Chapter 2
Summary by James R. Martin, Ph.D., CMA
Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida
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Chapter 2: Anarchy and the State of Nature of Donald Trump's America and Adolf Hitler's Germany by Thomas Weber.
It is a mistake to associate Trump to fascism, particularly Hitler's version of fascism. Hitler's response to the state of nature was collectivist, communitarian, statist, and partly anti-capitalist. Trump's response in comparison was a libertarian embrace of individualism, ethical egoism, and a rejection of altruism, collectivism, and statism. The existential threat faced in the U.S. is of a different kind.
Donald Trump's and Adolf Hitler's State of Nature
Both Hitler and Trump rejected the liberal view that the international system can operate through a voluntary common set of norms and rules that bind them all together. Hitler rejected the idea of pacifism and concluded that human nature only leaves room for might, not right. Might and knowledge of the auxiliaries one has determines what is right. Trump has a similar view that human nature related to political entities and the international system relies solely on power, i.e., might makes right. Trump, like Hitler blamed politicians for weakening the country by pursuing policies that were inconsistent with human nature. From Trump's perspective, ideas of cooperation, partnership, permanent alliances and binding international rules and norms are a ploy of other countries' leaders to weaken America. Since Trump does not view a rules-based system of collective security as workable, he does not support NATO. Instead Trump believes that the international system is essentially a great power rivalry that is anarchical. Attempting to establish a world order based on norms and international institutions violates the laws of nature and has resulted in generations of American leaders being played by its so-called allies.
Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump on the Concept of Genius
Both Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump believed they were geniuses. Hitler argued that Germany needed a dictator who was also a genius. He once said that he had chosen not to have children because life for the children of geniuses was too strenuous. Trump has referred to himself as a very stable genius. Hitler used this self-designation to promote the view that it would have to be a genius to lead Germany out of misery, and he promoted himself as the messiah who could rescue Germany. Hitler tells the story of how he was a genius in the first volume of Mein Kampf. Although geniuses are supposed to develop new insights from personal experiences, Hitler frequently spent time reading nonfiction books and newspapers with the view that understanding the world required understanding the ideas of other people. Trump on the other hand reads very selectively and many contend that he struggles to absorb and process what he reads. He appears to detest having to meet experts and tells people that only he is capable of understanding the world. This unique understanding of the world is supposedly based on his innate, extraordinary talents and his real-life experiences outside of politics. Both Hitler and Trump have claimed the right to lead their countries to make them great again, and millions of supporters find this appealing because they blame their own misery, imagined or real, on the stupidity and incompetence of the elites.
Hitler's and Trump's Policy Responses to the State of Nature
Hitler's and Trump's proposed solutions to their countries' problems are very different. To rectify Germany's domestic weaknesses Hitler needed to address what he viewed as the malicious influence of the Jews. Hitler believed that the National Socialist variant of fascism would create the necessary state and society that would allow the German people to thrive and flourish. From Hitler's perspective, the goal of fascism was to prevent anarchy and set up a polity in which people and the common good could thrive. The state was needed to prevent the Germanic people from being victimized by foreign elements and influences. Hitler's vision of the state was to provide service to the people defined in a communitarian rather than individualist fashion. Externally, Hitler intended to transform Germany into a superpower that would be able to survive the anarchical international order. The idea of peaceful cooperation and collective security was for Hitler a dangerous illusion. Only the regular external use of force could provide the conditions needed for success.
In contrast, Donald Trump does not see war as a solution. Trump views American soldiers who died in war as losers and suckers. He has no appreciation for military service or most military conflict. When Trump was elected he appointed high-ranking officers as his national security adviser, secretary of defense, and chief of staff, but he did not like what they told him. He used military power for electoral gain and to enhance his self-image as a strong leader. Trump sees the international system as anarchical, not a norms-driven system. Trump believes that international order can only be established when each state pursues its own self-interest as power maximizing entities. However, unlike Hitler, Trump does not believe that this requires endless military conflicts. Instead, Trump believes the system can be managed and an equilibrium can be reached between the major powers of the world. Military power should be used as a deterrence and a tool to punish trespassers. Trump is not a pacifist, but differs from Hitler in that he does not view war as something ennobling, inevitable, or desirable. Trump appears to believe it when he claims to be the only thing standing between the American Dream and total anarchy. Trump uses the state to give him power, but he does not trust the state or the so-called deep-state. Trump's approach to international affairs and state power, and state institutions is much like the behavior of Mafia godfathers and tribal leaders. Trump used a Mafia style family structure to govern the United States. His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were his most trusted, and most powerful aides in the White House.
There is a stark difference between Hitler's variant of fascism and Trumpism. Hitler viewed individual self-interest as toxic to overcoming the state of nature. Hitler believed that individuals can thrive only as part of a collective. Trump's view is the exact opposite. As a follower of the work of Ayn Rand ("man exists for his own sake, that the pursuit of happiness is his highest moral purpose, that he must not sacrifice himself to others, nor sacrifice others to himself") Trump believes the pursuit of individual self-interest is the dominant driver of all human existence. Self-interest makes it possible for people to thrive individually and collectively. For Trump, everything is transactional, and all interactions are worthless unless they include a monetary payback. This helps explain why Trump finds service, sacrifice, and heroism so difficult to comprehend. Trump does not understand why anyone would do something for someone else without compensation. People are responsible for their own fortune or misfortune, not the state or society.
Conclusion
In the domestic sphere, Hitler thought the state of nature could be overcome with a strong state and strong communitarian bonds holding people together. However, internationally, people had to accept the continued existence of an unregulated state of nature. Trump, in contrast places little faith in the state domestically, but he believes that the state of nature can be tamed through a web of power relationships within and between groups to create a stable system. According to Thomas Weber, it is a category error to describe Trump's presidency as fascist because Trump's views grew out of the Mafia substructure of New York City and the extreme individualism of Ayn Rand. Although fascist elements can be identified with Trump's style of campaigning (use of demagoguery, stirring up resentment, peddling lies, and promise to make America great again), Trump's approach to politics relates to ideologies other than fascism. In addition, the majority of Trump's supporters are not fascist. Their views might have more to do with anarchical and libertarian leanings than with fascism. In addition, Hitler was a man of ideas while Trump has replaced ideology with personalism. It is clearly an error to apply the term fascist to a system that rejects statism and society in favor of extreme libertarianism. Fascism is a far greater danger to today's Europe than to America with European far-right political movements following the national socialism principles associated with Hitler. America's problem is the Trumpian national capitalism that includes an existential challenge to liberal democracy.
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Related summaries:
Anonymous. 2019. A Warning: A Senior Trump Administration Official. Twelve: Hachette Book Group. (Summary).
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Policies of a Second Trump Presidency.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Shepard Fairey Political Posters.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Summary of Trump's Seven Part Plan to Overturn the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Summary of what Trump is and what he is not.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Why I vote for Democrats.
Oser, J. 1963. The Evolution of Economic Thought. Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. See Chapter 5 for Adam Smith's invisible hand. (Summary).
Stanley, J. 2018. How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Random House. (Summary).
Unger, C. 2018. House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia. Dutton. (Note).
