The Democratic Party’s blowout in the midterm elections has generated a number of obituaries for Trumpism. Trump himself still has two years left in his term, but the press has begun to treat him, too, as a “dead man walking.” At 80 years old, he has no political future after the next 24 months, unless you count his lifetime appointment to the Board of Peace. This explains his fixation on legacy, whether he measures that in spurious peace deals, catastrophic attempts to effect regime change, or grandiose building projects around Washington, DC.
Trumpism is another matter. It’s a personality cult, so it’s hard to imagine that it will survive for long without Trump at its helm. On the other hand, Stalinism remains powerful in Russia today, despite the unimaginable horrors associated with his reign. And Fujimorism is alive and well in Peru, despite the conviction, jailing, and death of right-wing founder Alberto Fujimori. In July, his daughter Keiko became president of the country after several unsuccessful bids for the office. Eric, Donald Jr., and Barron are probably scanning the relevant Wikipedia pages on Peru to nurture their own dreams.
Trump has comparable ambitions to cast a long shadow over his country’s future. …read more
Source:: Institute for Policy Studies
