Lede
A man who wants a crown calls it freedom. The bill is democracy.
What does not make sense
- Flirting with dictator talk, “just for a day”, then calling it a joke when applause lands. A joke that turns into a habit.
- Selling strongman theatre as rescue while the quiet work of law, budgets, and care is left to gather dust.
- Smart people pretending not to hear the promise inside the wink.
- A republic spoken of as a court. Heirs, courtiers, balcony moments. Everything but the constitution.
The plain truth
America is a republic. Power is on loan. It has a clock and an oath. You do not “take over”. You serve. You step down. If you want to be measured, show the signatures that protect the weak, not the rallies that thrill the strong.
The drift
It does not take years. It takes months. A rule “paused”. An office gutted. A watchdog replaced by a loyalist. A threat made normal by repetition. The world watches the screen and hopes the credits roll. Real people live the cost.
The questions you asked
How did so many educated people fall for grandeur. Simple. It told them they would never lose again. It promised pain for enemies and a pass for friends. That is the oldest spell in politics.
Is it destiny that America fades. No. Destiny is lazy language. This is choice. Daily. In courts, classrooms, and quiet rooms where orders are drafted at 2 a.m.
Civil War was a film. The Simpsons is a joke. Do not make either a manual.
What to watch, not the show
- Rules rewritten to fit one man.
- Purges that swap competence for loyalty.
- Police, immigration and the army turned into brand props.
- Budgets that feed friends and starve checks.
- Courts flooded until the law bends from weight, not right.
The sketch
Scene one: a stage wink about being a dictator, “just for a day”. Laughter on cue.
Scene two: pundits argue satire or promise, as if the choice matters.
Scene three: another guardrail is “paused”. Lawyers sprint. Hospitals and classrooms wait.
The Hermit take
Freedom lives in paperwork. If you are tired of the play, read the bill. If the only plan is a crown, bin it.
Keep or toss
Toss the crown cosplay. Keep the checks, the courts, the counting.
Sources
- Raw Story: “Trump again calls for dictatorship, says Americans ‘maybe we like a dictator.’” https://www.rawstory.com/trump-dictator-2673940426/
- TIME: “Trump: ‘Maybe we like a dictator.’” https://time.com/7312196/trump-americans-maybe-we-like-a-dictator/
- The New York Times: “At party gatherings, Trump world tests the boundaries and the storylines.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/us/politics/trump-democrats-midterm-conventions.html