Trump takes the tools of dictators and adapts them for the Internet. We should expect him
to try to cling to power until death and create a cult of January 6th martyrs. -Timothy Snyder 1.
Timothy Snyder and many others call Donald Trump a fascist. We have all heard and read the Legacy Media call Trump a fascist but what is a fascist and is Trump a fascist? First, let's define what a fascist is
fascism /făsh′ĭz″əm/
noun
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, the violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.
Oppressive, dictatorial control. 2.
The Italian Origin of Fascism
The words fascism and fascist have long been associated with the Fascisti of Benito Mussolini and the fasces, the bundle of rods with an ax among them, which the Fascisti used as a symbol of the Italian people united and obedient to the single authority of the state. 3.
Mussolini did not invent fascism but used its meaning and logo, a bundle of birch rods containing an axe, to galvanize his concept of national pride and obligation to the State.
The birch rods symbolize the people, and the axe represents the state. The people are subservient to the state.
In fascism, the state is superior to the people and all efforts are designed to bring about the greatness of the nation. 4. Mussolini wanted to make the people great and unify the nation of Italy. Other leaders in Italy agreed with Mussolini and endorsed his principles. The leaders and Mussolini believed the state should prevail in all cases, even when the people disagreed. The state projected the greatness of Italy above all others using all manner of propaganda necessary. The state had absolute power. This is in effect the definition of totalitarianism.
Italy's economy was a combination of capitalism and fascism. Ultimately, the Italian people did not agree with this form of government and eventually, their economy failed under this regime.
German Fascism
Hitler got rid of the rampant inflation in Germany after WW11. This helped to give him the credibility to enact his program of nationalism.
Adolf Hitler wanted to show the world that fascism could work. Hitler was a nationalist who believed the people and the Fatherland were the same. He believed that to have a strong nation, the people had to believe in a strong nationalism where the state was all-powerful. The policy was that it was right to promote the power of the state even with violence and war. 5.
Hitler eventually overwhelmed Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland to project German nationalism and the supremacy of the "Master Race." The Natzi Regime went on to conquer most of Europe, and some of Africa and was stymied when he stretched to England and Russia.
Part of the purification of Germany was to purge the country of non-Germans. The blond, blue-eyed German was held up to be the purest of the pure German. Many Germans were not blond or blue-eyed including Hitler who had dark hair. No matter the contradiction, the Nazis forged onward. The German blood had to be purified. Jews were to be purged from the land due to their impure blood. Also to be purged were gypsies, handicapped, and non-believers. Purging translated to extermination. About Jews, the purge was called the "Final Solution." The concentration camps and extermination centers were devised to save money on the expenditure of ammunition.
One of the ways Hitler and the Nazi Party attracted followers and
built their reputation was through the staging of elaborate public rallies, both before and after they came to power. These events would feature military parades, athletic demonstrations, dramatic events, speeches, and appearances by Adolph Hitler and other German leaders. In this image, Hitler salutes attendees at a Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Day) in Nuremberg, Germany. 6.
Is Trump a Fascist?
Individuals in the Biden-Harris Government including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and the Legacy Media have called Donald Trump a fascist. Is there any truth to this claim? Donald Trump has as his slogan, "Make America Great Again." Is this a fascist statement? It seems to me that this statement wants our country to be as great as it was before the rampant inflation, the invasion of illegals, and the punishment of a government that is against the people.
Both Mussolini and Hitler held rallies that unified the people. Donald Trump also holds rallies to unify the people. The big difference is that Trump is against war unless necessary to stop aggression. Trump wants an end to foolish wars that kill our youth and rob our treasury.
Hitler and Mussolini endorsed patriotism but wanted the people subservient to the state. Trump wants the people to be in charge, not the government. Hitler and Mussolini were ready to force violence and war on their people and to increase their dominance of the world. Donald Trump is a negotiator and a businessman. He knows how to make a deal so both sides get some of what they want. Facists don't care what they must do to get want to achieve their goals.
What do you think? Is Trump a fascist?
Resources
1. Snyder, Timothy, What does it Mean That Donald Trump Is a Fascist?, The New Yorker, November 8, 2024, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/dispatches/what-does-it-mean-that-donald-trump-is-a-fascist
2. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition • More at Wordnik
3. fascism, Meriam-Webster Dictionary, Definition, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism
4. Horses, What is Fascism?, YouTube, August 2023
5. Ibid
6. Rosenberg, Jenifer, Pictures of Adolph Hitler, ThoughCo., July 24, 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/hitler-pictures-1779647
Great read Dad . I think I have learned a lot about fachism. Thanks for sharing this article.