A divided union
Authoritarians are not from Left or Right but populists who seize ideas from either political wing.
The Division
What they do is cut thru the normal political spectrum from Left to Right and make extremists of both.
This is deliberate.
By occupying the imaginary Populist position in the middle, an authoritarian leader is able to freely manipulate the hate of Left and Right.
The people cannot debate anymore because the middle ground of reasonable language and face-to-face conversation is gone. It’s swearing and shouting from a distance.
Debate is ended. Hate is all.
The Division is the start.
The Union
Having created a situation where other politicians, campaigners and citizens are now either from one side or the other, us or them, the authoritarian leader can destroy the unity of the country.
The union of any country is based on a flexible respect of other citizens and other ideas.
Having made extremists of both sides, the populist, authoritarian leader is now the only unifying figure. They control who is right, who is patriotic and who is to be hated.
The Union is divided.
The country is lost.