The Consequences of Calling Trump a Fascist Become Clear in San Jose
If you dub Trump ‘Hitler,’ can you be surprised when people oppose him with violence?
.. To many, Trump’s strongman tactics, his insistence on making attendees at his rallies swear oaths to him, and his apparent disregard for the separation of powers and rule of law, reek of the demons of the 20th century. Many see in Trump — and the new class of Eastern European autocrats whom he, in many ways, resembles — shades of Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco.
.. it’s not hard to see why so many thinkers view Trump as a fascist threat, given his willingness to use violence to further his own goals. Assaults on protesters at his rallies are all too common, and they’re often egged on by Trump himself, standing at the podium.
.. So if Donald Trump is a fascist, what is to be done?
.. In reality, the opposite has happened. Political violence has arisen not from the right, but from the left.
.. The term “fascist” is a very, very powerful thing. Its powers extend far beyond those exerted by the words “racist” or “misogynist” or “xenophobic,” for fascists threaten not merely a specific race or sex but rather the entire polity. If pundits are to use it to describe Trump and his movement, they must be prepared to live with the consequences.