Donald Trump is the first anti-democratic president in modern American history and if transplanted to a country with fewer democratic safeguards, he would audition for dictator as that is where his instincts lead, claims the first woman to serve as US secretary of state Madeleine Albright.
She also says that Americans have never heard a president speak with such persistent scorn about US institutions.
Albright has come out with a book "Fascism: A Warning" in which she examines Fascism in the 20th century and how its legacy shapes today's world.
"Had Donald Trump not been elected president, I would still have embarked on this work, for it is a project I conceived with the thought of lending momentum to democracy during Hillary Clinton's first term," she says about the book, published by HarperCollins imprint William Collins.
"Trump's election just added to my sense of urgency. We cannot, of course, expect every leader to possess the wisdom of Lincoln or Mandela's largeness of soul, but when we think about what questions might be most useful to ask, perhaps we should begin by discerning what our prospective leaders believe it worthwhile for us to hear," she adds.
Albright argues that Trump is president because he convinced enough voters in the right states that he was a teller of blunt truths, a masterful negotiator, and an effective champion of American interests.
"That he is none of those things should put us on edge, but there is a larger cause for unease. Trump is the first anti-democratic president in modern US history. On too many days, beginning in the early hours, he flaunts his disdain for democratic institutions, the ideals of equality and social justice, civil discourse, civic virtues, and America itself," she writes.
"If transplanted to a country with fewer democratic safeguards, he would audition for dictator, because that is where his instincts lead. This frightening fact has consequences," she adds.
According to Albright, who was America's 64th secretary of state from 1997 to 2001, the herd mentality is powerful in international affairs.
"Leaders around the globe observe, learn from, and mimic one another. They see where their peers are heading, what they can get away with, and how they can augment and perpetuate their power. They walk in one another's footsteps, as Hitler did with Mussolini - and today the herd is moving in a Fascist direction," she claims.
Also, she argues, Trump's penchant for denigrating other countries has cost America an immense amount of goodwill while boosting the electoral prospects of foreign politicians who express hostility toward Washington and its policies.
"His animus directed at Muslims is even more harmful because it reinforces the narrative fostered by terrorist leaders that the US is at war with Islam and wants to hold Muslims down. Early in his term, the president went to the Arabian Peninsula, denounced Iran, sold the Arab establishment some weapons, and called it a historic victory in the fight against violent extremism.
"It wasn't. Late in 2017, he recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and said the decision would bring closer the prospect of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I wish that were the case, but the more likely outcome is a complete loss of credibility for US diplomats as honest brokers within the region," she says.
Trump's views of the US is dark and among his favourite mantras are that US courts are biased, the FBI is corrupt, the press almost always lies, and elections are rigged, says Albright.
"The domestic impact of these condemnations is to demoralise and divide. Americans have never heard a president speak with such persistent scorn about US institutions. But Trump's audience is a global one. Instead of encouraging others to respect and follow the example of the US, he invites the opposite," she writes.
"That reversal has a harmful effect, particularly in countries where there are few practical checks on executive power. In such places, the lives of investigative reporters, independent jurists, and others who pursue truth are at risk under the best of circumstances. The danger intensifies when the occupant of the White House ridicules the credibility of their professions," she adds.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
