I’m so happy that you are visiting the inaugural post of Ye Olde Blogge’s new irregular series Fascification WATCH in which I document new signs and indications of the GOP’s promotion of a fascist regime in America. Given that this is July Fourth, I thought I’d start with the Trump’s grand homage to his own impotent incompetent ineptitude?
I’ll very briefly outline the definition, signs, and symptoms of fascism, which I’ve gone over in more complete detail in previous posts, just search fascism using the search widget in the right-hand column.
Robert Paxton has defined fascism as a form of political practice distinctive to the 20th century that arouses popular enthusiasm by sophisticated propaganda techniques for an anti-liberal, anti-socialist, violently exclusionary, expansionist nationalist agenda. He goes on to explain that the only goals that seem common to fascist regimes is to make the state stronger, bigger, and successfuller. And by successful they mean enriching the ruling regime and their corporate allies.
Another thing fascists have in common is the way they achieve their aims: they mobilize the passions of their base of support by using these seven weird tricks and number two is going to feel very familiar: (1) Promoting the supremacy of the their base of support, which is often an ethnic group or other easily discernible group. (2) Playing the victim card. (3) Individualism and liberalism are decadent and erode the supreme group. (4) Building a strong sense of community among their base. (5) Basing the self-esteem of the individual members of their base on the social standing of the group. (6) Fanatic support for the “natural” leader. And ( 7) a glorification of violence and will.
Of course we can see how the Ol’Pussy Grabber is implementing each of these points. But, the antics that he’s ordered up for the Fourth don’t quite match up, so there must be more to the qualities of fascism.
Here’s where the un-American shrine to bloated ego and permanent majority that we’re all going to be funding fits into fascism: fascists don’t distinguish between the party was and the state. Any opposition to the party is seen as opposition to the state and any defense is justified. The o converse is also true: anything that is good for the party is seen as good for the state.
We all know from the Unproductive Malignant Narcissist WATCH series that the Ol’Pussy Grabber is an untreatable and unrepentant major flaming narcissist. How perfect is that for the “natural” leader of a fledgling fascist state? The Ol’Pussy Grabber can’t distinguish between himself and the rest of the world: what’s good for him is good for everybody. The GOP won’t distinguish between their needs and those of the country, so as long as the Ol’Pussy Grabber’s antics keep meeting their needs, the two are married and indistinguishable.
So, the Ol’Pussy Grabber’s extremely stable genius comes up with his idea to parade military porn across the National Mall for his aggrandizement. Make one of his “speeches” aka campaign speech and have the US taxpayer pay for it all.
What’s good for the Ol’Pussy Grabber is good for the country. It is the perfect symbol the United Fucking States of Fucking Stupid.
Trump’s controversial “Salute to America” July Fourth event, explained
At long last, Trump is getting his DC military celebration. Watchdog groups aren’t happy about it.
President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on July Fourth at 6:30 pm ET from the Lincoln Memorial as part of his unusual, controversial “Salute to America” event.
While Trump relentlessly hyped the event on Twitter in the days leading up to the holiday, tanks were transported through the streets of DC on Tuesday evening in scenes that, for some, evoked images of countries ruled by militarized regimes. Others, however, characterized the presence of tanks in the capital city as a mere “holiday photo-op.” Meanwhile, watchdog groups raised concerns that the whole thing is a massive abuse of public resources for the benefit of Trump and the Republican Party.
For Trump — who often conflates support for him personally with patriotism, and vice versa — “Salute to America” will ostensibly be a celebration of the country in general, and in particular of the military build-up he’s overseen as president. Critics, on the other hand, see it as a fundamentally un-American glorification of militarism.
Continue reading at VOX: Trump’s Controversial “Salute to America” July Fourth Event Explained
The Psy of Life 
Jack I hope you read my own take on this disastrous event on July 4 in latest blog,
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Howdy James!
Thanks for sharing the link. I definitely don’t make the rounds of the blogs I follow often enough, so the tip is welcome! I would recommend it to any who are reading.
Huzzah!
Jack
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Speaking of fascism, it goes to show how poorly American schools do to teach kids what the basic concept is. I remember reading about fascism in high school and it was poorly defined. I know that the movement started in Italy with Mussolini and that the Nazis in Germany were fascist, but the history book we gave them to read didn’t really define what made them fascist.
Yes, fascists have all of the elements you described in your post, but there is one thing people who talk about fascism often miss. I asked someone in the know, “What is the main characteristic of fascism,” and he said it was the movement away from democracy. When you look at fascist regimes, that is very true. Even though some regimes, like that of Bolsonaro in Brazil, may get into power via democracy, they quickly move to subvert it — and they likely undermined it to get into power in the first place! That is what happened in Brazil.
That said, Trump is a pro-fascist. The United States is not quite at fascism, but we’re moving there and the GOP is a gateway to it.
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Howdy Shmaltz!
I agree, we aren’t quite at fascism yet, but it is clear that it is what the GOP want. They are working hard to create a single-party pseudo-democratic authoritarian state.
Fascists do not differentiate between the party, the “natural” leader, and the state so that an attack against any one of them is viewed as an attack on the state. It is used to justify any criminal or immoral response in defense of the “state.” This interpretation includes losing elections. Fascists view opposing political parties as treasonous attacks on the state. It is fundamentally anti-democratic.
All of that said, defining fascism is quite difficult. It does not describe a fundamental political or economic system or approach. Essentially, it seems to be an aggressive nationalism used to justify the empowerment of the upper echelon of society.
If the GOP holds even so much as the Senate or the majority of state governments, we are in grave danger of losing our democracy to their autocratic designs. This is where most people miss the point: getting rid of Trump through impeachment, the 25th amendment, or loss of the election won’t stop the GOP’s relentless assault against our democracy, the Russian assault, or the unholy alliance between them.
Huzzah!
Jack
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Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
Calico Jack – The “Salute to Trump” event 74/19
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His speech will be followed and analyzed ad nausium by the chattering class, most missing the point. The only ones getting it right will be the ACLU and others looking for grounds to sue for a violation of the Hatch Act, which it already is in its very conception. He has already assured, by the distribution of some large number of free “VIP” tickets that the TV cameras will not see and empty field in front of him (includes “thousands” to military members and spouses, presumably on a “be there or else” basis.)
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Howdy Bob!
It is the politicization of the military that is the most troubling. It is one of the last bastions of our democratic traditions and ideals to be undermined the GOP. We’ve been blessed by creating a social norm that the military is apolitical and its ultimate leadership is civilian. Without it, we could be good and truly lost. We might not have a population that ever truly understands the reasons why we have a separation of powers and a free press, but we absolutely must have politicians that will respect the foundation of our democracy and not cynically exploit the ignorance of the public. Of course, there is little hope of that when the GOP deliberately created the ignorance in order to cynically exploit it.
Huzzah!
Jack
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The only saving grace, if there is one, of Trump’s 7/4 extravaganza is that it is so blatantly an expression of his personal grandiosity. If I were a deist, I would be on my knees giving thanks to The Almighty for raining on his parade.
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God works in mysterious ways as they say.
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One has to wonder how the religious Right would have explained a divine smiting by lightning. Would they have gotten the message?
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I saw the tanks being toted down the streets of my beloved DC and felt nauseated and horrified. We ARE Nazi Germany come back to life. And we opposing individuals are becoming more and more afraid and determined that it will NOT come to complete fruition. Reblogging this on Obsolete Childhood and praying it makes a difference among those on the sidelines hoping for change yet to afraid to try to make changes.
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Howdy Suze!
That is one of the points of the Great Civics Lesson: We cannot have a passive electorate. We must have a well educated and informed electorate who understands (a) what the government does; (b) who in the government does it; and (c) how those people come to be in their positions either through election, appointment, or employment. If it is not clear by now that we all must pick a side, then it may never be. We can only work towards a landslide in 2020.
Huzzah!
Jack
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