Populist Trump’s threat to democracy
THE level of support in the United States for President Donald Trump continues to flabbergast.
His opponent, Joe Biden, edges further ahead in the polls, both nationally and in most of the crucial battleground states where the election will be decided. Somehow, though, more than 40% of voting Americans still back the bombastic, narcissistic bully Mr Trump.
The president has returned from his brush with Covid to strut his stuff in Florida. No matter the lies and quartertruths he spouts, adoring fans fawn over their hero. That is disturbing not just for what it says about his country but also about the fragility of democracy.
Hopefully, Mr Trump is not just down but also out at the November 3 election. Hopefully, the result will be so decisive that Mr Trump cannot gain traction with calls about voter fraud and a corrupt election. Hopefully, the onceproud Republican Party will come to reject the menace that has corrupted its ideals and deeply stained its reputation.
Given that Hillary Clinton was heavily favoured to beat Mr Trump in the runup to the election four years ago, few — sensibly — are taking anything for granted.
Again and again, Mr Trump’s totalitarian instincts, corrupt practices and obnoxious attitudes and behaviour have been displayed. Again and again, his loyal base takes no heed.
Yet, while the views of Trump supporters on many issues might appal progressives, large proportions of that 40%plus will be decent Americans living decent lives.
We, as human beings, are easily influenced and are capable of all sorts of beliefs, especially when they correlate with our personal or “tribal” selfinterest. Psychologically, large parts of white middle America feels unease at accelerating economic, racial and social change and wants to ward it off.
Such circumstances are exploited by rallying cries like Make America Great Again. Such conditions enable the likes of Mr Trump in the United States and the farright parties in Europe to win substantial support. In Hungary and Poland, with shallow democratic traditions, authoritarian leaders, with popular support, have knocked away pillars of free society.
In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte plays the strongman on law and order and overrides the rule of law through extrajudicial killings.
In Brazil, hardright President Jair Bolsonaro — as popular as ever despite the ravages of Covid — has repeatedly pursued antidemocratic measures.
While the bow might be drawn a little long, there are even parallels with support from “ordinary” Germans for Adolf Hitler in the aftermath of massive economic disruption. Beware the populist bearing gifts and false hope.
It is scary how easily democratic and human rights are destroyed through the will of the people and the ballot box.
In the United States, the bombardment of lies, the attacks on media and “fake news” retorts have been creating a milieu in which democracy misfires. There are no basic shared facts and, subsequently, no shared standards and no shared backlash. There is no acrossmostoftheboard disgust about and rejection of Mr Trump’s many misdemeanours and mistruths.
Would, in today’s climate, for example, President Richard Nixon have been forced to resign in the aftermath of Watergate? The Washington Post’s reports would have been fake news and, anyway, how bad was the breakin and the coverup compared with what Mr Trump gets away with?
As many Democrats of most shades wisely recognise, the priority this election is to do what it takes to end Mr Trump’s tenure. Nominating a decent, bland candidate was a good call so as to give those small number of vital swing voters in those swing states a moderate choice.
Mr Trump must be dumped before more serious and longlasting damage is wrought both to the US and its democracy. For democracy and a free society, even in the United States, is proving to be more fragile than we might previously have thought.