The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of the Salish Current.
Commentary: Trump has made no secret of his desire to rule as an unopposed autocrat
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “a republic, if you can keep it,” when asked what kind of government our new nation should have.
While we think of our democratic institutions as quite sturdy, such as the rule of law, the free press, and free and fair elections, they require the concerted effort of all of us to maintain them. This election was a test of our desire to maintain our democratic institutions. We failed. We elected a man who incited an insurrection, a convicted felon, to the highest office in the land.
Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to rule as an unopposed autocrat in the mold of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, although he aspires to be more like Vladimir Putin. Recall that he once told evangelical Christians, “Vote for me and you’ll never have to vote again.” Apologists in the press quickly interpreted this statement benignly rather than literally. He has openly called for the prosecution of “the enemy within.” The enemy within is apparently all of us, particularly politicians, who speak out in defense of our democracy and have the impertinence to oppose him.
This is the same tactic used by Hitler to silence critics. What both Hitler and Trump have discovered is that once he achieves a certain degree of power, others fall in line without coercion. Think of all the Republican representatives and senators who had been so critical of Trump but who went silent or ended up supporting him. Our new VP, JD Vance, is a typical example. Now he spouts the Trump party line like a true believer. Half of the country have demonstrated with their votes that they also have fallen in line.
I doubt that most of those who voted for Trump were aware of the dire consequences of their votes. They may think that since he seems to be a successful businessman that he will be better for the economy. However, several of his business ventures went bankrupt.
They may think that he is strong enough to stand up to Putin and Xi Jinping. However, he will be putty in their hands because he so much wants to be a member of that autocratic club.
Some might have voted for him because he says he will deport millions of illegal immigrants and block the border. They forget that those immigrants do dirty jobs that most Americans are not willing to do. In addition, there are asylum laws that would bar the indiscriminate deportation of asylum seekers. We are a nation of immigrants and we need a constant influx of immigrants, both unskilled and highly skilled, to keep our economy humming.
Trump is openly disdainful of the rule of law and plans to dismiss the special prosecutor and install a compliant Attorney General who will dismiss the multiple charges against Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. He talks of weaponizing the Department of Justice to go after the “enemy within.” He is contemptuous of the free press. He is antagonistic toward Jews and Muslims, suggesting that he has no interest in the freedom of religion. He is bitterly opposed to any rights for the LGBTQ community and wants to deny puberty blockers to early adolescents and feminizing and masculinizing hormones for adults.
I have painted a dark picture of the future for America. I hope I am wrong and that we can recover from four years of an unbridled Trump administration intent on unraveling the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Remember that the compliant Supreme Court has ruled that the President cannot be held criminally responsible for any official acts. Trump is free to do as he pleases. Since both the House and Senate will have Republican majorities, there is no possibility that Congress might intervene. I hope that I am wrong but I have this sinking feeling that I am not.
— By John Dunne
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