It is difficult to retreat from the tragedy and remember the larger picture than the confusion before us. Doing so leads to a mindset that is essential to moving forward. Famous political thinker Hannah Arendt spoke about how memories shape the future. “What this has happened again is that this is what our memories tell us with hope and fear.”
In 2024, many voters chose to play Trump. in spite of His explicitly authoritarian programme Therefore. Many of us talk about Trump’s similarity with Hitler than he resembles the Germans. More and more Americans are not only tolerant, but also affirming authoritarianism.
In past times, many Germans, although not fanatic Nazis, supported Hitler’s rule. The atrocities of fascism overshadow the harsh conditions that allow its rise. Beyond the Disciplinary Treaty of Versailles, where class-oriented, culturally overstated bureaucracy slandered the working class, silenced political voices, and supported the vanguard, known for its moral laxity. For the first time, ordinary Germans felt that their government acted intentionally in their interests, despite being fascist tyranny. And as one woman said, “Please tell me what you do about him, but there was at least no crime with Adolf.”
The perspective evolved as the complete horror of the Holocaust became known, but many citizens felt that Hitler’s greatest failure was not a known or heard atrocities, and that he was unable to keep his promises. He did not save the working class, the economy, or the country.
In her overlooked classics, Authoritarian dynamics (2005), political psychologist Karen Stenner predicted the rise of extremist figures under the exact conditions we face today. She demonstrated that authoritarianism is not limited to right-wing extremists, but rather beyond the political spectrum, including the left and the general public. This reveals the dilemma of democracy.
We have long known that “anti-democratic personality” can harm democracy. A more difficult lesson is that democratic freedom and diversity can trigger authoritarian instincts regardless of politics or personality. Freedom and justice for all includes people who sometimes vehemently oppose it, leaving us between the rocks and difficult places. How can your commitment to democratic values ​​include freedom to promote the values ​​that threaten them?
GroupThink aggravates conditions by suppressing objections and critical thinking, leading to autocratic decisions within the agglomeration body. Fundamentalism is not limited to “fundamentalists.” The roots of our immigrant dysfunction have touched on almost every polarization problem in America today: race, economy, globalization, and the definition of what it means to be American. As a result, pursuing security and predictability can drive individuals to abandon democratic values ​​in favor of authoritarianism, regardless of political or religious beliefs.
The old remark that Mark Twain is true again is, “history rhymes rather than repeat itself.” It rhymes with my upbringing under the right-wing dictatorship of Latin America. In the mid-50s, oil-rich Venezuela’s Marcos Perez Zimenez restored arrears of economic prominence and political stability after years of weakness and democratic domination. Other left-wing opposition to universities and wealthy foreign oil companies made little sense next to the business insights adopted by the government for its profits. Meanwhile, foreign companies were able to hold 90% of their revenues. When the dictators ultimately overthrowed, the nationalisation of Big Oil promoted uncorrupted incompetent management, this time on the left, leading to years of democracy that failed.
Donald Trump will fall for his incompetence, not because of his cruelty or extremism. As his corruption regains headlines, corporate donors will increasingly withdraw no matter what the courts do. Many companies hold the line on day because of good business. Unless there is a dramatic change that is unrescised the next day, Trump’s corporate credibility will collapse, raising the question of how much damage will occur before Trump passes, and how many lives will be affected.
Just as the owner’s death of Melville Captain Ahab did not save Pecod, removing the dictator would not save the country. Destroy the Moby Dick Rams and the ship, killing the entire crew. After World War II, Germany demanded that the Marshall program survive on a large scale. Despite leading Britain to victory, Winston Churchill lost the subsequent election amid economic hardship. The transition from Venezuela’s right-wing dictatorship to the left-wing dictatorship shows the instability of the factional transition. George Washington anticipated instability, warned against institutionalized parties, and saw factionalism as the greatest threat to democracy.
“In hope and fear,” both left and right need each other for democracy to survive, so that memories can remember. The traditional binaries that once defined political discourse (left/right, freedom/conservative, state/market, capitalism/justice) are becoming increasingly inadequate. These labels do not fit in today’s world. Like many older independents, younger voters increasingly illustrate this evolution, often supporting conservative economic policies, while supporting progressive social causes.
This kind of tension resonates beyond political spheres and across all great art and literature. Can you explain Mona Lisa’s smile? Whose character does not embody the fundamental contradiction – is it something novel worth reading? The more enthusiastic our ideals, the more likely we are to be bound. As Walt Whitman wrote, “Do I contradict myself? Will it work very well?
Today’s call for democracy is to be true to who we are already. History has known the truth for a long time.
Notes and reading
“By radical transformation at home, democracy is made safe for the world.” – Past existence: Essays on the state and constitution -Sheldon Wolin (1989), 207 Passim. Warrin was a political professor at Oxford University, the University of California (Berkeley) and Princeton.
Hannah Allend – About violence (1970), The human condition (2018). -Arendt was an influential political philosopher and was famous for his insight into the decisive events of the 20th century.
Hitler’s People: The Face of the Third Reich – Richard J. Evans (2024), Part I, conclusion. Evans is one of the world’s leading historians in modern Germany.
Authoritarian dynamics – Karen Stenner (2005). Stenor is a political psychologist and founder. Insight-analytics (Australia). Stener’s work is an important complement to famous historians and political commentators. (For example, Ruth Ben Geatt) They focus on “strong people” rather than the predisposition of the masses that attract their power.
Marco Sperezimenez – Judith Ewell, Dictator’s prosecution (1981). After exile in the Dominican Republic and Florida, Perez Zimenez was imprisoned in Miami and returned to Venezuela to spend the rest of his life in Spain. -Ewell is a history professor at William and Mary University.
Washington: Life – Ron Chernow (2011). – “The best, most comprehensive, most balanced single volume biographies of Washington ever written.” – New York book reviews.
Walt Whitman – “Do I contradict myself?” My own song, 51.
Prague 22: Philosophers board the city on a tram – Raymond Talis (2025-Amazon UK) – Meditation on the interaction between place and identity. Prague is portrayed as a character that influences the background, thoughts and emotions. – Talis is a philosopher, poet, novelist, cultural critic, retired doctor and clinical neuroscientist.
In Trump’s time there are prophets: Pope Francis – David Gibson, director of the Center for Religion and Culture at Fordham University.New York Times – March 13, 2025).
“Commander: The Pope shows how to become a craftsman of peace” – Byzantine Catholic Archpelky in Pittsburgh (April 25, 2022).
Tip Off #189 – New Chic
Tip #188 – Rugged Democracy
Approximately 2 + 2 = 5
Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
