Trump is the first antidemocratic president in modern U.S. history. On too many days, beginning in the early hours, he flaunts his disdain for democratic institutions, the ideals of equality and social justice, civil discourse, civic virtues, and America itself. If transplanted to a country with fewer democratic safeguards, he would audition for dictator, because that is where his instincts lead. This frightening fact has consequences. The herd mentality is powerful in international affairs. Leaders around the globe observe, learn from, and mimic one another. They see where their peers are heading, what they can get away with, and how they can augment and perpetuate their power. The walk in one another's footsteps, as Hitler did with Mussolini--and today the herd is moving in a Fascist direction. --Madeleine Albright in Fascism: A Warning, page 246 (in what I think is the final chapter).
liveonearth) wrote, 