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i see a lot of people calling Donald Trump a fascist so i thought i'd define what a fascist is to show how he's not one
fascism is an ideology developed in Italy by Benito Mussolini and Giovanni Gentile. its main characteristics are ultranationalism, state corporatism, irredentism, and a philosophy based on idealism.
Giovanni gentile was an idealist, meaning he believed everything existed within the mind, and nothing outside of it, the mind shapes reality, and in turn it shapes our social structures. now applying this philosophy to the level of the nation, the nation is a body. and the individual mind is just a brain cell within the entire collective that is the nation. the word fascism comes from the word fasces, which is a bundle of sticks tied together, usually with an axe at the end. this is how the fascist conceives the nation to be. the nation works as one part, not many. and through this collective strength only then can they fully actualise the nations true potential.
fascism differs from regular nationalism because it sees the state as something that comes before the nation. in regular nationalism, the nation, its cultural background, ethnic past, religious identity, all come before the state, and are not dependant on it. but in fascist thought, all these things can only exist within the state. fascism is irredentist because it seeks to unify a nation back to its ethnic and cultural ancestry, it is not imperialistic because imperialism is for economic growth and not for cultural revival.
the word corporatism comes from the Latin word corpus, meaning body. for the nation to work as an organism, all parts must work together, this is why corporatism is the economic system. corporatism attempts to achieve class collaboration through the state being an intermediary between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. any dissidents to the state must be removed, as a body must remove anything that poses a threat to it. fascism is sometimes called the greatest expression of democracy, because of its focus on the national majority, whether it be a religious group (clerical fascism), a racial group (national socialism), or a cultural group (classical fascism). but the way to maintain this majority on your side is usually through a silencing of any dissidents.
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feral boy Jamara
Correct in your explanation of what fascism actually is. In general usage there has come to be a tendency to call anyone who behaves in an authoritarian manner a fascist. In the UK it’s not uncommon for protesters to refer to the police as “fascist pigs “even in the lawful exercise of their authority. Even if Trump is not technically a fascist he is nevertheless a very controlling and Machiavellian type.
SUKO555
as I'm currently writing up a blog on, i do agree on that we shouldn't call the MAGA movement a nazi movement but i do definetly disagree with this and believe that it is a facist movement.
in this blog post you defined facism but didnt really present any arguments as to how it differs from Trump's ideology, which makes this post kinda funny since it does directly describe some aspects of Trump 2 admin
i didn't show how it was different from trump's ideology because i thought it was kind of self evident that trump is not a state corporatist with any irridentist or idealist ideas
by chuddie; ; Report
can you expand on it
by SUKO555; ; Report
Trump is a capitalist who expresses zero concern for unifying a European ethnic background, and who's expansionist policy is for economic and strategic benefits over the strengthening and unification of an ethnic background. He also supports the second amendment and deregulation. He is not a fascist because fascism is anti-capitalist, viewing the nation's cultural interests to be different from profit. Fascism is usually against gun rights, because a disarmed population is harder to control. Most of the authoritarian things trump has done, are also applicable to someone like stalin or lenin, but no one is calling these people fascists.
by chuddie; ; Report
fascism very famously adapts to its enviroment and no two facist regimes are alike, as an example Benito Mussolini was heavily anti-clerical however Francisco Franco implemented catholicism as a core pillar of Spanish fascism. To say that Trump is not a fascist because it doesnt prioritize unifying european-americans or because hes not against gun rights ignores basic political theory regarding fascism.
gun rights are part of the national identity a fascist regime in the USA would attempt to maintain, and that is the focus of most of us who claim Trump is a fascist American. he very clearly appeals to the "american dream" and aesthetics of a "grater time" in America (aka the mythic past), which are core parts of fascist strategy. he openly goes against colleges, echoing pasts regime's anti-intellectualism. he calls immigrants violent and appeals to police, even sending out the national guard to LA, again mimicking the law and order doctrine in early 20th century Europe.
im sure youre not the type to entretain the idea that fascism is capitalism in decay regardless but im willing to give some further reading if ur interested
by SUKO555; ; Report
Fascism does have different characteristics depending on its location, but there are certain characteristics that don't change. You cant claim that trying to embrace the ideals of the founding fathers is fascist, because i think you're confusing nationalism with fascism. Trump is a nationalist because he wants to make america great again. This is why he is a conservative. Trump is not a fascist because fascism is an ideology that is concerned with ethnic identity, national obedience, and a corporatist economic system. The most you can claim trump is a fascist is because he possess some characteristics that are less extreme characteristics of fascism, like deportation and a more authoritarian rule.
I dont believe in the idea that fascism is capitalism in decay, but assuming it is, it wouldn't make trump more of a fascist, because if this statement is true, trump would have a more anti capitalist rhetoric. Plus I think if trump really wanted to become a fascist dictator he would of done it in the 4 years he had.
by chuddie; ; Report
> fascism is an ideology that is concerned with ethnic identity
neither the falange nor Franco's dictatorship held ethnicity as a major issue in Spain, focusing on catholcism instead which is what the country was founded on
> Trump is a nationalist because he wants to make america great again.
this is word for word the mythic past characteristic of facism.
> i think you're confusing nationalism with fascism
>less extreme characteristics of fascism, like deportation and a more authoritarian rule.
what? both nationalism and authoritarianism are principles of fascism. also you consider ethnic deportation and authoritatianism "less extreme"? what did the nazis do before the mass executons?
> because if this statement is true, trump would have a more anti capitalist rhetoric.
understand that it is not 1920 anymore and political context has shifted. fascism used to employ anti-capitalist rethoric in order to attract the working class. following the cold war it would be stupid to do so in the USA to gain support
ive been purpusfully avoiding saying that Trump does use his power to actively oppress minorty groups in the United States directly attacking black americans, and not to mention the illegal deportations at the same time moving white South Africans into the country with the lame excuse of an imaginary genocide
> Plus I think if trump really wanted to become a fascist dictator he would of done it in the 4 years he had.
republicans did not hold senate nor the supreme court in 2016. they do now in 2024/25 and Trump has been more direct and violent than he did in his first 4 years
by SUKO555; ; Report
Suko you cooked I fear
by 𝓢𝓴𝔂; ; Report
Many people seek to return to a time in which their country was better, this is an element of conservatism, and the term "make america great again" was first used by ronald reagan.
What is said was that fascism has extreme characteristics like totalitarianism and ethnic nationalism. I claimed trump has characteristics that are less extreme, like authoritatianism and deportation of illegals. Authoritatianism and nationalism have been used by many regimes in history and is not an explicit characteristic of fascism. Fascism is more so defined by totalitarianism, since it's philosophy views the state as the end all be all. The difference between the nazis deporting jews and Trump deporting illegals is that jewish people didnt actually do anything aside from exist to be deported. Illegal immigrants willfully violated the immigration laws of the United States and so committed a crime. they are being deported for those reasons, not because of any immutable characteristic.
Fascism in the 1930s actually did benefit the working class in some ways though. For example h*tler's welfare and leisure programs, and his attempt to make the volkswagen more affordable for the working class. And under mussolini, three fourths of the economy were under state control. So if fascism is capitalism in decay, and Trump is a fascist, you would expect to see him promoting more anti capitalist
The dismantling of DEI programs does not affect any black individuals who have earned their jobs for reasons aside from race. Nobody should be given greater chances at employment because they were born a certain way. This is not an attack on black people, it's an attack on any program that gives people an advantage because of their race/gender/sexuality.
Trump's deportation of illegal immigrants does not make him a fascist. The people who pushed for the acceptance of refugees seemed to change their mind when the refugees were accepted by trump. the afrikaner refugees into America were legal, whilst the refugees that the trump administration is deporting illegally entered the country.
I think the problem with labelling trump as a fascist is that you would then have to claim many other historical figures to be fascist. There were mass deportations of populations within the soviet Union, led by a hierarchical dictator, who also banned abortion and religious freedom.
Also calling people fascists when they do things you don't like desensitises people to fascism, making actual fascism more socially acceptable.
by chuddie; ; Report