The Trend Towards Authoritarianism ...

 

Can I just say, as I watch in disbelief the irrational, unwavering, uncompromising, blind faith in Trump, that for the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone could just hand over and/or willingly vote to give just one person that much power without question -  over themselves, over other people, and over all important decisions - regardless of whether they were of right or left politics?

I mean, even of the evidence wasn't staring us right in our faces that Trump willfully and knowingly tried to illegally overturn elections results in his favor - including  the breaking news story today that emails that are about to be presented before the Jan 6 committee, from official Trump campaign organizers in Georgia and Michigan, appear to suggest that official Trump campaign officials were behind those "fake electors" that we heard about that showed up in the swing states to certify the election and were rebuffed (which we were told were random whack jobs, at the time) ...

Even if we didn't sit here and listen to Republican witness after Republican witness -  from his own Republican White House Staff,  mind you -  swearing by oath on a bible that they told him he'd lost, as well as that his threatening Pence to overturn the election results were illegal ... 

Never would I ever pledge that much unwavering blind faith, support, and power to any politician, even if he hadn't done those things - right, left, or in between - but especially now that it's so clear that he did those things.

I mean, do they not know their history or how each type of government system works? 

Do they not trust themselves to form their own opinion and critically think through issues?

Are they too lazy, or are their attention spans and memories so short, that they don't read the actual full-length signed and dated historical and legal documents for themselves, and thus are dependent on being spoon fed information by people, who dumb things down for them at a slant, or-? 

Do they honestly imagine that if they hand over that much power to  any one person, that they, themselves, will be protected, immune and safe from his volatile wrath if you so much as disagree with him? 

(Well, don't answer that, actually - I fear the answer may be "yes" to all 4 questions lol.)

History has shown us that any time that one person - a king or queen, a pharaoh, an emperor, a dictator, a president or prime minister (elected or not) - has absolute power, it's always disastrous, over time - even if one person did well, but we trusted their son or daughter would do just as well based on genetics alone lol.

I mean, look no further than the Pharaohs, the Romans, and some medieval royalty (i.e., the Hapsburgs)  for what disastrous physical and mental deformities resulted from the consequences of too much inbreeding, due to false beliefs about "genetic superiority." 

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Which is why although not perfect, democracy, at least as an ideal, is best.

That is why we replaced the one-person systems we have into Republics, with a Congress or Parliament to balance our president, PM, or monarch.

It's why we have state or province to balance federal government.

It's why we have a board of shareholders to balance the CEO.

It's why we have business teams or departments to handle different aspects of business, in both corporate and privately owned business.

It's even why we have both and mother and father, to provide balance in the family (despite many still believing only the father should be in charge).

Because no one human being is ever an expert on everything and thus should not have absolute power over everything.

So considering no one person ever knows all, why on earth would anyone automatically treat any single politician's word as almost an edict of God and gospel truth, without even questioning it?

That is cult mentality - and I know it has something to do with an individual's ability to manipulate a person, using their fears against them, and eventually  into scapegoating blame, anger, and hatred of others, as well as being the followers being the sort of people who  have to been spoon-fed what to think and led, allowing their fears and beliefs to "trump" their intellect and fact/proof - but it's scary how easily it's done and how many are subject to that sort of manipulation, isn't it? 

I mean, I just wonder if they ever do what I do, with people I voted for or organizations that I believe in -  like say Biden. our governor, or let's even say the CDC, and go "Now, wait a minute, hold up, not so fast ... I don't know if that's true/a good idea/ going to work"

I mean, for God sakes, although I respect the expertise of the CDC, they were panicking/jumping the gun during COVID on their guidelines, churning out information like every two days,  sometimes contradicting themselves, and it was like "Okay, CDC - why don't we just put a pin in that for a at least a week or so, so we can make sure first, before you publish guidelines that are completely at odds with the ones you just published two days ago, and perhaps let's make them less granular and more streamlined/easier to follow?"  lol

But at least when it comes to Trump followers - nope - always true, always right, never questioned - even thought they've never actually met the guy, and he actually has done absolutely nothing that benefits them personally (except make them angrier and more paranoid than ever).

I just don't understand this type of blind loyalty, it's just - super weird.