To answer your very first question: “ Why is the lurch towards Trumpian authoritarianism happening to the United States in the twenty-first century? What’s the root of this grotesque affliction?” my first impulse is to say it’s because people really have never changed. The evidence is woven throughout history without interruption. People would rather have empty promises from a sociopath than to face the truth about their shortcomings, fears, problems, and needs. Trump is the messiah for too many people in the same way that Hitler was. We can add to this that people can live vicariously through his pathological lying, immorality, disrespect, immunity to compassion, and insatiable greed. Why would any of his followers admit to their own faults and vices? It would be egoic suicide to do so.

It’s not so difficult for any normal, compassionate, and intelligent person to realize, or at least entertain, that Trump is afflicted with sociopathy. Below is the gold standard for psychopathy created by psychologist Robert Hare. See for yourself how many of these boxes can be checked off in regard to Trump:

1. Glibness / superficial charm

2. Previous diagnosis as psychopath (or similar)

3. Egocentricity / grandiose sense of self-worth

4. Proneness to boredom / low frustration tolerance

5. Pathological lying and deception

6. Conning / lack of sincerity

7. Lack of remorse or guilt

8. Lack of affect and emotional depth

9. Callous / lack of empathy

10. Parasitic lifestyle

11. Short-tempered / poor behavioral controls

12. Promiscuous sexual relations

13. Early behavior problems

14. Lack of realistic, long-term plans

15. Impulsivity

16. Irresponsible behavior as parent

17. Frequent marital relationships

18. Juvenile delinquency

19. Poor probation or parole risk

20. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

21. Many types of offense

22. Drug or alcohol abuse not direct cause of antisocial behavior