I'm reading Eric Hoffer's classic book on fanatics. Today I came across this:
...we find a new freedom—freedom to hate, bully, torture, murder, and betray without shame and remorse. Herein undoubtedly lies part of the attractiveness of a mass movement. We find there the "right to dishonour," which according to Dostoyevsky has an irresistible fascination.
Is this part of what attracts people Trump? I would say, well, not murder surely. But he brags that he could get away with it (in the eyes of his fans). His father often reminded him and his brother "You are kings and killers." He even advocates torture. And he is incapable of remorse.
His appeal is not so much in that he exemplifies these new freedoms, but that we can share in them.
Addendum (2024-11): I was thinking few people paid any attention to Hoffer these days, but Tom Nichols has referred to him in a couple of articles in The Atlantic. And in this piece he expands on what motivates many Trump voters.
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Your thoughts are welcome! I'll try not to flinch if there are nasty ones, which I understand are fairly common nowadays.