*** “When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will be not even called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism.'” [Halford Luccock]
The following characteristics are the consensus on what fascism is:
1] strong and continuing nationalistic statements
2] disdain for human rights
3] use of enemies and scapegoats
4] militarism and supremacy of the military
5] extensive sexism/misogyny
6] controlled mass media
7] national security obsession
8] religion and ruling classes connected
9] corporations protected
10] labor suppressed
11] suppression of intellectual and the arts
12] obsession with crime and punishment
13] extensive cronyism and corruption
14] fraudulent elections
*** “As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air – however slight – lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.” [Supreme Court Justice W.O. Douglas]
As of November, 2021, America has now at least partially achieved numbers 1-13. Recent false claims have been made – roundly disproved, of ‘fraudulent election – by one of the major proponents of American authoritarianism. Subsequent anti-democratic efforts by his supporters throughout America. This resulted in numerous vote suppressing laws.
*** “The ideal subject to totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.” [Hannah Arendt]
Some of the evidence for American 1980-202X fascism:
1] Current right-wing [R-W] nationalism has occurred in various forms, including 1920-41 “isolationism.” Since 1945, more militant nationalism has steadily built. One analyst [Calmes] describes “waves”: 19802 Reaganism; 1990s Gingrichism; 2000s Bush II ism; 2010s Tea Party to Trumpism – each driving the Republican Party ever more radically to the reactionary right.
*** “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” [George Washington]
2] Violations of human rights of the “Other” – is a major driving mechanism of modern R-Ws, carried out by the Republican Party. Legal discrimination is enabled by Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices and at state levels. Street-level discrimination is done by various ‘Brown Shirts’ and individuals
*** “When we begin to build walls of prejudice, hatred, pride, and self-indulgence around ourselves, we are more surely imprisoned than any prisoner behind concrete walls and iron bars.” [Mother Angelica]
3]. Enemies of the R-Ws are many. Communists and “socialism”; all non-white people; Jews by implication and street level action; non-fundamentalist religions and people; gay and trans gender people. Cynical leaders drum up “divide-and-conquer” hysteria by blaming “Others” at opportunistic times.
*** “In Germany, the Nazis came for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I was a Protestant and didn’t speak up. then they came for me… by that time there was no one to speak for anyone.” [Martin Niemoller}
4] President Eisenhower warned against the “military-industrial complex.” The “defense” complex has a substantial portion of American government’s budget. America has the world’s biggest ever military empire. Blinded by the “domino theory” America blundered into Vietnam war. Lied into “democratizing” others, America invaded an innocent country in 2003 [ see Poland, 1939]
*** “As long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly arise and make them miserable.” [Aldous Huxley]
5] Much R-W policy concerns suppression of women. The major R-W base is religious fundamentalists, which requires second class female status – best seen in “family values” mantra and vigorous anti-contraceptive and abortion policies and laws. The Nazis were strongly opposed to abortion.
*** “The claim that American women are downtrodden and unfairly treated is the fraud of the century.” [Phylis Schlafly]
6]. All mass media is not controlled by the state. Much is controlled by corporations. The R-W alternative universe has its own controlled media: Fox “News”, various radio talking heads, various internet idiots – all working together with strict discipline, to push the “message of the day” [some local media are given required scripts].
*** “Power in America today is control of the means of communication.” [Theodore White]
7] National security is a major R-W position. The infamous 1940s-50s communist witch hunt was led by Republican Congress Critters. Thousands of innocents had lives and careers ruined. Accusing opponents of being “soft on communism” or of “socialism” is a major R-W strategy.
*** “The essence of fascism is to make laws forbidding everything and then enforce them selectively against your enemies.” [John Lescroart]
8]. “Conservative” religions and R-W have been closely connected since the 1930s opposition to the New Deal. After 1968 this has escalated. It is now commonly stated Republicans are a religious party. The “pro-life” agenda was a major political strategy to attract Catholic voters. Official Republican policy is nominating “pro-life” judges – itself unconstitutional [Article VI]
*** “Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty..are called by God to conquer this country. We don’t want equal time..don’t want pluralism.” [Randall Terry]
9] American corporate power has been increasingly protected since 1970. Often the famous “Powell Memorandum” is cited a call to arms. Others suggest just a symptom of what was already happening. Corporate America has an army of “lobbyists” at all levels. Anti-trust and other restraining laws are unenforced. R-Ws bankrolled by rogue anti-democratic billionaires [Mayer: “Dark Money”]. The Roberts Court is THE most “business-friendly” since 1945.
*** “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” [Benito Mussolini]
10] Republicans and R-Ws have attacked labor ferociously since 1933. Before that their goons just shot union people. From 1947’s “Taft-Hartley” forward, Republicans and R-Ws have done everything they could to dismantle unions. Law and Supreme Court decisions [“Janus’]. Simply “outsourcing’ jobs to Southern “right-to-work”[for less!!!] states; Mexico and Latin America; low-wage south Asia; China. In their desire to evade taxes and regulations, pay labor nothing – “American” corporations have financed the new Nazi Germany [just like they did the original – Higham: “Trading With the Enemy”] – Communist China!!! R-Ws bend their ‘rules’ when money calls!!!!!
*** “There’s class warfare, all right, but its my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” [Warren Buffett]
ll] Republicans and R-Ws don’t like intellectuals [real ones] because they poke holes in their “reasoning [often easy to do!!!]. Prime current examples: opposition to medical science on COVID-19 and opposition to any REAL “global warming’ solution [that hurts profits!!!]. To rile up their “base,” Republicans and R-Ws are willing to destroy the earth, allow COVID ravage America and the world. They also “burn books” – local public schools and libraries are attacked by R-W zealots.
*** “In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.”{Adolf Hitler]
12] Republicans and R-Ws are obsessed with”street crime – which [they say] is mostly done by the “Other” they hate. Republicans and R-Ws are against ANY suppression of the most damaging crime: “suite crime” – which is perpetrated by their billionaire funders. Suite criminals will be honored as”job creators” [rather the job exporters they often are].
*** “It is not unfrequent to hear a man declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their own liberty – to oppress without control or restraint of laws all who are poorer or weaker than themselves.” [Sam Adams]
13]. Cronyism and corruption – by the top 1% and corporations they own is a top American characteristic. America has slid from 19th most honest to 24th. The”revolving door” lets corporate ‘public servants’ work government jobs – often creating policies that favor the company they will return to!!!!! Tax policies are often written by corporate lobbyists. Americans pay 250% of world drug prices, go bankrupt WITH medical insurance for one reason: CORRUPTION.
*** “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” [Frederic Bastiat]
14]. Fraud is virtually non-existent in American elections. 2020-202X America observed how an anti-democratic authoritarian operates: as an overwhelming loser, claiming he was “robbed” – urging followers to attempt a coup [while denying he did no such thing!!!], and then to cover up an attempt documented in many ways [see ‘the big lie’ above]. The on-going cover-up and legal battle is used to raise defense and ‘campaign funds’ – sabotaging faith in free elections.
### “The most intelligent of the Nazis..legal theorist Carl Schmitt, explained..the essence of fascist governance. The way to destroy all rules..was to focus on the exception. A Nazi leader outmaneuvers his opponents by manufacturing a general conviction..the present moment is exceptional..then transforming that state of exception into a permanent emergency. Citizens.. trade real freedom for fake security.” [Timothy Snyder,
For those who refuse to believe any of the [tip of the iceberg] points: my challenge to you: go to MAINSTREAM sources [serious sources respected around the world]. Numerous ex-Republicans and R-Ws have published “confessionals” and serious works. Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning authors have documented what has occurred to the bottom 90% of America and to American democracy, 1980-2021. What was once THE example of democracy, 1947-1973 America, has been DELIBERATELY SABOTAGED by Republicans and the Right Wing, corporations, religious zealots.
*** “The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercise in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” [John K. Galbraith]
Begin your search for the truth with NUMBERS. Check unspun IRS numbers fro pre and post-1980 incomes. Find the average top marginal tax rate for 1945-1980 [hint roughly 81%!!!]. Check on how much American taxes are/were paid by corporations before post-1980 reverse Robin Hood tax cuts!!! Check on the paper corporate tax rate versus what they actually pay!!! Check on WHY billionaire Warren Buffett says he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary!
###”Soft money was..hard-earned dollars..Big Brother has yet to control..I have decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point..We do want something in return..” [Betsy DeVos]
For perspective: WHY are the “happiest people on earth” consistently residents of northern Europe??? The U.S. Constitution”s Preamble requires American government to “..promote the general Welfare..” Eisenhower’s 1950s Interstate Freeway System meets that test. The 2017 reverse Robin Hood tax cuts for the rich and corporations fail it.
There are reasons why people have written books and studies on fascism, authoritarianism, corruption in recent years – because they don’t like what they see happening to America. The NUMBERS are obvious. the deterioration in American governmental performance is obvious. The reactionary radicalization of one political party is obvious. The realization of the fragility of American democracy had frightened many – some of. whom have witnessed the corruption in foreign countries now see that in America.
There is also a reason in Benjamin Franklin’s famous response to a woman’s question in September, 1787 Philadelphia: “Well, Doctor, what do we have?” “A republic, if you can keep it.”
SO – dear friends, there is YOUR challenge: Do. YOU. wish to keep the American republic?
With Justice For All 