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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAn American dictatorship? Yes, it could happen
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-donald-trump-dictatorship-power-perspec-0922-20160921-story.htmlOne thing that all Americans want to believe is that it can't happen here. But it can happen anywhere. It may be happening right now.
"It" is the rise to power of an unprincipled, populist and racist candidate who captures the White House and turns this country into a dictatorship. In a country so blessed by history and good luck, such an American outcome has always seemed preposterous....
Over the years I have lived and worked in several countries beautiful, cultured, civilized places where it did indeed happen. These countries included Germany, Austria and Italy. Others come to mind Argentina, Spain, Greece, Chile. No banana republics in this lineup, just countries with long histories, rich cultural traditions, great universities. Two of them, Greece and Italy, can claim to have invented Western civilization. All succumbed to a demagogue's siren call, and paid a fearful price.
But all these countries are different from the United States, right? Sure, and they're all different from each other, too. What they share is a moment in history when economic hardship or social change left masses of people not everybody but enough feeling cheated and abandoned, vulnerable to the lies and promises of a political snake-oil salesman who, in saner times, would have been laughed out of town.
"It" is the rise to power of an unprincipled, populist and racist candidate who captures the White House and turns this country into a dictatorship. In a country so blessed by history and good luck, such an American outcome has always seemed preposterous....
Over the years I have lived and worked in several countries beautiful, cultured, civilized places where it did indeed happen. These countries included Germany, Austria and Italy. Others come to mind Argentina, Spain, Greece, Chile. No banana republics in this lineup, just countries with long histories, rich cultural traditions, great universities. Two of them, Greece and Italy, can claim to have invented Western civilization. All succumbed to a demagogue's siren call, and paid a fearful price.
But all these countries are different from the United States, right? Sure, and they're all different from each other, too. What they share is a moment in history when economic hardship or social change left masses of people not everybody but enough feeling cheated and abandoned, vulnerable to the lies and promises of a political snake-oil salesman who, in saner times, would have been laughed out of town.
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An American dictatorship? Yes, it could happen (Original Post)
KamaAina
Sep 2016
OP
Lately I've been feeling like I'm living in a Harry Turtledove novel
cagefreesoylentgreen
Sep 2016
#3
angrychair
(8,695 posts)1. Dictochristocracy
Dictator-run fascist, Christocracy.
If people don't vote, it will happen. The oppression and persecution of non-Christians here in the United States will make even the most intolerant countries in the Middle East a better alternative.
Without voting and civic involvement our country is doomed.
hedda_foil
(16,372 posts)2. Wow! This is the always conservative Chicago Tribune.
The author:
Richard C. Longworth is a distinguished fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former chief European correspondent for the Tribune.
Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
cagefreesoylentgreen
(838 posts)3. Lately I've been feeling like I'm living in a Harry Turtledove novel
Just a tip, go read "Joe Steele."
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)4. Been there, done that.