Steve Bannon is a well read intellectual. Donald Trump is not an intellectual, but Bannon coached Trump on how to use ideas, that were successful in Europe, in his political campaign. He won the election with Bannon's help. Trump wants to be a winner and he hates losers. That is the reason why Steve Bannon has a job as Trump's strategy manager.
This article describes some of the philosophical ideas that have influenced Steve Bannon. They have also influenced Vladimir Putin. They begin with the belief that our modern society is decadent. The best way to restore traditional values is to blow the system up. Liberal democracy promotes individualism and materialism. We need to restore nationalism and spiritual values to rebuild a hierarchical system base upon traditional values. Mussolini was inspired by the idea of powerful nationalism based upon traditional values and hierarchy. They helped to form his vision of fascism which is often called corporatism. There is also a tinge of racism in these ideas. Mussolini and Hitler included different forms of racism, including antisemitism, in their versions of nationalism and traditionalism. Steve Bannon's alt-right news site has a tinge of antisemitic ideas and a strong dose of Anti-Muslim ideology.
Donald Trump's slogans of "America First" and "Make America Great Again" have been used in our past by populists who build their campaigns around nationalism, racism and traditional values. Liberalism and progressive are curse words for many of his followers. Many fear Muslims because they believe that Muslims intend to establish Sharia law in America. They have no interest in an inclusive society and they hate multi-culturalism and atypical sexual relationships. Donald Trump was well aware of these sentiments in his base.
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