The distinction between "fascism" and "authoritarian right wing populist rule" it seems to me is razor thin. What kind of authoritarianism rejects any authority that constrains the total liberty of its adherents?
There is an antinomianism in Trumpism that I think constitutes a radically new ideology: one that rejects every aspect of governance, including things like the postal service and the CDC, because all of these can be seen as intrusions on the autonomy of the sovereign self (of white men). It is ecstatic, mystical--and also profoundly decadent. If this radical right-wing anarchism remains the dominant current in white American politics after Trump, authoritarianism will be severely challenged in asserting its authority. Perhaps this is an artifact of Trump himself, and will disappear when he goes. But if not, it may make the Republican right far less monolithic than many of us quite reasonably fear. In particular fears have been voiced in the past two or three days (John Brennan) that the wave of firings in the Defense Department is an attempt to put in place a cadre of Trump fanatics who could be preparing put on a military coup d'etat. This is a good test of the theory. If that coup actually goes forward, then clearly what I have been saying is wrong. If it doesn't, then the dictatorship of Trump will prove to be shambolic and disorganized to the very end and the likely riposte to Biden's doomed "republican like" capitulationism at least somewhat affected by the chaos. Is it reasonable to suppose that on Trump's exit all the chaos will disappear from the ranks of his supporters and that they will close up in formation and marschieren like good Nazis to a drum pounded by Fucker Snarlson, Don, Jr., or Tom Cotton? We have seen very little of the corpselike obedience required for truly organized authoritarianism among Trump's supporters so far--how significant is that fact in the bigger picture? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#3428): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/3428 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/78191208/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
