“The Art of Deal,” a 1987 book credited to Donald J. Trump as well as journalist Tony Schwartz significantly increased the name recognition of former President Trump at the time. Since 2016, there have been arguments over the attribution (or blame depending on who you were) of the division of labor. Some arguments were solely between Trump and himself from one moment to the next. One occasion claims to having a lot of choice in selecting the writer and proudly choosing Schwartz. Only later to make the claim that Schwartz didn’t write the book, instead that he did. Schwartz on the other hand, did not dodge credit for his role in writing the book. However, tried to distance himself from the literary work, by claiming that he needed the money at the time.[i] He went a step further to state that the book should be “recategorized as fiction.”[ii]
To the book’s credit, it made number 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list. It held that position for 13 weeks, and remained on the list for 48 weeks.[i] The contents primarily cover Trump’s childhood, the progression through the real estate industry and includes an 11-step formula for success in business.
All this to say, I credit this period in time to the elevation of the Trump name. He became a household name. More books followed like “Trump: Surviving at the Top” in 1990. I believe the end of this tragic sequence series should be entitled: “The Art of Autocrat.” No need for a ghost writer, no need for recategorization, just a cautionary tale for those who follow our generations (should the world survive).
The proposed book should begin with a definition as to what a government looks like once the subject reaches leadership. As an authoritarian, he would have final authority on all decisions, able to rule with near supremacy requiring subjects to strictly adhere to the leader’s edicts (in the case of Donald Trump capricious whims). The subjects would ultimately have little to no participation in government and even less personal freedom. To further the point, references of other autocrats could be mentioned. Mussolini and Hitler come to mind quickly. For anyone thinking that either of these examples are too extreme, I will remind you that this isn’t over yet.
The book would follow with examples of preceding authoritarian governments and the progression of the transformation. For example, imagine a person who is seemingly very charismatic, has a large base of followers and is enabled by the presence of formidable secrete police. The consequences of such a government should be emphasized. The death count resulting from their leadership should be referenced. The number of deaths from the Pol Pot regime of Cambodia killed nearly 2.8 million people. To put that number into perspective, it constituted about 30% of its population. There was also the 4 million who starved as a result of the famine Joseph Stalin started and maintained in Ukraine from 1931-1934. Currently in our education system these topics are only referred to as historical events. However, many of these same events are occurring and similar policies are being enacted in the United States in the 21st century.
The formation of alliance of like-minded leader would be explained next. Looking toward those you admire such as established authoritarians would be useful. In his next book, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and most notably Vladimir Putin could be recommended. A desire for a permanent grip on power is a requisite quality for any respectable autocrat. Following that is usually an abuse of power, neglect of obligation, and ultimately a general contempt for responsibility. With the support of the aforementioned large base of followers and manipulation of law enforcement a leader would have all the necessary ingredients for subverting a democracy such as the United States of America into a fully functioning totalitarian nation.
An explanation of how to maintain power is what the final chapter would be about. The problem with “The Art of the Autocrat” is that it doesn’t end in success. The efforts of many organizations and individuals foiled the plans of the would-be dictator. That these efforts were completely uncoordinated and often worked against one another demonstrates that the system employed by the subject was very flawed.
Currently “The Art of the Autocrat” is under revision. The strategy is being refined by eliminating all who might resist his autocratic objectives. Filtering out would-be dissidents and installing loyalists in their stead. The proto-fascistic rhetoric is generating dangerous and violent supporters. If this book proves to be the omega of Donald J. Trump’s alpha: “The Art of the Deal. Then it needs to be just as false.
— Citizen Mooney
[i] Mayer, Jane (July 25, 2016). “Donald Trump’s Ghostwriter Tells All”. The New Yorker. Retrieved July 18, 2016
[i] Zuckerman, Alex; Farhi, Arden (May 24, 2019). “Trump’s ghostwriter calls “Art of the Deal” the greatest regret of his life”. CBS News. Retrieved May 24, 2019 – via MSN
[ii] “Trump Ghostwriter Suggests ‘The Art Of The Deal’ Be Recategorized As Fiction”. Huffington Post. May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.