Ur-Fascism: Trump’s Anti-Democratic Populism
The King's Hour: Panel Discussion on “The Problem with Trump”
King’s University College at Western, September 27, 2017.
I have been
agonizing for the past week as to what I would say in this address, not because
I have nothing to say but because I have too much. How do I frame this in a way
to outline coherently my angst beyond a performance of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. As this is the beginning of the school year,
in class we focus on first principles or concepts, so it makes sense for me to
return to first principles.
First, as a common
principle, it is safe to say that Nazi’s are bad. The question this raises
though, is why are we even having a conversation where we have to preface our
remarks with a reminder that Nazis are bad?
We are having this
conversation because Donald Trump is a “charismatic populist.” Populism can be
a progressive force of democracy when viewed in terms of participatory
engagement in voting, referendums, deliberative consultations, or direct
democracy projects. However, the anti-democratic impulses of populism emerge
when mobilization is associated with charismatic authority – and I will argue (but
not here) that this occurs on both the right and the left.
Charismatic
authority generally is characterized by the individual personality of a leader
who is seen as extraordinary and exceptionally persuasive. It’s hard, as an
outsider, to see this in a pudgy man in an ill-fitting suit, a bad comb-over
and small hands; a man whose fame is based on an accident of birth to a wealthy
father. I’m being particularly pejorative here to make the point of how
absolutely laughable “The Donald” can be. But, and this is important; as a
leader, he is making it work because it is not about the leader per say but
emotional resonance. It is about the emotional relationship followers have with
the person.
Charisma is
fundamentally emotional and as such is antithetical to the legal-rational form of
authority that is necessary for democracy – in short, the ‘rational’ basis of
inclusion, protection from the mob and tyranny of the majority, that emerges
from the rule of law, institutional processes of government, and facts derived
from observable realities.
To illustrate
this, as legal-rational authority Trump is a failure. He has been unable to
pass his substantive policy agenda through a Congress dominated by the party of
which he is the ostensible leader. His response, is to go on the road, to
ignore as best he can legal-rational structures, and hold “campaign-style” rallies, in Alabama
for example, to bring focus on his personal magnificence and the magnificence
of militarized heroic American first-responders of which he is the natural head,
and to attack those who appear to question the flag and national anthem. This
is very important because the flag, national anthem, and military are not being
put forward as SYMBOLS of America, they are actually idealized SUBSTITUTES for
America itself, and American democracy. The flag, anthem and military have
become signifiers of a romantic and emotional ideal of GREAT AMERICA and how
dare a few suspiciously brown people not respect that
They are
anti-American because they deny the Truth. The only truth being that which is
viscerally felt. It scares me because, you know who get this? Alex Jones, an
apoplectic, infomercial huckster and stroke waiting to happen; he gets it. As
he responds to the oh so cool, hipster, intellectual (the English accent, oh,
what a give-a-way) John Oliver’s criticism –
Quote: “make fun of me, take me out of context, look at this loon! Hey Boy! People want
legitimacy, they want real, they want to hear somebody that speaks to them and
touches them inside.” Unquote
The only reality,
the only truth are the emotional, political and social aesthetics that produce
visceral, stomach churning, heart-twanging feelings. This is an appreciation,
apprehension, and view of the world around you based on how it makes you feel –
a rationality based on irrational love and hate.
This is at the
heart of charismatic authority. Trump’s authority comes from his ability to
construct his relationship with a constituency, 30% of Americans looking at
latest approval ratings, and looking at the divisions that have emerged around
the debate of 1st Amendment Rights versus Respecting the national
anthem probably includes more.
Why am I
concerned, actually rather scared, with this conception of charisma and its
association with Trump’s populism? I am concerned because the Weberian typology
links sources of authority, that is what we obey or what authorizes what we do,
and ideas of Truth, in other words how we know and what authorizes our
knowledge. This is about the mobilization of action. The basing of truth on
feelings and romantic idealizations of America and Americans sets a framework
for action that is based on emotion and not the rule of law. We only have to
look at the distain shown for legal institutions – not just the constitutional
provisions for free speech and dissent – but the attorney generals office, the
lack of concern or attention to the legal issues of conflict of interest,
sexual assault, and, if any part of the Russian scandal is true, treason.
This is bad
because it is the gate-way to Eternal Fascism as identified by Umberto Eco, a
writer who as a child had first hand experience with fascism. This is bad
because as mentioned before I think we can accept that Nazis are bad.
In 1995, Eco wrote
a list of how to recognize Eternal Fascism or Ur-Fascism. I’m paraphrasing the
14 identifiers –
A cult of
tradition that implies a rejection of modernization defined by enlightenment
rationalization which it sees as denying the romantically idealized natural
community. It is a form of irrationalism that privileges action over the critical
thought of effete, paralyzed, elitist, intellectualism. Don’t think, act
because intellectualism or critical rationality makes distinctions which
support and celebrate diversity which weakens and fragments the ideal
community. This ideal community is the one and only plot line, that is the
national plot line. The individual and social frustrations felt by the middle
class is an indication of how the natural community is besieged domestically by
the Others within who are not allegiant to the natural community and
internationally. Therefore, all members of the community are protagonists in
the plot and all are heroes in their active commitment to defending and
expanding the shared community.
This is Ur-Fascism
or Eternal Fascism, this is the charismatic authority of Donald Trump’s
populist mobilization. This is history repeating itself not as tragedy but as
farce – a very scary farce – scary clown like farce.
References:
Umberto Eco. 1995.
Ur-Fascism. The New York Review of Books. June 22, 1995.
Alex Jones. 2017.
Excerpt. Screened on John Oliver, This Week Tonight with John Oliver.
July 30, 2017.
Max Weber. 1946.
“Politics as a Vocation” & “The Sociology of Charismatic Authority” H.H.
Gerth & C.W. Mills, From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. New York:
Oxford University Press, pp. 77-129 & 245-252.
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