An illiberal democracy has been defined as ” a governing system that hides its nondemocratic practices behind formally democratic institutions and procedures.”
America is way past illiberalism, in that case, for this administration makes no attempt to hide its autocratic intent. Democracy even as a premise in the case of America is an oxymoron.
Trump doesn’t care about the rule of law. He is willing to ignore or flaunt the law at every turn, and in so doing has left democracy behind. His willingness to ignore the constitution and to ignore the courts, similarly to what Israel is doing, essentially means that democracy has become electoral authoritarianism.
Trump is instituting regime change behind the chimera of democratic institutions, which in effect, no longer exist.
America’s government reminds me of a film set where cutouts of democratic institutions exist, but behind the facade, there is nothing except one man’s ambition, narcissism, arrogance and hate for democracy itself. Trump wants an autocratic plutocracy, whereby he and his billionaire plutocratic friends control every facet of government business, and remake the institutions in name only, to be controlled by puppet masters behind the scenes.
Trump’s control of the courts means that trump can pretend to offer democratic solutions, while in essence manipulating them, or ignoring them, should any of his appointees have a sudden pang of conscience.
Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are now in question in the United States. Citizenship is even questionable as trump will attempt to find arcane excuses to disenfranchise Americans where and when it suits his purposes.
America has shifted from illiberalism to a simple dictatorship, as it is doubtful that Trump will be willing to leave office at the end of the current administration’s tenure.
Other western nations, like Hungary and Slovakia are mirroring trump’s actions abroad, as the assault on democracies around the world continues.
From populism, to illiberal democracy to a dictatorship is but a short drive, as evidenced by where America is, just 60 days into Trump’s regime.
Illiberal democracy is actually an oxymoron, and trump is out to prove that is true.
Meanwhile in the U.S., people argue about terminology, while trump destroys the fundamental attributes of what democracy even is.
Violence is likely now the only way to resolve where America is headed. If trump successfully decapitates the military, then all hell may well unleash itself in America.
And we, to the north, want nothing of it.
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