Groveling At the Feet of Tyranny

THOSE FAMILIAR with the Trump presidency and post presidency, aside from having become expert observers of chaotic government, cannot help but have noticed Trump's consistent displayed admiration of brutal, far right wing dictators. (But, not necessarily only right wing tyrants). The image of President Trump stepping three feet across the border into North Korea, and joining their dictator for a quick hand shake before quickly retreating back into the comfort of an American ally. The American president seated next to Vladimir Putin, and, in a joking, half hearted manner, admonishing the Tsar to stop meddling in American elections, an admonition Putin quite obviously took as a joke, as was intended. The obvious fascination of not only Trump but of the netire Republican party with Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban. The list of examples grows. Trump and the modern right wing extremist Republican party did not invent this trend. Far from from it, as is clearly delineated in a fascinating new book by journalist and student of the American right wing Jacob Heilbrunn in his seminal monograph: "America Last: The Right's Century Long Romance With foreign Dictators". As early as before World War One, American conservatives displayed an admmration for German Kaiser (king, Caesar) William II, and when war broke out, urged that the U.S. side with Germany, and when America did not, then proceeded to root openly for German victory, until America entered the war. Following the "war to end all wars" Mussolini and Hitler enter the scene, with right wing American applause. The German-American "bund" arose, and huge pro German pro Hitler rallies filled Madison Square Garden with the far right. No left wingers were in attendance. After the second war, conservatives did not turn to Jjoseph Stalin or later to Fidel Castro for comfort and inspiration. As champions of communism, socialm, and stated mandated economic and social equality, those two were somewhat off limtis as icons of the right, being as they were on the left of the political spectrum of tyranny. Instead, Francisco Franco and Augusto Pinochet became the recipients of the admmiration of the right. The lengthy Spanish Civil war, which brought Francisco Franco to power, was closely watched by all Americans; the man of the right won the contest, as he had won the heearts and minds of American conservatives. When Salvador Allende was duly elected the first duly elected socialst president of Chile, up stepped the Americans, who, led by far right former Hitler supporter Henry Kissinger, prevailed upon the Nixon administration to make things right by replacing the socilist with the dictator Pinochet in a coup orchestrated aided and abetted by the CIA, satisfying Nixon supporters. Heilbrunn points out that that foreign policy considerations play no part in this pattern of dictatorial admiration. Rather, American conservatives just plain old do not like all things liberal, which they percieve as weak, compromising, anti-capitalistic,and thus, uncceptable. The evil specter of liberal society always lurks... Rest assured that any big talking demagogue who rises to oppose and stifle the forces of liberal government always does and will continue to receive the fanship and support of the American conservative commnunity. Donald J. Trump comes to mind, readily and immediately.