Fear is the Tool of Authoritarians
Two news stories on the same day.
One reported that among key swing state voters Trump is trusted more than Biden to protect democracy.
In the second a Bolivian general and his supporters had attacked the presidential palace in a short-lived coup that was intended “to re-establish democracy”. When the attack was put down, the elected president against whom the coup was directed went out to the plaza and declared, “Long live the Bolivian people … Long live democracy.”
The second story gave me some understanding of the first. Voters are not choosing up sides on some agreed definition of democracy. Democracy is a positive word. Everyone likes “democracy”. It has a good feel to it. It polls well. Whatever their practices, leaders of many different persuasions -- even those who foster insurrection -- call what they do “democracy”.
Chinese Premier Xi rejected President Biden’s description of the contest between the two countries as a contest between democracy and autocracy. “The United States has American-style democracy, and China has Chinese-style democracy.” The differences should be “recognized and respected,” he said.
We see the results of the Chinese-style in the way Hong Kong has changed since the Chinese government took over in 1997. What was once a city of free-wheeling debate and political action has slowly been squeezed into conformity. This May, 14 persons were convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion, which carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment. What did they do? In 2021 they organized an unofficial primary election ahead of a vote for seats on the Legislative Council. What had been a relatively common occurrence. In the official election, only approved “patriots” were allowed to run.
Hong Kong still has the outward structures of democracy. There are elections. People vote. There is a legislative body that makes decisions and passes laws. But something new is in the air. Fear. What differentiates democracy from authoritarianism.
Not fear of the other side winning and adopting laws and policies one doesn’t like. That is part of the democratic process. But personal fear. Fear for my person. Fear that if I do not conform, if I do not agree, if I speak out against authority, I will be punished in some way. I will be kicked out of the party. I will be ostracized. I will be threatened and attacked. I will lose my job. I will be charged with subversion and sent to prison.
Fear brings self-censorship. Conformity is achieved. The essential foundation of democracy, a vigorous open contest of ideas, visions, and policies for organizing ourselves in community, gets chipped away piece by piece.
So how to judge between Trump and Biden as defenders of democracy. I would suggest two standards.
The first. Judge, not by what they accuse others of doing and wanting to do, but on what they say about themselves, their own values, how they see the world, and what they will do when they have the power.
The second. Do they value the freedom to disagree – without which democracy doesn’t exist? Or will they use fear to control?
On those two criteria, Trump and the people he has surrounded himself with are no defenders of democracy. The authoritarian inclinations of Trump and his followers are clear. Other Republican leaders, with few exceptions, have not resisted.
What Trump himself has said:
Commenting on the Chinese putdown of student protesters in Tiananmen Square: “They were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength.”
About a free press: “I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized … NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, should be investigated for its Country Threatening Treason.”
About his political opponents: “Vermin” that need to “be rooted out”.
About Mark Milley, then Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “ … in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.”
About his losing the 2020 election: “ … allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”
What Trump’s supporters and close associates have said:
Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesman, on liberals: Their “sad, miserable existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House.”
Kash Patel, former chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense under Trump: “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media … we’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation: The country is “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA., on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol: “… if Steve Bannon and I had organized that, we would have won … not to mention, it would have been armed.”
Greg Gutfeld, Fox News host, on political opponents and elections: “You need to make war to bring peace … you have to force them to surrender … elections don’t work. We know that. We know they don’t work.”
Donald Trump Junior: “I just want to make sure those snakes and the liars don’t get those positions of power,”
Gavin Wax, president of the New York Young Republican’s Club: “We want total war.”
Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration: “We’re not looking to compromise … There’s nothing to talk about …Remember, in war, take the moral high ground, totally and completely destroy your opponent.”
Threats against those who disagree have escalated as followers of Trump, with his unspoken blessing, have taken it upon themselves to root out the “vermin” and “snakes”. Fear is the weapon used to produce the silence of acquiescence. There is a consistent pattern to the stories.
Yoel Roth, former head of trust and safety at Twitter: “Backed by fans on social media, Mr. Trump publicly attacked me … Elon Musk added fuel to the fire. I’ve lived with armed guards outside my home and have had to upend my family, go into hiding for months and repeatedly move … what happened to me wasn’t an accident … It was a strategy — one that affects not just targeted individuals like me, but all of us.”
David French, attorney and writer on politics and religion: “I was a senior writer for National Review at the time, and when I wrote pieces critical of Trump … they attacked us through our daughter. They pulled pictures of her from social media and photoshopped her into gas chambers and lynchings. Trolls found my wife’s blog on a religious website called Patheos and filled the comments section with gruesome pictures of dead and dying Black victims of crime and war. We also received direct threats.”
Michelle Jarrett, library media supervisor for the School District of Osceola County: “Librarians across the state are already self-censoring for fear of retribution, and asking themselves, ‘Am I ready to defend this book, is this worth the fight.’”
Fear is the tool of authoritarians. It strikes at the essence of democracy, the ability to speak and act freely, to criticize the leader, to work for change, without having to think there might be possible personal retribution. Those who use fear to control, and all those who benefit from the forced conformity without pushing back, are no defenders of democracy.
Democracy can exist only when we are free to speak without fear.
Very sobering piece Doug. As I campaign for State Senate District 10 here in Wisconsin, I hear and see quiet examples of this every day. It comes in many forms. "I don't talk about politics," is a common refrain.
Just yesterday I met a retired couple at the St. Croix County Fair (at the Democratic Party booth) in Glenwood City. They told me they were from Minnesota and considering moving to the area. "Is it safe to live here?" they asked. They'd heard how conservative it was in St. Croix County and pointed at the gaudy MAGA booth in the same building across the way.
Many people say they will not put signs in their yard because they think someone will threaten them. It even comes out as a compliment - they'll praise me for running for office because they think it must be dangerous. It's a general feeling of menace that causes some people to withdraw, stay quiet, go along to get along.
There are some good signs as well. People will give me a quiet thumbs up and say they'll vote for me, but they won't go public. When I knocked a door last week one woman last week whispered "I'll vote for you" and pointed over her shoulder and said, even quieter, "but he wont" as her husband loomed behind her and demanded "Who are you talking to?"
We have had more and more people coming to Dem party meetings, and an increase in people willing to volunteer. When you dig into it a little with them, they are so disturbed by what they see, they want to do something to help. For them, the fear is a motivator. They are finding their courage.
Political menace and fear is corrosive and causes many to run the other way, turn inward, retreat from hard conversations, and avoid politics. Although MAGA tries to blame their opponents for creating this climate of fear, as JD Vance blamed Democrats for the shooting in Pennsylvania, it's clear this is a deliberate effort by MAGA over several years to suppress participation in democracy. Led by Trump and his followers, they insult, denigrate, and dehumanize their political opponents with this projection of menace. As you point out, they use the word democracy to project this fear, along with freedom, liberty, and other frames for democracy.
Courage is the ability to overcome fear. Everyone feels fear - it's a deep and abiding huan emotion that serves a powerful purpose in our lives, and sometimes a healthy jolt of fear can save our lives. Courage is a the practice of processing fear toward action. When fear emerges in us, we take a deep breath, look around, and keep moving forward. We face our fears with courage and we take action.
Saving our democracy in the face of threats and misinformation will take a great deal of courage. Feel the fear, then make a plan. Turn it into action.
Running for office is terrifying for many people, which is why they praise those of us who are doing it now. But we do it, one day at a time, and eventually we overcome our fear. Candidates help give others that same courage to overcome their fears. Candidates help them translate their fear to action. They can donate, walk in parades with us, write letters, talk to neighbors, and knock doors.
Thank you for your wise words. Now let's break out the courage and get on with the task, one day at a time.
Paul Hambleton
paulforsenate10.com/
Great piece! I’m very glad that we’re talking about human behavior and how it’s manipulated to produce desired results. We used to call it brainwashing but apparently that’s too strong of a word now. Pairing Trump with Joseph Goebbels seems fitting to me.