"What they would do to others, they assume others would do to them."

In The Federalist, Nathanael Blake writes,

Declaring that America is on the verge of authoritarianism is normal, even expected, in prestigious publications. It has been conventional since President Trump was elected.

For all his faults, however, Trump has done little to expand or consolidate presidential power. If Trump appears as a plausible strongman, then the government in general and the presidency in particular have too much power. Much of the progressive anxiety about authoritarianism results from projecting their own philosophy of government onto their political opponents. What they would do to others, they assume others would do to them.

...Fascism and other forms of authoritarian government require concentrated and unconstrained state power. Thus, genuine anti-fascism opposes the expansion and consolidation of government power, and by this measure the American Constitution is one of the most successful anti-fascist systems of government ever established. Above all else, the Founders feared arbitrary power and the elevation of will over law. This fear was rooted in knowledge of history, human nature, and their experiences with self-government and the British.

...From the protestors to the pundits, progressives should reflect on the wisdom of a limited and divided government. An unlimited government is only a bad leader or cabal away from authoritarianism, but there is little reason to fear a government that is constrained within our constitutional limits. Adherence to our constitutional system of government remains the surest prophylactic against authoritarianism.

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