Trump Says We “Shouldn’t Even Have an Election.”
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Donald Trump's 'we shouldn't even have an election' comment is a recurring tactic to float extreme ideas under the guise of a joke.
- ❖This 'half-irony' strategy, originating from the alt-right, allows supporters to dismiss criticism while the ideas gain traction.
- ❖Trump's past actions, like attempting to overturn the 2020 election, demonstrate that these 'jokes' often precede real attempts at autocratic power.
- ❖Government social media accounts under the current administration have posted 'cryptonazi' or 'Nazi-adjacent' content, signaling a deeper ideological alignment.
- ❖The pattern of 'respectable' political figures initially dismissing Trump's extreme statements as jokes, then remaining silent, and finally endorsing them, creates a 'permission structure' for further authoritarian actions.
Insights
1Trump's 'Jokes' as a Precursor to Authoritarian Action
Donald Trump's statements like 'we shouldn't even have an election' are not genuine jokes but a deliberate tactic. He periodically floats extreme ideas (e.g., dictatorial power, invading Greenland, canceling elections) to gauge public reaction and normalize concepts that challenge democratic norms. This allows his 'peanut gallery' to dismiss critics as 'triggered liberals' while he simultaneously pursues these very actions.
Trump's comment to Reuters about not needing an election (). His past attempts to steal the 2020 presidential election (). His directives to underlings for the upcoming election (). His administration's actions like invoking the Insurrection Act, deploying unaccountable federal agents, and placing Venezuelan oil proceeds in a Qatari account to bypass Congressional oversight (, , ).
2The 'Half-Irony' Tactic and Context Collapse
The political right, influenced by the alt-right, operates in a state of 'permanent half-irony' where transgressive or extremist ideas are presented as jokes or 'bits.' This strategy allows them to introduce problematic concepts (e.g., white nationalism, neo-Nazi symbology) and then mock those who take them seriously. This creates a 'context collapse' where the true danger of the statements is obscured, making it difficult for 'normal people' to grasp the seriousness without appearing 'crazy' themselves.
Andrew Edgar describes the alt-right's use of 'half-irony' with symbols like Pepe the Frog or the 'OK' sign (). JVL discusses 'context collapse' where a president's dangerous statements can't be dismissed as jokes given their administration's actions (). The hosts detail specific instances of 'cryptonazi' messaging from government accounts, such as a coat resembling SS uniforms, a song lyric beloved by white nationalists ('We'll have our home again'), and the phrase 'Which way Greenland man' referencing a neo-Nazi tract 'Which Way Western Man' (, , ).
3The 'Permission Structure' for Autocracy
A dangerous pattern exists where 'respectable' political figures initially dismiss Trump's extreme statements as jokes. When he then attempts to enact these ideas, they fall silent, and eventually, many endorse the actions as 'obvious' or 'necessary.' This cycle creates a 'permission structure' within the political landscape, incrementally legitimizing increasingly authoritarian behavior and eroding democratic norms.
The hosts cite the 2020 election, where initial dismissal of election fraud claims turned into widespread endorsement of attempts to steal the election (). The 'Greenland adventure,' initially mocked as a 'lib-triggering' joke, evolved into some Republicans advocating for its purchase as a national security imperative (). They predict this pattern will repeat if Trump attempts to cancel or invalidate future elections ().
Lessons
- Recognize that seemingly outlandish political statements, especially when framed as 'jokes' by powerful figures, can be deliberate attempts to normalize extreme ideas and test boundaries.
- Critically evaluate the context of political rhetoric, particularly when a speaker's past actions align with their 'joking' statements, rather than dismissing them as mere humor.
- Be aware of the 'permission structure' dynamic in politics, where initial dismissal of extreme ideas can evolve into silence and eventual endorsement, contributing to the erosion of democratic norms.
Quotes
"He is serious in that in his bones fundamentally he doesn't believe we should have elections. He views them as at worst threats and as at best annoyances, not as celebrations of democracy."
"If you live in that bit for for years and years and years where like the only thing that really matters to you is like this sense of like permanent transgression and the the the kicks you get out of it. And and suddenly you are like just find yourself actually not ironically at all inhabiting all of these things that you supposedly were only putting on to make this sort of like meta bankshot point about like liberal sensibilities."
"The respectable people or the people want to be respectable say he's just kidding until he then says he's not, at which point they're they go silent. And then once he tries doing the thing, they say, 'Well, of course he should do that. It's obvious.'"
Q&A
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