What is a True Revolutionary

DT is a true revolutionary. 

America is in a revolution.

Let me ask you a question: have you ever met a revolutionary?

I’ve been a part of two revolutions, both in South America. In one, I knew men who were called up to participate, but not the guy who called for the coup. In the other one, I lived down the street from the guy who called for it, General Agosto Pinochet. I never met him. I visited the soccer stadium where executions took place. It made my stomach sick. Is this what we want? Maybe in America it has already started. (Amnesty International, 2008)

Well, if ever there was a person who is a leader of the revolution it’s Donald Trump. And if you are willing to follow him to the bloody end, you’re a revolutionary too – maybe a minor one, maybe just the committed follower to one, nevertheless you are a part of the revolution.

According to Eric Hoffer in his classic volume on mass movements, The True Believer, a revolutionary is willing to give his all to the message of the revolution. He is not a visionary or philosopher, but he is greater than those, he is The True Believer, who is willing to burn down the walls and sacrifice the lives of his followers, INCLUDING himself to push the mission forward. (The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements: Hoffer, Eric: Amazon.com: Books, n.d.)

Let’s look at a true revolutionary who has started burning down the walls of cement and glass, sacrificing bone and sinew of the disciples.

According to Hoffer, the true believer “laments the passing of a golden age”, and “calls for its return.” (The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements: Hoffer, Eric: Amazon.com: Books, n.d.) Our wild one in a blue suit started with his support of the tea party movement in 2010, then moved on to the birther movement, which evolved into the MAGA movement in 2015, and has progressed through two presidential election cycles, two impeachments, a failed insurrection, people’s blood being spilled during the insurrection, prison sentences for the insurrectionists, Trump’s 91 fraud and criminal indictments, a rape conviction, over $450 million in illegal business fines, a third presidential election cycle, and his newest campaign promise: “Now, if I’m not elected, it’s going to be a blood bath for the whole – that will be the least of it. It’s going to be a blood bath for the country.” (Putting Trump’s Comments About a Post-election ‘Bloodbath’ in Context, 2024) (Of course “ for the auto industry solely” say his followers. What the hell does that matter? A blood bath is a blood bath “for the whole”. (The True Believer Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements: Hoffer, Eric: Amazon.com: Books, n.d.)

Over a period of ten years Trump has developed into an authentic radical, leading a true uprising. Here is a man who has battle tested his ideas, solidified them into a coherent message, and developed his own mass movement. Anymore, his words mean exactly what he says when he says them. He need not be interpreted or watered down when he says things like blood bath. That’s exactly what he means. Today, he’s not just campaigning, he’s calling for blood to flow through the streets. He is determined to lead a second march to overthrow the government of the United States of America. He is now the most clear eyed person in the room. What you see is what you get. In his mind, he refuses to be denied. He’ll bring down the whole system. And why not, he is losing his own personal kingdom in the process, and he’s willing to lose it in favor of his message to the masses. Win or lose, he’ll act accordingly.

Again referring back to Hoffer’s writings, a revolution ends when the head of the revolution ends. Maybe, maybe not. The masses who follow Trump have been an aggrieved bunch for decades. They’ve supported other wannabe revolutionaries who fell short. Barry Goldwater tried but lost a run for the presidency in 1964. Reagan followed, won the presidency in 1980, but was felled by an assassin’s bullet. He lived to go on, but his voice was much more careful. The last person to attempt an overthrow was the soon to be speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, author of the 1994 Contract with America. He was direct in how he described himself, “ I am a revolutionary.” He succeeded in turning the House of Representatives into a bitter chamber, ripe for today’s government overthrow. However, Trump has been the most successful, nevertheless in time he too will pass, but the aggrieved will still be with us. The revolution will go on. And depending on how your view of history is calculated, for many the revolution has been afoot since 1865.

2024 is not an election, it’s another attempt at overthrowing our government.

After all the harsh but true criticism, personal financial hits, and legal travails, Donald Trump is a classic example of an authentic figure like Stalin and Hitler and Napoleon. He is the leader of a true mass movement that is hoping for a successful putsch.

Trump’s philosophy is simple: He is a nationalist; America comes first; No entangling treaties; Deep cuts to social programs; A strong military, but no engagements in foreign conflicts; Mercantilism – export more than you import; Protect white culture; Do away with the old constitution and start over; Enhance the power of the presidency; Place intelligence departments under the control of the military; Reinforce authoritarianism.

Another word for this kind of leader is POPULIST. Trump is a conservative populist who is now leading a populist uprising.

For decades Americans have been growing resentful of the expanding power of the United States Federal Government. Reasons for this are varied but they fall along two basic lines. One, resentment grows over the taxes levied on local citizens. And two, resentment boils over on decisions made that challenge cultural beliefs and practices of local communities.

People have spoken who represent these two grievances. Estimates vary between 30 million to 50 million who slip into these two positions. For the last thirty to forty years, they’ve been asking for a leader to lead them in a revolution. Finally, the movement has found a voice that has enlivened the start of a violent revolt. An insurrection if you will. To revolutionaries, elections are stolen until they aren’t. Meaning, elections are wrong until they permanently elect the revolutionary. The revolutionary wins one way or the other. Today, followers have finally found a true messiah – Donald Trump. He is here for this moment, and will accept no outcome, unless it is the one that allows him full power to overturn the federal government of the United States of America.

Donald Trump has a message and a style that attracts the masses. If nothing more, it was how Trump spoke that grabbed friend and foe alike. His voice was gruff, his words were violent and obscene, his hair was yellow and long, his style of walking and dressing was mob boss like. And his message was a call to arms. Tear down the federal government.

So how will this end. There are several possibilities. One, he’ll win the election which will spark a counter revolution. Two, he will be found guilty of criminal offenses and spend the rest of his life in prison. Three, he will not be elected, and will call for blood to be drawn. And Four, he will end up in some foreign country at the invitation of a dictator – reminding me of Juan Peron’s retreat from Argentina to Spain in the 1950’s.

Personally, I think this is Trump’s final hour in the spotlight. He’s been there for over a decade, he’s delivered his message. At a minimum he will lose another election. However, there’s a caveat to this: he could win, and according to social commentator and comedian Bill Maher, Trump may be more sedate a second time around. In the past, Maher’s suspicions about Trump have come to pass. I hope so, but I must support efforts in case he carries out what some, namely his niece psychologist Dr. Mary Trump, call his sociopathic obsessions.

The last time I voted for a Republican for president was for Senator John McCain. I’m going for the Democrat this time with this proviso, we must be on high alert.

Works Cited

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. (2008). The case against Augusto Pinochet. https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/amr220042008en.pdf

Putting Trump’s comments about a post-election ‘bloodbath’ in context. (2024, March 18). MSNBC.com. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/putting-trumps-comments-post-election-bloodbath-context-rcna143857

The True Believer Thoughts on the nature of Mass Movements: Hoffer, Eric: Amazon.com: Books. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Thoughts-Nature-Movements/dp/B000P1B2MO