Carlson provides here a blatantly authoritarian metaphor wherein the American people are described as disorderly children who need a powerful father to come home and beat them into submission.
He talks about punishment being “justice” and the “purest and best thing there is” as a specific appeal to order. This is justice-as-violence to force desired behaviors. This is a fascistic worldview. It is certainly authoritarian rhetoric.
The main appeal, historically, for authoritarianism is that it promises order. It certainly is a great way to appeal to otherwise comfortable people: scare them into thinking they are under threat and then promise to provide order. Of course, never mind that things are actually pretty orderly, on balance.
It is specifically what Trump does with immigration and crime.
For example:
Note the lies about the situation to create fear and then the promise of confrontation.
Additional thoughts on the Carlson clip.
- Some of the January 6th insurrectionists did smear feces on the walls of the US Capitol.
- The “bad little girl” stuff is just creepy and weird.
- The notion that, in his little fantasy “it is going to hurt you more than it hurts me” is rather disturbing.
And a passing reminder of a recent post: Tucker Carlson Promotes Hitler Apologist.
