Be careful what you wish for…
by John Bossange
If you are thinking about voting for Mr. Trump because you are concerned about the “deep state,” big government overreach, too many regulations, higher taxes, and a loss of your personal freedoms, be careful what you wish for. If Mr. Trump is elected, we will get a different deep state, a bigger and harsher government to support his deep state, more regulations to protect his deep state, and before you realize it, a loss of your personal freedom to question his deep state.
Mr. Trump’s deep state will likely include more privatization of programs like Social Security and Medicare, and we will see his wealthy loyalists appointed to key cabinet positions, agencies, departments, and other major leadership positions, including thousands of vacated civil service jobs. The Heritage Foundation and other ultra-conservative special interest groups have already begun forming their lists of loyalists to fill in their own “deep state.”
Don’t be fooled by Mr. Trump’s campaign rhetoric and his assertions that only he will get things done. As the journalist Timothy Snyder reminds us, “Strongman rule is a fantasy. Essential to it is the idea that a strongman will be your strongman. He won’t.” As Americans, we are wedded to the belief that those we elect will represent us and owe us something in return. As Mr. Snyder writes, “The vote you cast for a strongman affirms your irrelevance. The whole point is that the strongman owes us nothing. We get abused and we get used to it. Once this process begins, it is hard to stop. If you help a strongman come to power, you are eliminating democracy. There will be no electing someone else the next time. You burn that bridge behind you.”
This newer version of Mr. Trump’s “deep state” will certainly differ from what other administrations have done to support their vision of America. Democratic and Republican presidents from the past recruited supportive leaders, and a circle of loyalists, advisors, and consultants. But no president has accused another of creating a deep state to destroy America. However, never in the history of America has there been a candidate who refused to accept defeat and honor the transition of power. Mr. Trump continues to spew hate and lies about fellow Americans, and insults the traditions of our 245 years of democracy by calling that history a deep state. Trump’s deep state loyalists want chaos, retribution, and revenge, not compromise, stability, and unity, the cornerstones of our ever-evolving democracy.
Mr. Trump wants us to focus on him and his grievances, not on America. Only he will build a “beautiful wall” to solve the immigration crisis or create a better health care system. Only he knows more than all the Generals. Only he can fix the economy and clean up our drug and homeless problems. This fantasy will continue to be his platform. Our challenges are truly complex and have not been adequately resolved by any administration, including during the four years when Mr. Trump was president. But a dictator denies that reality and plays with our frustration. We have been witness to that fantasy revenge tour since Mr. Trump was defeated in 2020
In countries run by a dictator, smaller groups of people become much richer while the rest of us get left behind. We’ve seen evidence of this with Mr. Trump’s family as his sons and daughter and their families have been involved in lucrative domestic and foreign business deals, especially in China and Saudi Arabia. Insider millionaire and billionaire donors will also benefit from their association with Mr. Trump. They will be favored by a newer version of a deregulated “big government” making millions of dollars in secretive business deals in the private sector and with foreign leaders from other nations also run by a strongman. Think Dubai, Azerbaijan, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Turkey, China, and Argentina, where the Trump family has already invested millions in lucrative real estate developments.
For the rest of us, we will be told to focus on how big government overreach is destroying America, all the while the strongman, Trump’s family and small circle of wealthy, loyal donors will use the government to line their pockets because he has eliminated regulations that prevent abuse by a few and protect the interests of many.
When a dictator can make the government work for their personal interests, the interests of their family and inside loyalists, suddenly the government is no longer a swamp of regulations, nor is it the enemy. For a dictator, it’s OK for “government” to overreach and eliminate a women’s right to choose, to eviscerate the EPA, FBI, CIA, and major departments like Justice, Interior, Labor and Education, to deport immigrants, to declare America a Christian nation, to create more tax cuts, to grow the deficit, and to tear apart the organizational fabric of our government. For a dictator, that’s acceptable big government overreach.
Saying that cutting tax rates and deregulating the financial industry is good for the average American are two good examples of the blatant lies coming from Mr. Trump, the strongman wannabe. A dictator knows he is lying, knows what he is proposing is fantasy, but always puts his self-interest and those of his family and loyal cult first. That’s life under a dictatorship if we elect Mr. Trump in November.
If that occurs, duped and gullible supporters who bought into the fantasy tour and the world of lies from Mr. Trump will begin to understand what a loss of freedom and choice really means. You will have no room to complain if you do not like the way things are being done, like privatizing your Social Security and Medicare, no voice for change, and the fear of being considered disloyal to the strongman will be with you every day. Quoting Mr. Snyder again, “The strongman fantasy dissolves democracy and real dictatorship remains.”
Just look around the world today at the lives of people who live in countries run by the dictators and strongmen Mr. Trump admires. For any American citizen loyal to our Constitution, to our imperfect but stable democracy that encourages and protects individual freedoms, that’s no way to live. The campaign rhetoric and revenge tour might seem appealing now, but be careful what you wish for.
The author is a retired educator and South Burlington resident.