup, yup and why don’t those people see it?
Why don’t they see where this is leading?
It is not a case of ‘none so blind as those who will not see’ as it is a case of everything Ms. Cox points out that the extreme’s are achieving through their drive to an authoritarian world is not bad, damaging, wrong, hateful or hurtful but are GOALS.
Parallels to the triumph of authoritarian Germany are to easy to make.
I have to point out that the German authoritarian leader was offered the 2nd highest place in government in 1932.
By 1934, all opposition political parties were outlawed.
Two years.
How can I sleep at night.
Really, how can I sleep at night?
The main reason is that the United States in 2023 is not Germany in 1932.
What do I mean by that?
Well, this is what I mean by that.
I am reminded of the movie Casablanca.
Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart is asked by a representative of the German authoritarian Government:
Can you imagine us in London?
Rick replies, “When you get there, ask me.”
Diplomatist.
The representative of the German authoritarian Government continues: How about New York?
Rick replies, “Well, there are sections of New York, … that I wouldn’t advise you to try to invade.”
That is the American attitude I am betting on to save us.
There were, are and will be a Major Strassers in this world.
There will always be people, who for their own reasons, want to line up with the Major Strassers.
Let us hope there will always be a Richard Blaine.
I, and I hope a lot of America, will line up with Monsieur Rick
No Haiku For You 