- Robert Reich’s take in five points;
- AlterNet’s John Stoer’s take;
- How Trump can claim anything — now he’s the “father of IVF” — and his fans will believe him.
Robert Reich, 17 Oct 2024: Trump’s closing argument: full-throated fascism
Recalling Trump’s recent remarks about illegal aliens and the “enemy within” and how his political opponents are “evil,” Reich states:
These are echoes of the Nazism that flourished in Europe 90 years ago. Trump’s closing argument of the 2024 election is full-throated fascism.
This piece is useful because it summarizes five principles of what fascism actually is, as opposed the casual use of the word along with other political terms to mean anything conservatives don’t like. I’ll copy Reich’s five points. For each, he provides examples, i.e. quotes from Trump.
- The rejection of democracy, the rule of law, and equal rights under the law, in favor of a strongman.
- The galvanizing of popular rage against political opponents.
- Nationalism based on a dominant “superior” race and historic bloodlines.
- Extolling brute strength and heroic warriors.
- Disdain of women and fear of non-standard gender identities or sexual orientation.
Reich concludes:
All of these five core elements find expression in Trumpian fascism. All can also be found in the current Trump Republican Party.
America’s mainstream media is by now comfortable talking and writing about Trump’s authoritarianism. But in describing what Trump is seeking to impose on America, the media should be using the term “fascism.”
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And here’s another take.
AlterNet, John Stoehr, 17 Oct 2024: Opinion | Here’s what makes Trump a demented fascist (you can click through or around the requests to subscribe).
The article addresses both Trump being fascist, and his deteriorating mental health. On the first point:
Yes, Trump is a fascist.
He is a demented fascist.
He relates recent comments from Mark Milley, once chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Bob Woodward. Key points, as the article highlights them: “He cannot repeat consistently his position on key issues.” “Unplanned verbal escalation.” “What this man is.” Sample:
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough asked Bob Woodward this morning to explain why Trump does not stick to normal GOP talking points. “Why does he always go to this violent rhetoric?” he asked, referring to Trump’s wish to be a dictator, to jail his enemies and terminate the Constitution. “Why does he make these violent claims when he knows that if he just talked about the economy, he would likely do better?”
Woodward’s answer is familiar to the conversation about Trump being too fascist to be president. “I think he wants to show he’s tough. Being tough is central to Trump’s self-persona. He thinks that’s powerful.”
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He can say anything, and his fans will believe it.
Slate, Molly Olmstead, 16 Oct 2024: Guess Who Says He’s “the Father of IVF”, subtitled “He also says he didn’t know what it was before February.”
It’s obvious to anyone who can remember anything before this election cycle that his claim is absurd: Overturning Roe v. Wade—something Trump long campaigned on and has frequently taken credit for—is what put IVF in danger in the first place. His whole party is implicated in the threat to IVF. Twice this year, Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ efforts to enshrine a right to IVF, criticizing the bills as unnecessary grandstanding.
But there’s another reason to question his new self-given title: He seems, by his own admission, not to have known what IVF was before the Alabama Supreme Court ruling. This is how he began his answer to the IVF question: …
Which was all about a phone call with a “fantastically attractive” senator from Alabama, Katie Britt, who explained it to him. Next, perhaps, he’ll claim to have invented electricity.
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More tomorrow.
