Fascism and Democracy

Madeleine's Albright ends her book with a series of questions for readers to ask themselves and others—questions she has already raised and discussed in some form or another. This conclusion offers readers (like her graduate school students) the opportunity to review and sum up the most important points of her warning. First, the reader may note that Donald Trump does cater to prejudices: Mexicans entering the US at our southern border are “rapists and criminals.” Migrants fleeing persecution in order to seek asylum in the US bring diseases with them; they are really looking for welfare. African Americans, American Indians, Latinos, and Muslims are inferior and unworthy of full citizenship or dignity. White (misogynist) males are at the top of the pyramid.

The slogan “Make America Great Again” reflects the mantra that the US is really a victim not a victor. The US has been...