great man fantasy Convention report card -- Cleveland 2016
A well-timed leak of the Trump remarks as prepared has sloshed its way into the hoopla machinery. One such transcript is here, at Politico.
Over at Reason, the reasonable Matt Welch points out a few disquieting tones of authoritarianism.
Quote
7* Authoritarian Lines in Donald Trump’s Speech
Remarks as prepared for delivery combine statist policies with Great Man fantasy
Matt Welch | Jul. 21, 2016 7:30 pm1) "I am not going to let companies move to other countries, firing their employees along the way, without consequences."
Note: Freedom of movement, and freedom of businesses to fail, has long been intrinsic to the American experiment.
2) "Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it."
Note: This isn't even Great Man Theory, it's GREATEST Man Theory. Such delusion is the rhetorical currency of dictators, not democrats.
3) "[T]he crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored."
Crime is overwhelmingly a state and local issue fought by state and local cops and prosecutors. Thinking a president or his government can "end" crime is a fantasy, and modern history is filled with the human wreckage of the federal government acting upon the freedom-restricting impulse, from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton, to get "tough on crime."
4) "[W]e must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place."
[...]
I have been watching Trump speeches since the primaries, since I ate crow about Bush. I will watch and re-watch this one tonight, as it is probably the most important speech by the candidate to date, and will probably garner the biggest TV audience of his run so far.
My opinions on the success of the Cleveland conflab are scattered and mixed. I do think the Trump campaign fumbled Melania's speech, and fumbled Cruz's speech. Three days of fumbles and off-message incoherence bordering on chaotic mismagnagment, and the obvious dis-unity of the Republican party going forward to November. It is funny to see the Trump-side spin and fumbles. Shouldn't they be better at this?
Anyhow, hope everybody will open their minds and listen to The Speech.
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