A recent article in the Washington Post begins. "Donald Trump and his allies have begun mapping out specific plans for using the federal government to punish critics and opponents should he win a second term, with the former president naming individuals he wants to investigate or prosecute and his associates drafting plans to potentially invoke the Insurrection Act on his first day in office to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations."

The author alludes to finding sycophants who would to Trump's bidding instead of appointing qualified persons. This typical totalitarian process inevitably leads to a series of consequences.

1. The first round of accomplices puts in place the leader's immediate goals while subordinating organs of state violence to his will.
2. They then start to insert their own objectives in the name of the leader, some of which may be consistent with the leader's stated goals.
3. They find lesser officials who do their bidding, thinking it will please the Leader, while in fact it also increases the authority of the lesser authorities.
4. This process continues, creating ever more layers of power, until police can call for "your papers" and punish all who fail to obey their personal whims.
5. Arbitrary, temporary objectives supersede the actual goals of the top echelon.
6. Each echelon first attempts to apply their derivative power to its own goals, until they become threats to the cult leader and must be eliminated.

It does not matter which end of the political spectrum is in power; the totalitarian pattern is the same. Need examples: Look up Ernst Roehm (Röhm) and Leon Trotsky.

Eventually the system collapses and society becomes either ripe for democracy or a Kafkaesque nightmare. Either can take (or waste) generations.

Those Americans who believe this is a desirable future will vote Orange in 2024.

––––––––––

RE Stalin associates: https://www.rbth.com/history/332961-stalins-closest-comrades

RE Hitler associates: https://historycollection.com/today-history-hitler-purges-political-rivals-1934/

Washington Post article