A Drunkard’s Walk to Fascism

A look into the incompetent, fascist mind of Donald Trump.

The first mug shot of a former President in US history.

There was a moment when I deeply feared a second term for Trump. As a philosopher, this fear drove me to study authoritarianism in history, the psychology of fear, and the history of Trump’s first term. I sought the answers to two questions:

First: “What will Trump do with a second term?” Trump has been amplifying his rhetoric of hate in such a way as to closely resemble moments in American history in which major human rights violations and inspired violence against vulnerable groups have occurred.

Second: “What makes Trump tick?” Was he evil? I wasn’t convinced that Trump really cared about more than a few issues. The picture painted by his associates over the years of his presidency is that of a scattered and detached mind in constant war between reason and impulse; a narcissist plagued by the overwhelming fear of appearing weak.

I came away with the realization that evil is rarely genius aimed at malicious intent, like we see in the movies. But it is dangerous, and like any disease we must fight every recurrence.

What will Trump do with a second term?

Although the United States has, at its core, an aspirational idea of Enlightenment-inspired…