To the ramparts! The dread hand of fascism draws near.
Mainstream liberals have rediscovered Hannah Arendt. Orwell’s “1984” is streaking to the top of the sales charts. Every third magazine article is a dire warning about how we’re sliding into authoritarianism unawares. Celebrities are eagerly sharing wild-eyed Medium posts with titles such as “Trial Balloon for a Coup?” Suddenly, everything has echoes of the Third Reich.
Or not.
It isn’t unreasonable to worry about the Trump presidency, which in just 15 days managed to shock and alarm the reasonable of every constituency. But the fascination that some on the left have developed with authoritarian conspiracy theories as a reaction to our new administration is enough to make one cast them a skeptical eye. If anything, it sounds like some almost want their worst political nightmares to be true. But why?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member