What Is A Fascist?
Does Trump Sound Like One? You Decide.
The last few weeks of the 2024 Presidential election have been filled with insults, misinformation, and outright lies. This has left many of us feeling stressed as a country. We just want the election to be over!
A frightening allegation about Trump is causing me nightmares. Retired Generals Mark Milley and John Kelley have alleged Trump is a fascist. Why should we pay attention to them? Both worked in the Trump Administration. Kelley was his Chief of Staff and Milley was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They both have serious street cred about the Trump administration.
So, what's a fascist or Nazi sound like? It's important to know there's a small but significant difference.
Since the definition of fascist is more involved, let's start with nazism. While nazism focuses on race, fascism doesn't. Yet, they're both two sides of the same coin.
Fascism comes from "fascisti," describing Benito Mussolini's form of government, which was dedicated to nationalistic and totalitarian principles. These principles were often violently enforced.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines fascism as organizing society by suppressing opposition and controlling the lives of its citizens. Autocracy and dictatorial leadership are hallmarks of the government. A fascist leader allows absolutely no opposition or disagreement. Fascism, notably, opposes democracy.
The nation is more important than the individual. If you want to know what happens if you disagree with or actively oppose the leader, look to Russia. I recommend staying clear of windows and any floor above the first.
Does Trump sound like a fascist? A nazi? Neither? The point of this article isn't to sway you one way or the other but to provide the definitions. As an informed voter, your job is to do some research to determine if Trump is either. Easy, right? After all, we have videos of rallies and interviews to watch.
Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire, is making the job easier by determining 16 characteristics of a fascist. Remember, a nazi will also use race and religion as a way to "other" anyone not white and Christian. So keep that in mind.
Here's the list for your edification. You can also find it at https://www.keene.e
du/academics/cchgs/resources/presentation-materials/characteristics-and-appeal-of-fascism/download/
1. Powerful, often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on cult of a redemptive, "infallible" leader who never admits mistakes.
2. Political power derived from questioning reality, endorsing myth and rage, and promoting lies.
3. Fixation with perceived national decline, humiliation, or victimhood.
4. White Replacement "Theory" used to show that democratic ideals of freedom and equality are a threat. Oppose any initiatives or institutions that are racially, ethnically, or religiously harmonious.
5. Disdain for human rights while seeking purity and cleansing for those they define as part of the nation.
6. Identification of "enemies"/scapegoats as a unifying cause. Imprison and/or murder opposition and minority group leaders.
7. Supremacy of the military and embrace of paramilitarism in an uneasy, but effective collaboration with traditional elites. Fascists arm people and justify and glorify violence as "redemptive".
8. Rampant sexism.
9. Control of mass media and undermining "truth".
10. Obsession with national security, crime and punishment, and fostering a sense of the nation under attack.
11. Religion and government are intertwined.
12. Corporate power is protected and labor power is suppressed.
13. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts not aligned with the fascist narrative.
14. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Loyalty to the leader is paramount and often more important than competence.
15. Fraudulent elections and creation of a one-party state.
16. Often seeking to expand territory through armed conflict. Appeal? Why does this become permissible?
Now is the time to be honest with yourself. Does candidate Trump fit more than five of these characteristics? Stop inserting his opponent in this thought experiment! We're talking about the candidate that has been accused of being a fascist and having nazi tendencies.
If the answer to the above question is yes, decide whether or not this is the type of society you want your kids to grow up in. Whatever you choose, though, vote! That's the critical part of living in a democratic republic.