The “Weimar Republic” was, as described by Wikipedia, the “democratic government founded in Germany following Kaiser Wilhelm II’s abdication” as World War I came to an end. It fell-apart when Adolf Hitler achieved power in 1933. When one reviews its relatively short tenure, we are struck by similarities with certain characteristics of  recent and present American democracy.

The democratic election of a would-be strongman, an increase in racist and anti-Semitic incidents and rhetoric, growing economic inequality, purposeful lying by the nation’s highest officials, a rise in populist sentiment, implementing protectionist economic policies, and structural and ideological shifts amongst the country’s most prominent political parties, all bear similarities between Weimar then and America now.

In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor, not because he seized power, but as the leader of  the Bundestag’s (i.e. parliament), most popular political party, and thus was asked to form a government. With luck, political skills and some intimidation, he succeeded in fulfilling that request. Germany was on the path to dictatorship.

America in 2016 faced 15+ candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination and a not very popular, but inevitable candidate on the Democratic side. The country was still engaged in two wars, and the economy was doing well following a major recession eight years earlier. But, income inequality and cultural dissonance were publicly evident. In the end, due to structural quirks in our electoral system (i.e. the Electoral College), a weak campaign run by Hillary Clinton, and criminal (perhaps even treasonous?) misbehavior by the Trump campaign, a candidate with a strong authoritarian personality became President.

Beyond his unifocal desire to control the political process,  Donald Trump has told approximately 9,000 lies since taking office, and flaunts how little he knows about history, economics, politics, etc. He is also an incompetent Chief Executive.

While Hitler shared many of these same traits, he was dangerously competent, and a strong leader. He was also the definition of evil itself, unwilling to draw any boundaries in dealing with dissent and political opposition. His racism took the form of Genocide rather than Trump’s expressions of racist rhetoric and political abuse.

In leading up to the electoral victories of both men, what they also shared were political structures that were failing and unable to coexist with present realities. This was accompanied by politicians filled with hubris and an absence of moral boundaries. In both cases, contending political parties were bereft of relevant ideas, as the major ideological battles were fought from within and not against, each other.

Today’s Republican Party is the party of Donald Trump. The way the Democrats are splintering into many candidates and numerous factions leads me to ask if we are in for a Weimar type outcome in 2020, when the absence of unity and coherent ideology will  lead  to the re-election of a strengthened, more autocratic Donald Trump?