[View here as a Twitter thread]
1/ Recall that when Ukranians protested against Yanukovych, the lie told over and over on Russian news was that the protesters were organized by an LGBT group attempting a “homo dictatorship” and hence disrupting “civilization.”
2/ The lie about the homo dictatorship succeeded on multiple levels: It repulsed people who were homophobic, it irritated people who are not, and got both sides fighting against each other. It also justified draconian measures against the protesters.
3/ Now compare: On 2-28-17, Trump told Congress: “According to data provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country.”
4/ The DOJ has now acknowledged no such data was ever provided by the DOJ. Trump’s lie was intended to justify draconian measures against asylum seekers / refugees, and get Americans fighting about immigration.
5/ The doubters say, “Trump has smart people figuring this all out. He just says what they tell him to say.” Doubters point to stories about how Trump repeats whatever he most recently heard. According to this view, Trump is the puppet and someone else pulls the strings.
6/ One answer is it doesn’t matter. If Trump is the puppet and someone else is the puppet master, the warning remains: Do not underestimate Trump because what looks like lunacy and fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants policy is actually being carefully orchestrated.
7/ Another argument in favor of Trump competence: Recall that Trump is all about branding and his talents are in Reality TV. Even savvy New Yorkers once believed Ivanka was a ‘moderating’ influence. Now it seems she’s an actor in Trump family misdeeds:
8/ Maybe Trump is the puppet AND puppet master. Q: Why would he orchestrate the image that he says whatever pops into his head? A: It feeds the myth that he’s ‘genuine.’ & as the Godfather said: A friend should underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults.
9/ A final argument in favor of Trump competence: If his goal is to weaken liberal democracy and move America toward a Putin-style oligarchy, he’s doing everything right. The rampant corruption causing outrage among his critics is also a necessary step in creating an oligarchy.
11/ Why am I arguing that Trump’s critics have been underestimating him? Because I’m planning to write about how authoritarianism can be beaten and liberal democracy strengthened and restored. But first we have to recognize the nature and extent of the problem.
