I'ver heard her interviewed in a few places and don't find her very impressive. For example, she says "All the authoritarian tendencies." Could we list those? From my reading of the article, the prof thinks republican policy is "authoritarian."
From the aricle:
"He's clearly readying himself for a national run, whether it's in 2024 or later. And he's a very dangerous individual," Ben Ghiat said. "He's dangerous because he is equally repressive, but doesn't have the baggage of Trump. It's hard to have the baggage of Trump."
DeSantis has recently signed controversial bills like Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill — which limits teachers' curriculum around sexual orientation and gender identity in grades Kindergarten through third — and the
Stop WOKE Act, which restricts how race is discussed in workplaces, schools, and colleges. He also implemented an Office of Election Crimes and Security, rankling voting rights advocates.
Essentially, she is saying: Desantis might be the next Republican nominee. Desantis would try to enact Republican policy. Therefore, democracy is in danger. Not deep thinking here. (This could be the article's fault and it is not capturing her argument correctly.)
She also talks about how a prosecution is needed to deflate the Trump cult of personality and then shifts to Desantis because of his "absorption" of ideas. But a cult of personality follows the personality, doesn't it? How many cults of personality shift over to another individual and follow them equally (I really don't know)? Also, doesn't absorb just mean learn? Doesn't she just mean Desantis "learned" from Trump what issues are important to the Republicans?
Here's the definition of "authoritarian":
favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom.
Is Desantis more likely to do this than, say, Biden? In comparing him to Mussolini, and no doubt Hitler, aren't those big claims that need big evidence? Where is that evidence that Desantis secretly wants to destroy democracy to the extent of a Mussolini or Hitler? I haven't yet seen it, but I don't follow this stuff as closely as many of you.
This book seems kind of like a shameless money grab pointed directly at progressives who want to confirm their priors that Trump is Hitler incarnate. Here's the blurb about it from her website:
Strongmen
Mussolini To The Present
Ours is the age of the strongman, of heads of state who damage or destroy democracy, use masculinity as a tool of political legitimacy, and promise law and order rule – and then legitimize lawless behavior by financial, sexual, and other predators. Covering a century of tyranny, this book examines how authoritarians use propaganda, virility, corruption, and violence to stay in power, and how they can be opposed.
www.businessinsider.com
