Republican Party has cheated to oligarchic or minority rule through gerrymandering , stealing Supreme Court appointments and minority Presidents . They follow Mussolini's fascist principle :
"After Socialism, Fascism combats the whole complex system of democratic ideology, and repudiates it, whether in its theoretical premises or in its practical application. Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society; it denies that numbers alone can govern by means of a periodical consultation, and it affirms the immutable, beneficial, and fruitful inequality of mankind, which can never be permanently leveled through the mere operation of a mechanical process such as universal suffrage...."
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/mussolini-fascism.asp
We must focus on the class aspect in our most fundamental definition of fascism. Fascism is open terrorist rule by the most reactionary , racist and bellicose sections of finance capital . The Republican Party represents those sections of the bourgeoisie . It is threatening and executing policies with respect to social programs that will _foreseeably_ result in premature deaths of 10,000's just as certainly as if they were machine gunned. The Republican accelerated round up of immigrants , threats to expel Dreamers and others , racist threat against African and Latin immigrants equal the Nazis treatment of Jews in the early years of the regime before the holocaustic level of killing. There is no premature anti -fascism by name . The President has spoken in support of openly Nazi marchers.
Furthermore, the American fascist tradition is the KKK. The KKK had fascist rule in sections of the US before Italy (!) . The KKK is a core constituency of the Republican base . David Duke regularly endorses Trump's actions. Republicans have leaders like Roy Moore, who says life for Black people was better in slavery. The Attorney General is a political twin of Moore. Statues of Confederates litter the Southern landscape and rock star Kid Rock waves a Confederate flag in downtown , 85% Black Detroit.
The NRA is also a rightwing militant and armed core group of the Republican base. And another unique feature of American fascism, I'd say , is libertarian fascism. Unlike the European state centered "well ordered " police forces, America has individualist killers doing mass shootings. This is libertarian fascism para-military to the Republican Party.
The Republican Party is a fascist party. However , even though it holds most government offices , we don't have a fascist government (yet; there is no premature anti-fascism) because of the historical luck that the Republican President is at war with our secret police and spy agencies , the FBI and CIA; and the President is a Russian agent, of sorts ; he stumbled into it. We can't rely on that not changing; we have to warn the people. There is no premature anti-fascism.
How could I forget. The Republicans are also mounting an effort to destroy the trade unions : work-for -less law iin traditional labor union stronghold Michigan, Supreme Court potential blow , Trump attacking.
President supported a Nazi march in which a woman was murdered !
"Fascism" must be used rhetorically , not based on the identity between the current situation in the Republican Party and the fascists in Europe in the 20's and 30's. If we had warned of "fascism" in the time when it actually arose, the term would not have aroused much alarm because fascism had not become what it became : fastest big murdering system of all times. Terms like tyranny, barbarism and savagery had to be used to get people's attention . Of course , technically it was not tyranny, a system in Ancient Greece. But because of the rhetorical need the term was used non-technically. Similarly with fascist today. History does not repeat itself , but it does rhyme sometimes.
On the other hand , on the technical point, the Republican Presidential contenders all represent the most racist , bellicose, reactionary sections of finance capital. Trump threatens open terrorist rule against specially despised national and racial groups. Bush launched aggressive , unprovoked war against Iraq, a Crime Against Peace, which Hermann Goering was sentenced to death for at Nuremberg.So, Republicans are right on the edge with meeting the technical definition . There is no premature anti- fascism
Republican Party is a fully , openly fascist party now.
Someone says : "The republicans are planning to kill thousands more veterans by yanking life-support and healthcare out from under them. They have to know what they're planning will kill that many, but they just don't care.
The GOP core belief seems to be that if you can't work and pay taxes through working, you do not have a right to life -- even if you lost that ability fighting in one of the pointless wars they started. This is eerily similar to the "euthanasia program" the nazi's were operating in Germany right before the war. The elderly, the chronically ill and infirmed, the maimed (many of whom were veterans of WWI) were sent to "free" clinics to be treated. They were actually murdered, either with gas or an injection, and their survivors would receive a letter reporting about how they died from pneumonia or some other cause. Sometimes the remains were returned, sometimes they weren't."
June 2016 I said , Some like me call the Republican Party fascist, way past a whiff. "Populist"-fascist . Capable of open terrorist rule , especially targeting racial minorities , representing the most reactionary , chauvinist , bellicose sections of finance capital; there is no premature anti-fascism.
CB : Yea better to use "fascist." Fascism started and got its name in Italy. There was fascism in Spain , too. Republican Party has Italian Fascist characteristics like minority rule or oligarchy .
Joe : "I understand the word Nazi is overused, and used poorly, often. Until they kill so many innocents as Hitler did Jewish people, nobody will be in the league with Hitler.
But NOT using the word out of deference to extremist sensitivities, or out of political correctness, clearly benefits whatever group is MOST LIKE the fascists referred to. There's no doubt about that.
And if any group shares the methodology of fear-mongering, racist nationalism, and politically weaponized xenophobia, it is of the utmost importance that ordinary people recognize it. That because the modern GOP seems to use a similar tool set, and they are very active right now.."
Bull: the Republicans are the liars , cheaters , thieves , unAmericans , not the Democrats. False equivalence of Dems and Reps helps the fascist Republicans.
AMERICANS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AMERICANS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
Republicans are a bunch of lying demagogues, tellers of half-lies, prevaricators.
We must get rid of the GOP ! We must get rid of the GOP 1
Like the old, old Whig Party, the ole, ole Republican Party has got to go, go, go onto the garbage heap of American history. It gets worse every day ! Every damn day , some stupid Republican says something fascist , just beyond the pale , unconscionable. There's a rightwing insanity epidemic in the tea Republican Party.
https://take10charles.blogspot.com/2015/03/americans-for-abolition-of-republican.html?m=1
No both parties do _not_ work for the same bosses ! Vote Democrat !
Republicans used to pretend that they hate tariffs , Russians , bailouts , budget deficits and debts: the Grand Ole Party of Liars only cares about getting more of the total amount of money in the system to the rich, the One Percent , the One capitalists , who already have most of it; and beating down the 99% economically and socially. This is socioeconomic fascism.
And budget deficits and debts: the Grand Ole Party of Liars only cares about getting more of the total amount of money in the system to the rich, the One Percent , the One capitalists , who already have most of it; and beating down the 99% economically and socially. This is socioeconomic fascism.
CB: Republicans' war on Women is its central fascist plank.
Jim says : "I’ve been somewhat amused to listen as both old and young progressives argue about whether Trump is a “real” fascist. I love reading about the history of antifascist resistance during the 30’s and 40’s, and have enjoyed greatly my associations with antifascist fighters from that period. But this discussion is pointless and gets us nowhere.
The facts are the Republican Party has waged an unceasing campaign against American democratic institutions for the last eight years, since the election of Obama, who they tried to delegitimize with their birther movement. You don’t think they have become a fascist movement? Fine! Call it what you want, put whatever label you want on it.
Now days the Republicans don’t even try to hide their nihilism.
They have tried to shut the government down, destroy Social Security and Medicare and shred the safety net. They have fought tooth and nail against any effort to hold Wall Street and the financial industry accountable for their deprivations against the American people.
Their scapegoats extend to Muslims, undocumented immigrants, feminists and people of color who they blame for all of America’s woes. They also attack and harass scientists who try to warn us about the dangers and consequences of climate change.
They tried and are still attempting to undermine the Iranian nuclear agreement, going so far as to use the Israeli prime minister as a weapon against our president.
They have had some success in sabotaging health care reform, suppressing voting rights, gerrymandering voting districts, destroying workers’ ability to collectively bargain, and restricting women’s rights to control their bodies. They continue to vilify gay and transgender people. They have sought to obstruct and undermine the entire federal judiciary, not just the Supreme Court.
They have encouraged their followers to consider violence and taking up arms if they are unable to win at the ballot box. State Republican leaders have threatened succession.
The modern Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln. Nor is it the party of Eisenhower. It’s not even the party of Nixon. It represents the greatest threat to America since the Confederate states succession.
Let us not be distracted by the Bundy’s, the play-soldier militias, the Klan or the other assorted pathetic pawns. They have no power beyond a few guns and bullets that give their empty lives some purpose. It’s the Republican Party that is the greatest threat to our society, and the sooner we understand that the sooner we will be able to unite to counter their threat.
Is the Left going to discuss the fact that we are in fascism ? No because the Republicans are the fascist party and the Democrats are NOT a fascist party nor are the Democrats enablers , or fake opponents of the Republicans. So, the Left ( all of it almost , so ultra-left is redundant) can't call out the fascism because that would violate their number one dogmatic principle that there is no difference between the parties.
You both are right on ! Trumpist Republican Party is the Reaganite Republican Party in the nude , revealing it's essence, at its logical conclusion : anti-working class, white supremacist and male supremacist
Thomas : "The Republican Party is turning into a fascist party much like Le Pen's National Front in France. The GOP is now so far to the the right from even the GOP of even Barry Goldwater's and dare I say, Ron Reagan."
George : "Goldwater, Nixon and Ronnie Raygun laid the foundation for the current mess. They hid behind lofty slogans, but they were fundamentally saying the same crap!"
Bruce : "We are not allowed to compared the Nazi-like behavior of the Republican Party to Nazis because it upsets them. So here's a question. In the 1930s, who did people refer the actual Nazis to earlier in history? What was the most evil group people would have heard of to call the Nazis?"
CB: Exactly: use of "Nazis" or "fascist" now is rhetorical , even if the Republicans are not just like Hitler or Mussolini's parties. Calling Hitler a Nazi then wouldn't inform people because the Nazis hadn't murdered tens of millions yet. You'd have to say tyrants or barbarians . Rosa Luxembourg said "Socialism or Barbarism " before the Nazis.
Got to call Republicans fascists to alarm people, though Americans are generally very ignorant of history , even World War II history.
CB: US is under a fascist Republican Troika - Congress , President and Supreme Court ; evolved fascism since Reagan
It continues...
-The Supreme Court just upheld the Trump anti-Muslim travel ban.
-The Supreme Court also just upheld the right of pro-life centers to prevent abortions by deceiving women about their true purposes. To do otherwise, the "Court" claims, would infringe on the centers' First Amendment rights...
Sent from my iPhone
