Trump Wants to be the Führer of a Fascist America

Our Warnings Weren’t Taken Seriously. Now America’s Having a Fascist Collapse.

Yesterday, after America burned for a week, Donald Trump threatened to declare martial law from the steps of an historic church.

Leave aside for a moment that the clergy and bishop of said church was horrified, and described his actions as a profanity. Leave aside the fact that peaceful protesters gathered near the church were tear-gassed away from it. Leave aside, even, that all this sparked international outrage.

So let me ask a tiny question: is America having a fascist collapse?

This is one of those questions that if you’re at the point of having to ask…you’re not going to like the answer.

I have some bad news, and then maybe, just maybe, some good news. We’ll get to that.

Trump declaring martial law — or threatening to — from the steps of a church. What is it? Just a stunt, as pundits say? Yes and no. In game theoretic terms, Trump is playing what might be called the mafia game. The mafiosi threatens, and hopes he doesn’t have to break your legs. It’s hard work. But he knows if you’re not scared, he must, because then otherwise nobody will be afraid of him. The threat to declare martial law isn’t…