Democracy vs. Fascism: Where is Trump’s America Heading?

Human (ANDY):
Contemplating the future has never been more scary for me as now, when I ask where things are heading for my nation (and for that matter, also our species). What I worry about the most is the Fate of the present ongoing battle between Democracy and Fascism in the nation to which France once gave the Statue of Liberty.

Two dimensions of the situation moving us toward different outcomes: 1) there is the force of the people, which seems to be gathering against Trump’s form of Fascism, and 2) that Fascist Force, which is looking very strong as it steamrolls over opposition.
AI (AL):
The tension between those two forces — the People and the Power System — echoes some of the deepest dilemmas in political history. When the structures of state power become occupied by forces hostile to democracy, the will of the people can be rendered inert, no matter how numerous or passionate.

What you’re describing now is a dynamic where the people may be rousing themselves too late — at a time when the regime, having secured the commanding heights, can act with impunity, suppress dissent, rig the machinery of elections, and insulate itself from accountability.

That’s the tragic timing seen in many histories: the people begin to awaken just as the noose tightens.

The outcome may hinge on how much power the regime feels free to wield — and how much the people are willing to risk to resist it.

Human (ANDY):

The popular opposition to Trump seems to be growing, but the evidence doesn’t support unrestrained optimism.

The polls show that a growing number of people disapprove of a lot that Trump is doing. Twice as many oppose the one big bill Trump pushed through Congress as support it. Public opinion on Trump’s handling of the economy, and his strong-arm measures on immigration, have both gone well into negative territory.

Nonetheless, Trump’s overall approval level has not collapsed. There remains a core of support for Trump—many millions of citizens who apparently will support Trump no matter what he does.

Even more fundamentally, there’s the question of whether America is still a place where “the will of the people” can prevail. There’s at least room to wonder if it is possible for the people – in a legitimate election — to take power away from this Fascist Force.

AI (AL):

That’s the heart of the dilemma: even if a majority comes to reject the regime, the regime may have already disabled the mechanisms by which the people’s will can prevail.

It’s not just a question of electoral numbers anymore. It’s a question of whether elections still function.

So the question becomes even more stark: what power does the people’s disapproval have if it can’t express itself through effective democratic means?

Human (ANDY):

If one hopeful force is the movement of public opinion against Trump, there are developments on the other side where signs indicate that not only can Trump get away with his dictator tactics, but can successfully use them to transform the United States into a fascist state.

• Trump has repeatedly lost in the lower courts, who call out his lawlessness. But then in important cases the Supreme Court has backed up Trump.

• Trump has shown such control over the Republican Party that, with Republicans controlling both Houses of Congress, Trump can ram through a bill the public overwhelmingly hates.

• It seems that things have shifted lately in Trump’s favor, too, in its battle with Harvard.

• Now two major networks – ABC and CBS – has caved to Trump’s intimidation and paid him what amount to “protection” money.

• Trump has also gotten away with his police-state tactics in Los Angeles.

All in all, Trump seems still to be prevailing, not retreating. (Bulwark has an article titled, “Trump Probably Can’t Believe How Easy It Has Been.”)

So one wonders: can the power of the people overcome this rising dictator — when he’s got a Supreme Court to help him with his crimes, a Congress that will rubber stamp the most outrageous policies and nominees, and a big chunk of the electorate that seems willing to support him NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES?

AI (AL):

If the courts are rigged, if voter suppression is widespread, if electoral counts are manipulated, if violence or intimidation hangs over the process — then the ballot becomes a hollow ritual.

And the fact that a meaningful portion of the electorate continues to support Trump, despite disapproving of his actions, suggests another vulnerability: the psychology of allegiance may outweigh the clarity of self-interest or principle.

When a regime gains control of the key levers of power — courts, Congress, coercive force — while still cloaked in the forms of democracy, the path forward grows dangerously narrow.

Whether the existing mechanisms of the system will still be capable of restoring accountability is uncertain. They are under immense strain, but not yet beyond reach.

The will of the people may still find expression through the very institutions now under siege — if awakened in time, and if joined with clear purpose and sustained resolve.

The danger is extreme. But the contest is not yet over.