Robert Reich: The American Fascist

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/35655-the-american-fascist

But Trump has finally reached a point where parallels between his presidential campaign and the fascists of the first half of the 20th century – lurid figures such as Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Oswald Mosley, and Francisco Franco – are too evident to overlook.

It’s not just that Trump recently quoted Mussolini (he now calls that tweet inadvertent) or that he’s begun inviting followers at his rallies to raise their right hands in a manner chillingly similar to the Nazi “Heil” solute (he dismisses such comparison as “ridiculous.”)

The parallels go deeper.

As did the early twentieth-century fascists, Trump is focusing his campaign on the angers of white working people who have been losing economic ground for years, and who are easy prey for demagogues seeking to build their own power by scapegoating others.

Trump’s electoral gains have been largest in counties with lower than average incomes, and among those who report their personal finances have worsened. As the Washington Post’s Jeff Guo has pointed out, Trump performs best in places where middle-aged whites are dying the fastest.

The economic stresses almost a century ago that culminated in the Great Depression were far worse than most of Trump’s followers have experienced, but they’ve suffered something that in some respects is more painful – failed expectations.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

1. Nice article.

I generally like Robert Reich's articles. I scrolled down and saw some the the comments on it. Someone said "Clinton vs. Trump would the be choice of the lesser of two fascists". I can't understand how anyone could call Hillary a fascist. That word does not describe her at all. This is why I need to stick to not reading comments on articles outside of this site.

[MisterP]

2. ask Honduras

[AxionExcel]

4. Que En Paz Descanse Berta Cáceres

[MisterP]

6. QDDG

[eridani]

5. Clinton is doing the exact opposite of appealing to racism

However, she has never met a war she didn't like, starting from her Iraq war vote. They are slaughtering Native American ecology activists in Honduras, Libya has two squabbling governments, and its fundies have killed or driven out most black Africans. She was the prime mover in the most recent advanced weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, which is using them to slaughter Shi'ites in Yemen (not to mention beheading more people than ISIS).

Her difference from Repukes in foreign policy is that she is rational and they are batshit crazy. Yes, that counts for something, but she thinks we can still afford to be an empire while repairing our own crumbling infrastructure.

[pampango]

3. "...white working people have been losing economic ground for years and are easy prey for demagogues

seeking to build their own power by scapegoating others.

Trump’s incendiary verbal attacks on Mexican immigrants and Muslims – even his reluctance to distance himself from David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan – follow the older fascist script.

That older generation of fascists didn’t bother with policy prescriptions or logical argument, either. They presented themselves as strongmen whose personal power would remedy all ills. They created around themselves cults of personality in which they took on the trappings of strength, confidence, and invulnerability – all of which served as substitutes for rational argument or thought.

There are further parallels. Fascists glorified national power and greatness, fanning xenophobia and war. Trump’s entire foreign policy consists of asserting American power against other nations. Mexico “will” finance a wall. China “will” stop manipulating its currency.

In pursuit of their nationalistic aims, the fascists disregarded international law. Trump is the same. He recently proposed using torture against terrorists, and punishing their families, both in clear violation of international law.

Ultra-nationalism, scapegoating minorities, military power and a disregard for international law and agreement - the parallels between historic fascism and Mr. Trump are indeed informative.