In The Lessons of History (1968), Will Durant outlined the histories of ancient Greece and Rome according to Plato’s reduction of political evolution from monarchy to democracy to dictatorship.
I would not be very surprised if democracy in the United States gradually succumbs to a dictatorship under President Donald Trump.
The social and economic conditions for such a dictatorship seem to be currently in place in the US, as described in The Lessons of History:
“If race or class war divides us into hostile camps, changing political argument into blind hate, one side or the other may overturn the hustings with the rule of the sword.
“If our economy of freedom fails to distribute wealth as ably as it has created it, the road to dictatorship will be open to any man who can persuasively promise security to all; and a martial government, under whatever charming phrases, will engulf the democratic world.”
President Trump has indeed divided his nation “into hostile camps, changing political argument into blind hate”.
He is against globalisation and against trade agreements currently in place between the US and other nations in North America and the Pacific.
He has “persuasively promised security to all”. He has come up with the charming phrase “Make America great again” to make his supporters follow him like fanatics. He acted like a demagogue during the presidential campaign, and he’s now acting like a dictator rather than as a democratic President.
He has disrupted the way the American government used to work.
He is hostile towards the media.
He distrusts the security agencies of his own nation. He has attacked the American judiciary. He has sidelined the State Department. He’s ready to pick a quarrel or a fight with anyone. He’s going to embark on a new arms race.
He has the temperament of a megalomaniac who would not hesitate to declare martial law to safeguard the ‘security’ of the homeland in the event of a massive terrorist attack, similar to 9/11: “The carnage stops right here... right now!”