How far-right militia groups found a foothold in deep-blue California

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | March 7, 2022 | Scott Wilson

[amnestynone]

These far right extremist militia type were found out to be cub scouts in uniforms.

[DazedVet]

When I first moved to California someone told me, “the only crime here is being a Republican otherwise anything goes.” That maybe today that anyone that is no a Marxist belongs in jail.

[JaguarXKE]

Text of a letter I wrote and sent to Apple (not that it will ever do any good)

In the paperback Merriam-Webster Dictionary I’ve used for years, the word “fascism” is defined as: “A political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race and stands for a centralized autocratic often militaristic government.” I agree with that definition.

However, in your Apple Dictionary App, you define “fascism” as: “an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

I take exception to this newer definition that seems to imply that those of us on the political right (right-wing or conservatives) are fascists. Well, here’s a news flash: conservatives believe in the founding principles as codified in the Constitution. We are strong opponents of big, centralized, authoritarian government. Instead, the conservative (aka right-wing) believes in LIMITED government and INDIVIDUAL liberty. Further, we believe that the purpose of the Constitution was to place limits on government, the exact opposite of fascism. In your Apple App, you use the NAZI regime as an example of so-called “right-wing” government.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The NAZI party was the National Socialist Party, which espoused leftist ideals of an all-powerful central government with almost no concern for individual liberty.

I feel this newer definition gives the left in this county a baseless excuse to call conservatives “fascists” which we most certainly are not. I notice Google has a similar definition. I urge you to revert to your previous definition and not refer to fascism as a “right-wing” political philosophy. If it’s anything, it is left-wing since the left are the ones who espouse big, centralized government as the solution for every ill.