Trump followers are not patriots

When President Trump says something, no matter how untrue and outrageous, his followers believe it. His ongoing fantasy about the election is a perfect example.

He acts as though he wants supreme and absolute power. A national ruler who has those powers is called an autocrat. An autocratic ruler resembles a dictator — and he has praised several. After meeting with Kim Jung Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, the President said, “We fell in love.”

His followers call themselves patriots. They are not patriots. A patriot is devoted to and is ready to defend his or her country. His followers claim that is what they are doing. Wrong. They are praising the man because he lies and says he, and he alone, can save our country. A patriot deals with truth not conspiracy theories, “alternate facts”, or the words of a pathological liar.

In Trump’s mind, those who follow him are his minions. Minions who are servile and act like slaves or underlings. A minion is synonymous with henchman/henchwoman and flunky.

Everyone must do exactly what Trump wants or suffer his revenge. He said the governor and secretary of state of Texas, both Republicans, should be put in jail for not declaring him the winner.

He encourages hate groups and right-wing militias. He probably plans to use them as his private army and as enforcers of his doctrine.

I encourage everyone to read “How Democracies Die” by Levitsky and Ziblatt.

— Ole Quiberg, Chico