Extended Essays 2021

to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I love Pennsylvania Avenue. And we're going to the Capitol, and we're going to try and give. 4

Clearly, Trump’s speech emboldened his supporters and they “ (forced) their way inside and

(interrupted) Congress’s certification of electoral votes”. 5 By day’s end, the rioters caused

elected representatives to flee from their legislative chambers, a police officer was beaten to

death, a rioter was shot and killed, and three others died during the rampage. Later, some 500

of Trump’s rioters were charged with Federal crimes, and their attorneys assert that Trump was

their inspiration. For example, a charged rioter Garrett Miller claimed that “ (he) was following

the directions of former President Trump” . 6

My preliminary philosophical inquiry of this political phenomenon led me to an analysis by

Charlie Savage in his New York Times article, “Incitement to riot? What Trump told supporters

before they entered the capitol.” Savage examined the motives behind the “deadly chaos” and

how Trump gleefully “watched the violence play out on television from the safety of the White

House”. 7 Savage’s article is thought-provoking because it touches on how a democracy can

create leaders that wilfully destroy their own democracy. Historically, we see how a

democratic leader ostensibly calls upon his ‘mob’ to protect democratic values, but in reality,

is seeking to enhance their own self-interest. When I researched further, I found that Plato, in

his renown dialogue Republic , described this phenomenon as one that consistently played out

in the democracies of ancient Greece. Hence, Plato criticised the democratic form of

government as the most corruptible, because a “champion” of democracy will concentrate

power and thereby become a tyrant. 8

4 NPR. “Read Trump’s January 6 th Speech – A Key Part of the Impeachment Tri al”. 10 February 2021. 5 "Congress’ s Count Of The Electoral Votes, Explained". 2021. Vox . 6 "Donald Trump Sets Up Office In Florida To 'Carry On The Agenda' Of His Presidency". 2021. Abc.Net.Au . 7 "Politics – Beyond Comfort.". 2021. Beyond Comfort. 8 Seitz, Author: Sam, et al. “Plato's Critique of Democracy and Contemporary Politics.” Politics in Theory and Practice, 14 Nov. 2020

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