Posted on 11/27/2015 10:47:28 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Fears of terrorism are at an all-time high and debate is continue to rage over whether it’s right for the United States to welcome thousands of Syrian refugees.
A new Reuters/Ipsos study revealed more than 50 percent of Americans “don’t identify with what America has become†and feel like strangers in their own land.
Meanwhile, our chattering class is all aflutter about a dangerous ideological threat to our way of life.
Is it radical Islam?
Not a chance — it’s “creeping fascism.†In particular, the alleged fascist tendencies of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
New York magazine asked if The Donald is a fascist. Slate claimed he is one and it is right to call him so. Salon cheered on the development for finally recognizing the Trump menace for what it really is. The Daily Beast’s executive editor, upon concluding that Trump is fascist, called for a massive boycott against the mogul’s businesses in order to take a stand against the authoritarian menace.
Conservatives have also joined the chorus, with several figures worrying the billionaire’s over-the-top rhetoric is starting to resemble the words of a certain twentieth century German demagogue.
John Kasich’s campaign released an ad cementing that comparison by implying that if Trump is elected, his policies will eerily follow the dictates of Adolf Hitler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qCQhBYEMRQI
It would all be quite ridiculous if the fascist accusation wasn’t percolating through the entirety of our public discourse. Fascism — for those who might be unaware of its definition outside of a synonym for dictatorial jerk — is typified by extreme nationalism, belligerent militarism, authoritarian government and, depending on the national version, some form of racism.
While a popular ideology in Europe during the turbulent interwar years of the 1920s and ’30s, it has not been a serious political force since the fall of the Third Reich. Even at the height of its mainstream interest, fascism never found much of an audience here in the States.
But, according to a lot of very scared pundits, this long dormant movement is rising from the grave in a “Make America Great Again†hat. They say Trump is a fascist due to his call for more surveillance on the Muslim community, his desire to deport millions of illegal immigrants, his authoritarian persona and for the few scuffles that have broken out at his rallies.
However, these ideas are in reality not too far off from the actions and traits of several past presidents.
While it is clear that a Muslim registry was an idea dreamed up by a reporter, it’s not too radically different from the anti-terror protections pursued by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. We do have a terror watch list that includes an estimated one million individuals, many of whom are placed on there simply for being a known adherent of Islamic fundamentalism. We have also put many American mosques under surveillance for possible links to radicalism.
Ignoring the hyperventilation over registries, Trump’s proposal of keeping an extra eye on mosques and individuals associated with radical Islam builds off current security procedures. But then again, before the Left embraced Bush 43 as a hero against Islamophobia, they labelled him a fascist. So maybe Trump is a fascist under some liberal definitions.
When it comes to The Donald’s plan for dealing with illegal immigrants, it truly is a plan that merely requests that our government enforces its own immigration laws. Trump’s idea bases itself on an operation that was initiated by President Dwight Eisenhower which successfully deported nearly two million illegal Mexican migrants in the 1950s.
The man who approved this measure was the same general who spearheaded the U.S. effort to defeat the Nazis in World War II. So much for basing ideas on known fascists.
It is true that Trump renders a rather authoritarian figure, but so have a large number of American presidents — both great and terrible. Those leaders include Abraham Lincoln, who won the Civil War and freed the slaves, and liberal icon Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Believing that a President Trump can get his way entirely evinces a strong disbelief in America’s system of checks-and-balances that has kept us dictatorship-free for three centuries. Unless you believe our history is a tale of creeping totalitarianism, a strongman president doesn’t present much of a threat to the U.S.’s well-entrenched political culture.
The scattered instances of small-scale violence at Trump events — which includes an disruptive Black Lives Matter protester getting taken down during a speech given in Alabama — is being taken as a sign that paramilitary aggression is going hand-in-hand with The Donald’s candidacy. That assertion is just plain silly, and there are no Trumptroppers around to match the large-scale gang violence of Mussolini’s blackshirts. Nor is there any indication that such formation is possible in the future. (RELATED: Trump: Black Lives Matter Protester Allegedly Punched At Rally ‘Should Have Been Roughed Up’)
Lastly, Trump is not exactly fulfilling the fascist penchant for military adventurism. He is one of the more dovish Republicans in the race when it comes to foreign interventions. You’re more likely to hear ecstatic visions of bombing foreign countries from Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump.
What all this “Trump is a fascist†talk amounts to is a diversion from a dangerous ideology that actually poses a threat in this century. The same people who are calling The Donald a fascist this week were describing him as a moderate Republican a short time ago. At most, his ideology can loosely be described as populist-nationalism — which isn’t synonymous with National Socialism.
In spite of our chattering class’s anxieties, the real ideological threat to the West is still radical Islam. But in some ways, it appears far more comfortable — and certainly more politically correct — to worry about a long-dead ideology than the enemy before us. It’s similar to how the 2002 Tom Clancy film “The Sum Of All Fears†changed the terrorists from Muslim extremists to anachronistic neo-fascists — that didn’t upset anyone and conformed to a left-wing worldview.
As the mayor of Dallas recently argued, the people we should always fear are white men, not Arab militants shouting “Allahu Akbar!â€
Additionally, it’s rich that the same leftists wringing their hands over phantom Trumptroopers taking all our freedom away have created a culture that’s infringing on the rights of Americans to voice their opinions. As our present campus insanity and the stunning poll that shows 40 percent of millennials supporting free speech suppression demonstrate, there is a legitimate threat to liberty in our country.
But it’s not coming from the Right.
What many of these liberals need to realize about Trump is how he appeals to a large portion of Americans who believe they no longer have a place in this country, as evidenced by the previously mentioned Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The poll makers dubbed this phenomenon “neo-nativism†and attributed the unease to rapid cultural and economic change that has left large swaths of citizens with dim economic prospects and on the proverbial “wrong side of history.â€
Reuters and Ipsos also argued that the findings show why Trump has such staying power in spite of the universal condemnation he receives from the press and numerous political figures.
As shown by President Obama’s comments on this constituency opposing his refugee policies, our leaders prefer to dismiss these people as bigots and, according to Oprah Winfrey, hope they die out soon. (RELATED: Obama Takes Harsher Tone With Republicans Than ISIS At G20)
While some of our elites might like to reassure themselves that they can defeat Trump with ludicrous accusations of fascism, his populist-nationalist message is resonating with many people who feel that our leaders have abandoned them.
If these scared pundits would like to defuse The Donald’s appeal, it’d be more wise to address the anxieties of the “silent majority†than to affirm Godwin’s law of every Internet discussion eventually leading to Hitler.
Couldn’t be a worst facist than Obama with his excutive orders and his use of the FBI and IRS. In fact I think Obama will cancel the election if it looks like Trump might beat Hillary (Obamas 3rd Term).
They’re terrified at not having control of either house or the executive. They see at the least a long lull in their quest to destroy our culture.
Trump does have fascist tendencies and it is scary how many freepers are willing to defend every outrageous thing he does and says.
They Leftists get really pissy when they don’t get their way. Next up, foot stamping and full on tantrums.
He’s just like Hitler, isn’t he? </sarcasm>
Sidenote: anyone else notice the weird formatting characters in place of apostrophes lately when articles are being posted?
I can’t speak for all Freepers and wouldn’t even try.
And I don’t necessarily agree with everything Mr. Trump does nor do I completely trust him.
But ...
I’ll take a wild guess as to why he may be so popular.
For too long, we have had politicians who sugarcoat, appease, and kiss up. They say just about everything through the lens of not being offensive.
Then here comes Donald Trump, a guy who doesn’t mince words, who doesn’t employ that “filter” of tact when it comes to the illegal alien invasion of our country, Islamic terrorism or how globally, the U.S. is getting reamed.
This guy makes an American want to feel proud to be an American again, especially since so-called Progressives have done all they can to strip the citizens of that pride (while, hypocritically, condoning other ethnicities to cling to their national pride).
This guys wants us to believe that we are America, that shining city on the hill, that country with the “can do” attitude and yes, that American exceptionalism that made this country a super power in only a matter of a century when Europe couldn’t achieve that in the thousands of years of their existence.
Even if he is blowing smoke, even if he is selling a pile of manure and, if you believe some people, he’s only in this to destroy the Republican brand and get Ms. Rodham-Clinton elected, for once, you feel like there is hope for America and that it is okay to be proud of this once-great country. Her best days are not behind her; he wants you to look forward to an even better America. That’s a message any American who hasn’t been so thoroughly corrupted by the wickedness of progressivism can get behind.
Again, I personally don’t trust the guy but I believe that’s part of his appeal.
Um, that system is broken right now.
So, now they’re calling Trump a fascist? Well, he can expect much worse. People who call others a fascist do not realize how few people even know what the word means. It is a worthless attack.
Read
This is all so similar to what was going on in Great Britain during the 1930s. You had Neville Chamberlain as PM who embodied the prim and proper Englishman and always favored negotiations over war. He allowed Hitler to walk all over him by making concession after concession in the name of peace at all costs. On the other side of the coin, you had the uncouth and controversial Winston Churchill who did not mince words about the threat that Hitler presented to Great Britain and civilized society in general. He was constantly getting hooted down in the House of Commons but eventually he was proven right and the people of England turned to him for leadership at the critical time.
Substitute Hitler and the Nazis for radical Islam and you have very much the same scenario playing out today.
I can listen to fewer and fewer hosts on talk radio. Overt anti-Trump harangues, or subtle methods where ahost says they are neutral, but all substitute hosts and guests attack Trump. KEIB, since they removed Beck from morning drive is the best overall with Armstrong/Getty, Rush, Hannity. Then Levin on KRLA... But tape delayed Hewitt, stll is up to his old tricks. The only guest that doesn’t trash Trump is Mark Steyn. Ex Cong Campbell as guest host trashese to excess Trump’s debate performance. Kristol gets irrational. I got annoyed and turned on KFI. Stunned. John Kobylt explained how stupid the MSM and top of the GOP was. He said that Trump was resonating because he was saying stuff everyone was thinking. Kobylt is usually annoying but he seems to get it. I just wonder what kinds of questions about obscure Durkastan ministers Hewitt will have for Trump in the next debate. Of course he will slip a list To Fiorina so she will be ready for him.
Telling the truth doesn’t make him a fascist. What makes him a borderline fascist is:
1. His insulting and demeaning personal attacks and mocking of anyone who opposes him. These attacks go beyond what is normal in American politics. The latest example is the disabled reporter who he openly mocked including mimicking the movements of his disabled arm. Other examples include his mocking of Megyn Kelly which included making a remark that seemed to be referring to her cycle.
2. His lack of concern for the Constitution or the civil liberties it protects. When asked by a reporter whether he would support a national registry on all muslims, he raised no objections even though that would be a complete violation of the first Amendment. He has also suggested that we may have to close all mosques (again a major violation of the first amendment).
3. His history of crony capitalism. He readily admits that he gave generous campaign contributions in order to get politicians to do him favors. He also tried to have the state use its power of condemnation to steal an old ladies land so that he could buy it from the state and develop it.
4. His willingness to support violence by his political supporters. When his supporters where reported to have roughed up a black lives matter protester during a Donald Trump rally, instead of condemning the attack and distancing his campaign from it, Donald Trump said that maybe the man should have been beat up.
5. Finally, the fact that instead of talking reasonably about the need to secure our borders. Donald Trump goes much further and makes anti Mexican statements that border on out and out rascism. He also talks about creating a new deportation force to carry out mass raids and deport illegal aliens and their children (many of whom born in the United States and thus currently considered to be U.S. Citizens) practically overnight which also has major civil liberty implications.
I am certain Trump will not order IRS agents to investigate anyone simply based on political differences. Only a scumbag like Buraq Hussein, the community organizer from Chicago would resort to such tactics.
Another hit piece on Trump so the Anti-Trump crowd can stay entertained on FR....
Pro life since at least 2011, wanted to ban partial birth abortion as far back as 2000.
Pro Traditional marriage. ^Gay rights is not my thing.^
Pro capital punishment ^Capital punishment isn't uncivilized; murderers living is^
Hold Judges accountable
Opposes ^Common core is a disaster^ Teach citizenship, quit ^dumbing down^.
Anti education unions (2000)
For school choice
^Climate Change is a hoax^
^No Cap-and-Tax^
For drilling our own.
On Environment ^Good development enhances the environment^
Stressed the importance of a strong family & culture of life (2015)
Supports Israel
Opposes Iran deal and letting Iran obtain the bomb.
Wants to crush ISIS quickly.
Wants a military so strong no one will challenge us.
Against unbalanced trade deals that kill American jobs.
Against warrant-less government surveillance of citizens.
Is against having a high national debt. Warns that $24T is a point of no return.
Against gun control
For assault weapon ban but says the AR-15 shouldn't be considered an assault weapon.
Wants to repeal Obamacare and replace it with market driven polices and increased competition among insurance companies.
Wants to increase military spending.
Will close the border to illegals
Will send the criminals and sponges back.
Will deport all illegals but will let the hard working ones go through the legal process to come back.
Against Anchor babies
Knows unemployment is much higher than official stats.
Will bring jobs back through better trade negotiation.
Attended military academy and Wharton Business School.
Stood up for Birthers and challenged Obama on his fraud. Believes USA is ^the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known^
Wants to honor commitments on Social Security and Medicare, which we can afford to do if he gets the economy going full steam.
Wants to reduce the fraud in disability and other programs.
Against marriage penalties in tax code.
Wants to simplify tax code with just 3 simple brackets.
Wants to reduce income taxes and reduce corporate tax.
Wants to rebuild our infrastructure.
Wants to apply welfare-to-work to 76 other welfare programs (2011)
Doesn't have time for political correctness.
Not afraid to call out either party or both when they are wrong.
Not a puppet to rich campaign donors.
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