These government professors at Harvard have studied the demise of democracy in other countries and they argue cogently that it CAN happen here. Autocracy doesn't necessarily happen by violent coups: the recent trend is for elected officials to slowly become dictators. The authors give examples from all over the world.
Our Constitution and institutions are not necessarily strong enough to handle someone like Trump who is destroying democratic norms that are part of our history. Attacking the media is right out of the dictator's playbook. Expecting total loyalty from government employees the same. Demonizing his opponents, lying, changing his positions daily, and corruption are the dictator's playbook all over the world, and Trump is something we have never seen before in our history.
Our Constitution is ambiguous enough to give Trump plenty of leeway to normalize fascism, and he is taking advantage of every opportunity. If Trump is around beyond 2020 we are in serious trouble.
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