Is Trump a Fascist?

[Fool]

Trump hasn't tried to seize dictatorial power (yet).
So you don't know that is his secret desire.
If after the election he stages a coup to remain in
power despite his loss, that would be compelling
evidence. Let's wait & see.

Btw, this is the exact same argument I provided
to right wing acquaintances when they feared
that Obama would refuse to leave the White
House, & become dictator.

Partisans get too easily frightened of their
opposition. It's a bad idea to get all worked
up imagining the worst motives & worst
case scenarios.

we know the man habitually lies; if you've watched any of his publicity.
the man is extremely unethical. look at all that swirls around him. he's the center of the storm.


so no i'm not worked up over nothing. what he's done alone, is enough to get someone else canned but because of rhetoric and apathy, he's still president.

justice is not a popularity contest.

 

[Deidre]

I don’t see him as a fascist. If he could create the “Trump party,” I think he would. All of his policies aren’t bad but he lacks empathy and doesn’t seem to believe that being President is a team sport. I rarely hear him say “we,” it’s all “me, I,” etc.

 

[Milton Platt]

does trump fit the bill to be a fascist?


Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/) is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism[1][2] characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and of the economy[3] which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe


a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition


Expert compares Trump's politics to fascism - CNN Video

I don't think so, strictly speaking. However, I do see the country trending in that direction.

 

[Mike.Hester]

That was very thoughtful of you to post your Youtube tutorial about fascism. I watched the entire lecture.
This lecture is a complete waist of time. The speaker never mentions Mussolini ´s name or the founder of Fascism, Giovanni Gentile. He only talks in generalities and totally neglects the underpinnings of fascism. He only mentions Hitler´s name a few times. He attempts portraying President Nixon as a Fascist, but with no evidence. He wrote a book about Fascist Politics but not about what Fascism is. He does bring up a few interesting facts, that German Lawyers did have a strong interest with The Chinese and Japanese Exclusion Acts . That the Nuremburg Racial laws where for some part based on US laws on the books concerning miscegenation. Watch another lecture.

 

[Mike.Hester]

Words change meaning, and as a political term, fascism has been considerably expanded from its initial narrow meaning to describe only Gentile's beliefs, to include most extreme-nationalist populist movements of the 1930s and beyond, as most of them share characteristics.

Mussolini changed political positions several times in his life, on top of using blatant lies as a political tool, so I would take anything he claims with an enormous amount of salt.

Mussolini was an jerk!

 

[Tambourine]

Another useful tool to recognize a fascist:

Umberto Eco: "Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt"

 

[Mike.Hester]

I can recommend Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism. Detailed explanation with examples.

 

[Revoltingest]

we know the man habitually lies; if you've watched any of his publicity.
the man is extremely unethical. look at all that swirls around him. he's the center of the storm.

Those are bad traits.
But they afflict non-fascists too.

so no i'm not worked up over nothing. what he's done alone, is enough to get someone else canned but because of rhetoric and apathy, he's still president.
justice is not a popularity contest.

I recommend looking not at dislikeable personal traits in Trump,
but more at the definition of "fascism", & what he actually does.
Otherwise, "fascism" is just another insult carelessly bandied about.

 

[Mike.Hester]

Another useful tool to recognize a fascist:

Umberto Eco: "Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt"

I read your suggested essay and it falls way short of what are Giovanni Gentiles ideas. In fact the essay disqualifies itself in the second paraghap."These features cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present to allow fascism to coagulate around it".

 

[George-ananda]

My thought is that to the left any conservative is now a fascist and racist and sexist.....I'm not impressed by the name calling.

 

[metis]

does trump fit the bill to be a fascist?


Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/) is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism[1][2] characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and of the economy[3] which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe


a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition


Expert compares Trump's politics to fascism - CNN Video

Even being an actual "fascist" would need some level of intelligence on the subject, so maybe no.

OTOH, his first wife, Ivana, said he loved to read NAZI material that he kept on his bed-stand and read just before turning in. He also has praised "strong leaders" like Putin, Kim, and even Saddam Hussein. He never criticizes former KGB head Putin who basically is trying to restore the Soviet empire. And, even more importantly, he's taking steps that can threaten our democracy that one should be able to see if they actually connect-the-dots.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

My thought is that to the left any conservative is now a fascist and racist and sexist.....I'm not impressed by the name calling.

The Republican Party is not the be-all and end-all of conservatism.

The Republican Party today is fascist, racist and sexist. Plenty of other conservative parties around the world are not.

 

[tytlyf]

My thought is that to the left any conservative is now a fascist and racist and sexist.....I'm not impressed by the name calling.

I disagree. But the frequency of fascist ideology support has definitely increased since Trump got into office. People are essentially saying if you support racism and fascist ideology, you don't have to be an actual fascist/racist to get the label. The support says enough.

 

[George-ananda]

The Republican Party is not the be-all and end-all of conservatism.

The Republican Party today is fascist, racist and sexist. Plenty of other conservative parties around the world are not.

I take it that you are on the liberal side and hence your comment actually supports my point about perspective.

I do not consider the Republican party fascist, racist and sexist. Those saying so I consider a byproduct of the overreactive climate stoked by the media.

 

[Fool]

Even being an actual "fascist" would need some level of intelligence on the subject, so maybe no.

OTOH, his first wife, Ivana, said he loved to read NAZI material that he kept on his bed-stand and read just before turning in. He also has praised "strong leaders" like Putin, Kim, and even Saddam Hussein. He never criticizes former KGB head Putin who basically is trying to restore the Soviet empire. And, even more importantly, he's taking steps that can threaten our democracy that one should be able to see if they actually connect-the-dots.

You think he's communist?

 

[Fool]

My thought is that to the left any conservative is now a fascist and racist and sexist.....I'm not impressed by the name calling.

the patriot act was lauded years ago vehemently by the right. it was allowed to go quietly last year by the right. wonder why? got to close to home?

McConnell Appears Set to Quietly Suffocate Long-Debated F.B.I. Surveillance Bill

mcconnell has been in office for years. he doesn't care about his state.

• Adults with at least a bachelor’s degree: 23.4% (5th lowest)
• Adults 25-64 with incomes at or above national median: 47.4% (15th lowest)

 

[sun rise]

We had a thread the other day Some of today’s politicians have learned propaganda tricks from 1930s fascists, says Yale professor with that in the OP Democracy: Eroding and Maintaining

So call him a neo-fascist or a crypto-fascist or a semi-fascist authoritarian if you object to calling him a fascist, What I wrote in that thread were these quotes:

"Always find simple slogans and repeat them over and over again... to divide your listeners into us and them."

"Politics is fundamentally about friends and enemies...is a basic fascist idea."

"Today's... are passive aggressive... Ascribe agency to other people" "claim that everything they're doing is just a reaction to what the other side is doing"

"saying goodby to law"

"Authoritarianism today depends precisely on citizens thinking they can't do anything."

 

[PureX]

Those are bad traits.
But they afflict non-fascists too.

I recommend looking not at dislikeable personal traits in Trump,
but more at the definition of "fascism", & what he actually does.
Otherwise, "fascism" is just another insult carelessly bandied about.

Well, not really.

Wanting to be a pedophile, and doing everything you can to make pedophilia legal, or at least make it easy for you to get away with it, and then enabling circumstances to set yourself up to be able to engage in pedophilia is not the same as actually committing pedophilia. But you would still BE a pedophile, even if a 'pedophile in waiting'.

And the same goes for a fascist.

Trump would happily be a fascist dictator. And he is doing everything he can to fulfill that desire. So far, that desire has not yet been fully realized, but that doesn't mean he's not a fascist in every way but actual practice, and only then because he can't quite get away with it, yet.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I take it that you are on the liberal side and hence your comment actually supports my point about perspective.

You see a post where I said that plenty of conservative parties around the world are not fascist, racist or sexist is support for your allegation that "to the left any conservative is now a fascist and racist and sexist?" Give your head a shake.

I do not consider the Republican party fascist, racist and sexist.

And I do not consider your judgement to be reliable. To settle the matter, maybe we should look and see if the Republicans support any policies that are fascist, racist, or sexist. Are you game?

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, not really.

Wanting to be a pedophile, and doing everything you can to make pedophilia legal, or at least make it easy for you to get away with it, and then enabling circumstances to set yourself up to be able to engage in pedophilia is not the same as actually committing pedophilia. But you would still BE a pedophile, even if a 'pedophile in waiting'.

And the same goes for a fascist.

Trump would happily be a fascist dictator. And he is doing everything he can to fulfill that desire. So far, that desire has not yet been fully realized, but that doesn't mean he's not a fascist in every way but actual practice, and only then because he can't quite get away with it, yet.

Terrible analogy in so many ways.