Every day, the media tells Americans that the Right poses a unique threat to Our Democracy™.  Donald Trump is just like Hitler, and the Republican Party has embraced “fascism.” Democracy would have literally died if the GOP won a few more seats in the midterms. This hysterical nonsense is taken seriously by the “adults” in our country, including the current Oval Office occupant, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the FBI.

But it’s also regurgitated by a growing subset of conservative media personalities who fantasize about a coming “Red Caesar.” Like their liberal counterparts, they predict the emergence of a right-wing, charismatic strongman who will upend the present regime.

That assessment isn’t grounded in reality. Far from it. Any authoritarian political movements will almost certainly come from the Left.

America may soon face one of two kinds of left-wing authoritarianism. One is the soft despotism of liberal technocracy. This authoritarianism wouldn’t overthrow the present structures of our society or upend the economy. In fact, it would have the support of the regime’s major institutions. It would seriously curb civil liberties, such as free speech and gun rights, and feel much less democratic. More people would be arrested over memes, but much would remain the same. Political life in America would look more like contemporary Western Europe

The other is a radical populism in the mold of Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan socialist who turned his resource-rich South American nation into a hellhole. This authoritarianism would threaten America’s institutions and overthrow the economic order. It would not be supported by the powers that be and would crush civil liberties to enact massive wealth redistribution programs.

Unlike liberal technocracy, where the guiding principle is that “experts” should be in charge, this radical populism would be motivated largely by race resentment. The desire for revenge against “white supremacy” would inspire a movement to destroy the old America.

Today, an American Chavist movement looks more likely than Red Caesarism. Americans are primed to support its message thanks to popular media and real-world conditions. Plus, Chavism has a natural economic base that consists of gig workers, people stuck in the service sectors, low-skilled immigrants (both legal and illegal), the “lumpenbourgeoisie” (failsons who can’t achieve the lifestyle of their parents), and others who feel left out of American abundance. These growing demographics are turning to left-wing champions as seen in “the squad,” whose constituency will only grow with time.

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