Donald Trump's not-so-veiled racism, crude economic populism, and male bravado make him the closest thing the U.S. has to an authentic European-style fascist.
by John Feffer
'Put crudely,' writes Feffer, 'Donald Trump is the closest thing the United States currently has to an authentic European-style fascist.' (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)
It was 1972. The flamboyant rock star Alice Cooper, not quite a household name at that point in England, was booked to play London’s Wembley Stadium. Shortly before the concert date, only a couple hundred of the 7,000 available tickets had been sold.
Facing an epic failure, the redoubtable rock music promoter Shep Gordon emblazoned the side of a truck with a huge picture of Alice Cooper, naked except for a boa constrictor covering his genitals. As recounted in the recent documentary Supermensch, Gorden then instructed the driver of the truck to break down in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. Traffic was backed up for blocks. The press turned out to see what was going on. And so did the photographers.
The portrait of the unclad Cooper outraged British sensibility. The next day, newspapers were full of headlines and commentary about how degenerate American music was corrupting English culture.
Cooper immediately sold out his Wembley show.
Shep Gordon realized early on an important feature of celebrity culture. It’s long been true that all PR is good PR. But you also need to know your target audience. If parents denounce the demonic Alice Cooper, their children will surely rush out to buy tickets.
Donald Trump, the tone-deaf politician who acts as if he were a rock star, also knows his target audience.
Please continue this article here: http://fpif.org/trump-takes-on-the-world/ and here http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/08/20/trump-takes-world
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