Nowadays, politicians are either promoting fascism, or allowing it. They do this because they are predominantly wrong and lost, which translates to evil and afraid. So, fascism thrives – for the moment.
Today’s fascism play will not stand; it never does. True-true Americans have ‘not yet begun to fight‘. It’s not unlike the Civil War times when it took much time and effort to mobilize the core forces of democracy and freedom.
Maybe it is too much to wish we had learned and not forgotten as a people. But it is not too much to expect leaders to stand for America and carry the fight.
Fascism will be the big winner of the 2022 midterm elections. Polls won’t tell you this, even though much of America is getting comfortable with fascism, or simply ignoring it.
Our grand democratic experiment has never been without fascist tendencies, starting with the founders. Many alarms were raised leading up to WWII. The Rachael Maddow ‘ultra’ audio series provides excellent awareness. Sadly, the USA has been here before.
Most people are not seeing today’s fascism creep for what it is, or they feel powerless, or can only worry about feeding their families. And then there are those that lust for it, or who accept it and see fascism (or authoritarianism or whatever label) as opportunity to be part of the power base.
Beware a World Democracy-Killing Political Establishment
Americans see extreme politicking, to the extent that actual governing is shoddy or largely an afterthought. It is no coincidence that fascism precipitated and prompted WWII. And now, wars and rumors of WWIII are rampant as fascism again looms large. It’s the old prejudices and criminality and lack of morality, now more greatly enabled by technology.
The world is drifting toward fascism. The USA, by leaning into this trend, has risked its position in the world order. Geopolitical positioning inevitably changes, but the USA should not be adopting a position of weakness as regards democracy and human rights.
Today’s political fecklessness feeds extremism within the parties and eventually, into the streets. In the absence of strong functioning leadership, the fight falls to the people. Fascist forces won’t back down until Americans stand up and fight for democracy. In the meantime, we sit in a tinderbox.
If bipartisanship is allowed to move America to fascism, the ‘kitchen table’ issues magically disappear (tongue in cheek). There are exceptions among good politicians, but there is no seriousness of intent to fix any of this standing list. Yes, fascism thrives in the absence of leaders.
The parties leave you to conclude that the real contest or goal is to be in charge when military control must be asserted over the people. In other words, be in control when fascism becomes official.
Fascism Thrives Until We Force Humanistic Change
The bipartisan establishment is in absolute agreement on fostering economic disparity and refusing to protect the common people. The arguments are over paydays between business, political, and religious leaders. The treachery is a river too wide and deep to address here; or call it a mountain of obvious.
Yes, as the hapless say, democracy is ‘on the ballot’. But a cheap-shot quick-fix that reflects political fear of the moment salvages nothing; it is an insult. Democrats had their best chance at the last presidential cycle, when they knew the gravity; they called all in yet did not act. The basic fascist proof-point is when the people call for change (vote) and nothing happens. Democrats no longer have a clear standing as the lesser-of-evils.
The Republicans get high marks for having a plan and acting upon it, top to bottom. Leading up to 2016, a local official told me that he didn’t care how bad Trump was, they were going to “burn it all down” – and they have not deviated. Republicans are hell-bent on a regime. In fact though, as the aggressive proponents of fascism, Republicans are uniquely and most strongly positioned to quell the assault on Democracy.
Fight for Democracy, Now and Onward
Don’t be subjugated by fear. No more laments. There is still a way out; ways to salvage and strengthen democracy.
Anybody who has seen the inevitability of a fight knows that the longer you wait, the more dire and less controlled the outcome. Vote now for whoever you think will actually fight for Democracy. And know that it will be a long hard fight regardless of the midterms.