Until now I've always resisted the use of the term Fascist. Not any more...
In times past I would frequently see people referencing the right wing in power in the US to be "fascists".
However I've always resisted the urge to use that term, preferring to leave that label for a much more narrowly and specifically defined type of political entity. Don't get me wrong I've long thought of the right wing, especially what I've seen in the US over the past decades, to be dangerous, compassionless, heartless, criminal (see the wars Bush started), and despicable. And I always knew there were fascist elements within the party and at the fringes. But like I said I preferred to leave fascism as a very specific label that focused specifically on ultra symbolic nationalism that focuses on xenophobia and racism at times to the exclusion of all else. Power obsessed individuals, bullies, who based their entire world view around demonization of "the other" and those who feed off the generated fear like some kind of parasite.
I'll agree that many past GOP leaders and prominent individuals were borderline. I felt at times like I was splitting hairs refusing to call them fascists because I could definitely see what people were talking about, and of course I despised them myself even though I refused to use the label. But at those times it felt important to me NOT to use the label because to me that term conjured up yet another level of fear and terror that I didn't want to bandy about that lightly.
Well no more. As of this election you guys have elected a fascist government. Whether Trump himself is a fascist is up for debate, I personally still think he's a sociopathic opportunist mostly. But that's splitting hairs at at any rate, he's more than willing to install fascist leaders in positions of power as evidenced by Steven Bannon, and he was more than willing to co-opt the language of fascism to win.
Congratulations you have a fascist government in power.
I suppose if there is any comfort it might be that you guys are not alone, there has been a sharp rise in ultra right fascism in recent years, just look at Brexit and a number of startling shifts in Europe.
The question is, WTF do we do now? I'm still reticent to think that things like immigrant work camps will be set up. But then I never thought we would see things as far as they are now. After all I'm sure that in almost every other nation where such camps were set up people refused to believe that "it could happen here" until it was too late. Where is all of this going?
= new reply since forum marked as read
