For some it's still taking it a step too far to say that Donald Trump is a fascist. That's mostly, I believe, because of a disbelief that something like fascism can actually happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Or a disbelief that a fascist regime can rise up in a functioning democracy, or from a misunderstanding of the word fascism itself. This same misunderstanding or disbelief is at play when people refuse to call the ICE camps at the southern border "concentration camps", which is technically exactly what they are...
Image by Anthony Crider - source: Flickr
Given all that though, anyone with functioning ears and eyes has to by now admit that, at the very least, Trump refuses to denounce his neo-fascistic supporter base, and is thereby emboldening them; under Trump's presidency we've witnessed a true coming out of far right movements and an increase in domestic terrorism from the far right. Read The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States from the Center for Strategic and International Studies for the facts on that. During the first presidential debate with Joe Biden, Trump had a little coming out of his own, not the first one for those willing to see, but most certainly the one with the largest viewer-base; millions of Americans saw him refuse to tell the white supremacist Proud Boys movement to stand down, and instead ask them to "stand by", even asked them to act as his own poll watchers. Never mind that this is illegal in many states, as it is qualified as voter-intimidation. And now, after the debate, Trump's own FBI warns for far right violence in period surrounding the November elections:
While Proud Boys celebrated Donald Trump’s recognition of the nationalist gang from Tuesday’s debate, current and former members of the group, analysts and law enforcement warn that the president’s remarks, and his unwillingness to condemn white supremacist violence, risks emboldening similar groups.
Proud Boys-related social media channels have also seen a surge in new users and interactions this week.
The president invoked the group’s name during the first presidential debate on 29 September after debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked the president to denounce white supremacism.
Mr Trump, asking for a name to reference, went with Proud Boys, after his Democratic rival Joe Biden suggested it.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I’ll tell you what somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem.”
source: Independent - October 1, 2020
The Proud Boys were so proud of their strongman leader, that they immediately adopted his words as a slogan and even started printing ans selling T-shirts with that slogan: "Stand Back & Stand By". If Trump's no fascist, I ask you, what IS he then when the white supremacists of the nation come out of the closet during his presidency and openly celebrate when he refuses to flat-out condemn white supremacy and white supremacists? An answer to that question isn't even necessary in fact; the effect he has on the nation's culture is what's important, and by now you must be blind if you do not see the rise of fascism under Trump.
So, Joe Biden isn't the leader we're all waiting for, I know. But he's the only alternative; it's him or that fascist clown. All I can do is keep writing about it and ask my American brothers and sisters to go out and vote, preferably in person if you can do so safely. The mail-in ballots, most of them at least, will be counted after election day and Democrats are far more likely to use the mail-in ballots. It's therefore possible that on election night Trump will have a lead in the count, and you can bet your life that this highly authoritarian excuse for a man and his campaign will try to claim victory early if the numbers make that at all possible. Trump has already started to cast doubts on the mail-in voting, and if the courts will be in play, he has those too. So, go out and vote!
Trump “Stands by” White Supremacists in Off-the-Rails Debate | The Daily Social Distancing Show
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