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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is how fascism comes to America
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-how-fascism-comes-to-america/2016/05/17/c4e32c58-1c47-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html?tid=pm_pop_bBy Robert Kagan
The Republican Partys attempt to treat Donald Trump as a normal political candidate would be laughable were it not so perilous to the republic. If only he would mouth the partys conservative principles, all would be well.
But of course the entire Trump phenomenon has nothing to do with policy or ideology. It has nothing to do with the Republican Party, either, except in its historic role as incubator of this singular threat to our democracy. Trump has transcended the party that produced him. His growing army of supporters no longer cares about the party. Because it did not immediately and fully embrace Trump, because a dwindling number of its political and intellectual leaders still resist him, the party is regarded with suspicion and even hostility by his followers. Their allegiance is to him and him alone.
And the source of allegiance? Were supposed to believe that Trumps support stems from economic stagnation or dislocation. Maybe some of it does. But what Trump offers his followers are not economic remedies his proposals change daily. What he offers is an attitude, an aura of crude strength and machismo, a boasting disrespect for the niceties of the democratic culture that he claims, and his followers believe, has produced national weakness and incompetence. His incoherent and contradictory utterances have one thing in common: They provoke and play on feelings of resentment and disdain, intermingled with bits of fear, hatred and anger. His public discourse consists of attacking or ridiculing a wide range of others Muslims, Hispanics, women, Chinese, Mexicans, Europeans, Arabs, immigrants, refugees whom he depicts either as threats or as objects of derision. His program, such as it is, consists chiefly of promises to get tough with foreigners and people of nonwhite complexion. He will deport them, bar them, get them to knuckle under, make them pay up or make them shut up.
Nyan
(1,192 posts)That played a good part in the rise of fascism in the 1930s? I guess not.
WP represents America's failing liberal class pushing for the worst democratic candidate in modern history, and they don't see it even as they're HELPING to bring fascism. Their ignorance is astounding.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)ananda
(28,876 posts)With so much corporate control and money behind the fascist establishment,
there will never be a solution until the people themselves take back the
country and the world.
gordianot
(15,244 posts)That is not to say there are holder on's who think they are still liberal progressives. The Clinton's have always been good actors no surprise there. I cannot say I blame the once Democratic Party for selling out. When you think about it the best Democratic leaders of the last century were born wealthy and independent. The money is just too tempting so a trade deal here, defense contract there, a big expansion for the insurance industry and tax cuts for the wealthy no matter who is in office. A funny sideline is that the Republican party found whale shit washed up on the beach disgusting so they decided to make perfume. I like the radical independent running opposition but he is going to be chewed up. At least use of character assassination this time and not the real physical thing.
pampango
(24,692 posts)their doing.
http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-dangerous-acceptance-of-donald-trump
AntiBank
(1,339 posts)not a fascist. You have to be care when attacking him with incorrect labels, as you open yourself up to a slap down from his side.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016157513
Kagan is wrong. Donald Trump is not a fascist. "Fascism" has been an all-purpose insult for many years now, but it has a real definition, and according to scholars of historical fascism, Trump doesn't qualify. Rather, he's a right-wing populist, or perhaps an "apartheid liberal" in the words of Roger Griffin, author of The Nature of Fascism. He doesn't want to overthrow the existing democratic system. He doesn't want to scrap the Constitution. He doesn't romanticize violence itself as a vital cleansing agent of society. He's simply a racist who wants to keep the current system but deny its benefits to groups he's interested in oppressing.
JustAnotherGen
(31,879 posts)He's like A Hutu.
dembotoz
(16,832 posts)its funny yet its not
worth the time