OK, US Person does not want to get embroiled in a nit-picking academic argument over whether to describe Trump's homegrown brand of white nationalist authoritarianism, fascism. Some historians and political scientists are balking at the use of that term. Certainly Trumpism lacks the characteristics of European, historical fascism. Trumpism is not truly revolutionary like Mussolini's replacement of constitutional monarchy, nor has it utilized a paramilitary arm like Hitler's "brown army" to take down an enfeebled, elected government. Killer's supporters are more of a riotous mob who see themselves as restoring elected government--"stop the steal"--not overthrowing it. Killer did not cancel any elections while in power, unlike Hitler and Mussolini who consolidated their totalitarianism. 
Regardless of the scholarly distinctions, the current system of politics in America is perilous because it is under attack by right-wing extremists who embrace white supremacy and national rebirth, as in "Make America Great Again". Roger Griffin, an Oxford University professor of history who writes on fascism, defines the term as "a genus of political ideology whose mythic core in its various permutations is a palingenetic* form of populist ultra-nationalism." Trumpism seems to qualify as a species of fascism under that definition since it is an extreme, popular nationalist movement embedded in typical American white supremacy, which has coursed through the veins of this Republic since its founding. Griffin, however disagrees that fascism can accurately be applied to Trumpism while slamming the bona fides of its ersatz Dear Leader. He writes, “Trump is far too pathologically incoherent and intellectually challenged to be a fascist, and suffers from both Attention Deficiency Disorder, lack of self-knowledge, capacity for denial, narcissism and sheer ignorance and lack of either culture or education to a degree that precludes the Machiavellian intelligence and voracious curiosity about and knowledge about contemporary history and politics needed to seize power in the manner of Mussolini and Hitler.” Wow! Killer cannot be a true fascist according to Griffin because a), he is too stupid; or b), suffers from severe personality defects that prevent him from being an effective fascist leader in the mold of Hitler. His carnival midway mob may be a loose collection of deranged racists, but they wanted to hang the Vice President and kill the Speaker of the House. And they are armed to the teeth. We move on at our peril until there is a reckoning with our history.
So, if according to modern theorists, we cannot accurately call Killer a fascist in its historical sense, what category of politico is he? US Person is comfortable with "neo-fascist" or "modern fascist" to distinguish him from previous, truly revolutionary fascists of history. Killer has not founded a political party. Motivated primarily by corrupt self-interest, he was simply content with overtaking a degenerate political party already part of the crumbling establishment. But his movement is authoritarian to the core; it only pays lip service to constitutional norms. Thus, he tells an elected Georgia secretary of state to "find the votes" to overturn a fair election result. He does not possess a paramilitary or intelligence apparatus pledged to his personal leadership, but he is supported by an admix of armed, racist militias and extreme conspiracy theorists ready to heed his fabulous calls to direct action. We all saw that on January 6th; such plotting has happened in this country's past. The Capitol Insurrection was as pure an autogolpe as ever been seen in the United States, and worthy of any dictator on the planet. Calling Killer the "F" word is NOT alarmist because he does represent a clear danger to constitutional government and the security of the Republic, just as Mussolini and Hitler did to their nations almost a hundred years ago. Too bad that the liberals and academics of those times did not stop their rise to power when they had the chance. The rest is history.
Regardless of the scholarly distinctions, the current system of politics in America is perilous because it is under attack by right-wing extremists who embrace white supremacy and national rebirth, as in "Make America Great Again". Roger Griffin, an Oxford University professor of history who writes on fascism, defines the term as "a genus of political ideology whose mythic core in its various permutations is a palingenetic* form of populist ultra-nationalism." Trumpism seems to qualify as a species of fascism under that definition since it is an extreme, popular nationalist movement embedded in typical American white supremacy, which has coursed through the veins of this Republic since its founding. Griffin, however disagrees that fascism can accurately be applied to Trumpism while slamming the bona fides of its ersatz Dear Leader. He writes, “Trump is far too pathologically incoherent and intellectually challenged to be a fascist, and suffers from both Attention Deficiency Disorder, lack of self-knowledge, capacity for denial, narcissism and sheer ignorance and lack of either culture or education to a degree that precludes the Machiavellian intelligence and voracious curiosity about and knowledge about contemporary history and politics needed to seize power in the manner of Mussolini and Hitler.” Wow! Killer cannot be a true fascist according to Griffin because a), he is too stupid; or b), suffers from severe personality defects that prevent him from being an effective fascist leader in the mold of Hitler. His carnival midway mob may be a loose collection of deranged racists, but they wanted to hang the Vice President and kill the Speaker of the House. And they are armed to the teeth. We move on at our peril until there is a reckoning with our history.
So, if according to modern theorists, we cannot accurately call Killer a fascist in its historical sense, what category of politico is he? US Person is comfortable with "neo-fascist" or "modern fascist" to distinguish him from previous, truly revolutionary fascists of history. Killer has not founded a political party. Motivated primarily by corrupt self-interest, he was simply content with overtaking a degenerate political party already part of the crumbling establishment. But his movement is authoritarian to the core; it only pays lip service to constitutional norms. Thus, he tells an elected Georgia secretary of state to "find the votes" to overturn a fair election result. He does not possess a paramilitary or intelligence apparatus pledged to his personal leadership, but he is supported by an admix of armed, racist militias and extreme conspiracy theorists ready to heed his fabulous calls to direct action. We all saw that on January 6th; such plotting has happened in this country's past. The Capitol Insurrection was as pure an autogolpe as ever been seen in the United States, and worthy of any dictator on the planet. Calling Killer the "F" word is NOT alarmist because he does represent a clear danger to constitutional government and the security of the Republic, just as Mussolini and Hitler did to their nations almost a hundred years ago. Too bad that the liberals and academics of those times did not stop their rise to power when they had the chance. The rest is history.
*palingenetic = rebirthing. Racism was not an official feature of Italian fascism until 1938 when Mussolini adopted the Manifesto of Race. He was concerned with the "white race" being overtaken by non-whites as early as 1919. He also expressed concern with the low birth rate of whites in Italy during the Depression claiming, "the white race is sickly", "morally and physically in ruin", and that, in combination with the "progress in numbers and in expansion of yellow and black races, the civilization of the white man is destined to perish." It was Hitler who took white supremacy and racial purity to its apex through genocide in Europe.
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| photo credits: GettyImages |