Right-wing Populism of the MAGA-type is not limited to the United States, which makes one wonder if there is a model “somewhere” that is being manipulated out from central planning, “somewhere” – perhaps a place that wants to fight democracy and install even more corrupt dictators around the world. India was suffering under a MAGA demagogue long before COVID and then COVID made it infinitely worse.

Just listen to this report from The Daily Beast, from a citizen of India who managed to get to the U.S. long before “the Second Wave” and see if this doesn’t sound like it came from some centralized plan, despite the fact that they’d already had a case study on “how to fail.” They had a chance to avoid all those mistakes. Instead, they doubled down:

In February, Modi boasted, “In a country which is home to 18 percent of the world population, that country has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.” On Tuesday, India reported a staggering 357,229 fresh COVID-19 infections, and has been reporting over 300,000 cases every day for the last 13 days.

Boasted, and credited himself, even as the disease still circled the globe, waiting for a perfect wave. He did nothing to prepare for what was right around the corner.

Now the big big big one. Despite the obvious COVID danger, COVID came in second to the MAGA need to win politically:

Yet through much of April, Modi’s government continued organizing campaign rallies for state-level elections in the eastern state of West Bengal, allowing the world’s largest religious gathering, Kumbh Mela, to take place. It was busy fighting narrative wars over the COVID-19 crisis and exporting vaccines globally in a botched diplomatic attempt while its domestic vaccination drive was hammered by lack of planning as the Modi government doubled down on centralizing its response, leaving multiple states in a quagmire on sourcing, managing and expediting health care, oxygen or vaccine shots. Those seeking help on social media were even charged with punitive measures by Indian state Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Ajay Mohan Bisht, also known as Yogi Adityanath.

Above. Look in awe and fear because if a MAGA populist-fascist ever obtains power again, this is exactly what we can look forward to, centralized power which will lead to, in order:

One: Put politics over lives. Continues organizing campaign rallies. (Modi)(Trump)

Two: Gets “Busy” fighting narrative wars rather than issue scientific truth and recommendations. (Modi)(Trump)

Three: Double down on centralizing response. Only the dictator (Only Trump) will issue the message while controlling it and manipulating it. (Modi working on it)

Four: Dissenters, those who expose the incompetence, will be punished. Right now, the Trump-MAGAs only want other politicians punished – and “locked up.” If they get power again, dissenters in the media and social media may get punished.

Five: Science and best practices are suppressed and twisted, maybe mocked. (Modi, Trump)

India is the perfect example of next-levle MAGA rule. Much of it is pulled from the older fascist playbook. Some of it, however, is new in terms of ignoring scientists, making scientists the bad guys, deep state stuff, that’s new. Rallies during epidemics are new. These seem to come from a new MAGA playbook that may be circling the globe, to be picked up by any MAGA wanna-be, whether Trump, Josh Hawley, DeSantis, whomever. Democracy and care for the people will go down the drain while MAGAs centralize power.

It is terrifying to watch because the results are crimes against humanity and classic fascism. But we should be aware, Trump wants a government like this. He wants a government like India and like Russia, corrupt dictatorships.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak