Thread by @tzimmer_history

Navigating the Nonsense and Propaganda of Clownish Authoritarianism

Ignoring what Trump says won’t work. Constant outrage is not a viable strategy either. I suggest we ask three questions that can help us engage Trump’s dangerous outlandishness.

New piece (link in bio):

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I wrote about a key challenge of life under clownish authoritarianism: Resisting the temptation to constantly rage against Trump’s latest antics – while making sure the silliness and buffoonery of Trumpism doesn’t obscure how extreme and dangerous the situation is. 2/

Is the “savvy” thing to just ignore his outlandish ramblings? It’s not so easy. The president’s words have power. Let’s not pretend we can neatly separate the “distractions” from “real” politics, as our political reality that has been shaped by Trumpian extremism. 3/

But there is also a risk of perpetuating the Trump’s assertions of dominance. Not much separates raging at his every word from despairing over our supposedly hopeless situation. MAGA desires to project power and strength – something we should subvert rather than confirm. 4/

As we are facing life under a clownish wannabe-authoritarian, it’s worth grappling with the question of how we should calibrate our reactions to Trump. I take his latest press conference and his imperialist threats towards Greenland, Canada, and Panama as an example. 5/

The first question to ask: Whose lives are affected by Trump’s announcements? Unfortunately, because he is the undisputed leader of the Right and the soon-to-be president, there is a high chance his words do have real-world consequences. They are speech acts, fueled by power. 6/

Secondly, whenever Trump makes grand proclamations, let’s think about if and how he can actually put them into practice. Being lawless does not make Trump omnipotent. And obscuring that distinction is an act of defeatism that only serves the regime. There is room to push back. 7/

The third question: What do Trump’s proclamations reveal about the Right’s animating worldview and Trumpism as a political project?

What may sound idiosyncratically Trump is often in line with – and indicative of – the Right’s broader vision for America. 8/

Trump’s bizarre insistence on “territorial expansion” provides a window into how MAGA sees the world and America’s place in it. There is, in fact, a long tradition of expansionist desires, especially towards Panama, Canada, and Greenland on the radical, “America First” Right. 9/

This strand of the Right is not “isolationist.” They are opposed to committing America to any kind of “liberal” order or fighting for “democracy” across the globe. What they have always desired, however, is hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. Their vision is about domination. 10/

To the extent Trumpism has a clear idea about America’s role in the world, it is in line with this “America First” tradition. Trumpism promises to restore former glory by purging the “enemy within” from the nation – and by ruthlessly asserting dominance in the world. 11/

I fear that a lot of people have become so inundated with Trump’s bizarre stunts, so accustomed to his outrageous rhetoric, that they might be numb to how dangerous this is – and how much this isn’t just “Trump being Trump,” but the face of a radicalizing Right. 12/

There is no law of nature that says democracy can’t be brought down and wars can’t be started by a bunch of clowns if they have enough support from parties and institutions who enable them. It’s all a farce – until the goons and buffoons are in power.

And that’s where we are.