Powerful: Ballet Legend Mikhail Baryshnikov Warns Against Donald Trump’s Authoritarianism

[cali]

Mikhail Baryshnikov, the famed Russian ballet dancer and actor who defected from the former Soviet Union in 1974, warned in a video released Wednesday that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump could bring Soviet-style authoritarianism to the United States.

“Take it from one who knows: Hundreds of thousands of people like me have fled countries led by dangerous, totalitarian opportunists ― like Donald Trump,” Baryshnikov says in the video, produced by an organization called Art Not War.

The video is part of a campaign called Humanity for Hillary, in which artists have collaborated to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and advocate against Trump.

“I left a country that built walls to come to a place without them,” Baryshnikov says in the video. “But today, as a citizen of the United States, for the first time, I am hearing rhetoric that reminds me of the Soviet Union of my youth, where it was a crime, and continues to be a crime, to be different.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mikhail-baryshnikov-donald-trump_us_57b3d6eee4b0b42c38af3fa4

[ms liberty]

1. Powerful. K&R. n/t

[Granny M]

2. Very good. K&R nt

[gademocrat7]

3. K&R

[sarae]

4. I hope people take note of his message.

Way too many people discount the gravity of a Trump presidency.

[cali]

5. Well, perhaps not his message in the singular, but combined voices

all saying the same thing in their own way, that can perhaps make a difference.

[Ilsa]

6. God bless him.

His experience is invaluable, and he didn't have to get involved. But he laid it out there because he loves his country. Hear that, Trump? Another immigrant loves the USA.

[DonCoquixote]

7. please please please

get this guy to the greatest

Especially consider that if he was to voice a line like "Amerika sux" Vlad would probably be throwing rose petals and palm leaves to welcome him to Russia.

[treestar]

8. Wonderful

From someone who knows

[DemonGoddess]

9. K&R!

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I was literally thinking about him last week

because Maurice Hines (brother of Gregory Hines who starred with Baryshnikov in "White Nights&quot was doing auditions here in Philly for tap dancers for the local production of his Broadway show about tap that also honored his brother... And I almost posted this (but will do so now) -

[lindysalsagal]

14. Top 5 fav films. With dirty dancing.

[niyad]

17. thank you so much for sharing that--had forgotten that movie.

[Duval]

21. That was an awesome movie.

I also saw him in the 80's when he was in Raleigh, NC, at an outdoor pavilion.

[forest444]

11. Powerful stuff.

I wish he had put this very same ad out back in 2000, when another dangerous, totalitarian opportunist was running.

[Native]

12. K&R

[lindysalsagal]

13. Fabulous. I adore Baryshnikov.

I remember when he defected. Beautiful.

[milestogo]

15. Take it from one who knows.

Excellent.

[Hortensis]

16. Well, I'm sure that in his profound ignorance

Trump imagines he can, but he can't. The differences are actually huge. Unlike America, in Russia authoritarianism is very much not just a personality trait that make some glad to trade independence for imagined security.

Russians have authoritarianism strongly built into their dominant cultures, a product of centuries of shared authoritarian government by czars and the church. Their first attempt at democracy early last century lasted maybe 15 years before reverting to authoritarian government, and now they're trying again and once again in danger of falling to authoritarian leadership.

The United States is specifically founded on liberal, anti-authoritarian principles written into the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and its centuries of interpretations. Though some local governments are authoritarian in practice and though there is never a time without assaults on the protections against authoritarianism in our constitution, we have mostly been able to prevail over those subversive attempts, and in liberal eras we not only recoup what may have been lost but continually enlarge upon our beginnings. As an expression of our dominant national character.

Btw, in spite of the populist, extremist, and authoritarian agitation from far left and right these days, by far most signs are that we have already entered on of those eras of liberal dominance. As expected. Conservative reverses are followed by liberal advances, and vice versa.

[niyad]

18. k and r

[spanone]

19. K&R...

[awoke_in_2003]

20. K&R

I can't imagine how scary it must have been to do what he did.

[salin]

22. *Standing up... and applauding*

now flicking my bic for an encore.

Here is a compilation of some of his performances. If there had been Olympic events in that era for ballet - he would have been gold medal contention.

[ailsagirl]

23. So compelling

Spoken from the heart

[Hekate]

24. KnR