Fascism and right wing Trumpist extremism

"Fascism is identified most commonly with Benito Mussolini’s Italy. It is also used to describe Hitler’s Germany and Franco’s Spain, among others.  (Fascism is threatening American democracy!)

Maine Writer: In my opinion Trupziism=Fascism.

It is characterized by militarism and nationalism, usually with a strong dictatorial leader benefiting from a cult of personality. Fascist regimes are often prejudiced against marginalized groups. Their leaders reject liberal democracy, tend to emphasize social and economic control and are generally not averse to the use of violence," Nicholas Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times.

"Fascism does not merely condone violence, it is violence," George Will in The Washington Post. 

"The Republican Party has embraced American fascism, an anti-democratic ideology that is unique to the US and is engrained deeper in Americans' collective consciousness and history than most of us have been taught," Linette Lopez in Business Insider

Two opinion echo letters published in the Los Angeles Times: 

To the editor: Nicholas Goldberg defined fascism as “a terrifying totalitarian movement that plunged the world into an era of near-cataclysmic violence.” Isn’t the sordid spectacle of the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)- held in  a disconcerting sign of what our future holds? Thousands of predominantly white Republican Christian nationalists worshiping a golden idol in rhapsodic frenzy was not simply “un-American” — this was the U.S. version of the Nuremberg rallies.

From Melissa Verdugo, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

To the editor: My understanding of fascism, as associated with Mussolini’s regime, was a nationalist economic philosophy where the benefits of government, industrial complex and military were aligned to the detriment of the individual. I believe President Eisenhower was trying to warn us about this in his farewell speech.

Since dictators Mussolini and Hitler were the “face” of fascism, their despicable authoritarian policies, racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism overshadowed the economics and became the connotation for “fascist” — in particular to those born after 1945, who only know of World War II from history books.

Gilbert H. Skopp, Calabasas California

On January 6th the Oath Keepers wanted to protect Rep. Ronny Jackson Republican from Texas

Texas Tribune echo report by Abby Livingston

Oath Keepers involved in the January 6 attack sought to protect U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, texts show.

In my Maine Writer opinion, it was the former defeated guy Donald Trump that sent salient messages (probably thru a clandestine surrogate) to protect from vigilante harm his right wing physician while he lived in the White House. 

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, Texas, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando on Feb. 28, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Joe Skipper

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the most violent hour of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, alleged conspirators in the attack who were aligned with the far-right group the Oath Keepers discussed providing security for U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, an Amarillo Republican, according to text messages made public in newly released court documents.

“Ronnie Jackson (TX- Amarillo-Republican) office inside Capitol - he needs OK help. Anyone inside?” texted an unidentified person at 3 p.m., presumably referring to the Oath Keepers as “OK.”

“Hopefully they can help. Dr. Jackson,” another person wrote at 3:03 p.m.

A few minutes later, there was another call to provide help for the Texas congressman.

“Dr. Ronnie Jackson - on the move. Needs protection. If anyone inside cover him,” a person texted at 3:08 p.m. and included a photo that could not be seen from the court documents.

“He has critical data to protect,” the person added. (❓)

At 3:10, Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, responded to the text citing Jackson and instructed a person to “Give him my cell.”

Rhodes was arrested earlier this year in Little Elm, accused of conspiring with members of his organization and others to oppose the transfer of presidential power by force. ​​

A spokesperson for Jackson said in a statement that the congressman did not know the people texting about him. ("Quack Quack❗"  🦆)

National Rifle Association - NRA extremism: echo from Ocean City Maryland

My avocation of finding randomly published letters to the editor and newspaper editorials published in various newspapers has found some gems worthy of Pulitzer considerations. These opinion "finds" are blogged by me, labeled "echos", so as to share with my cyberspace readers. This particular letter to the editor was published in The Dispatch, the Ocean City Maryland newspaper 

NRA’s Extremism Appalls

I recently viewed excerpts from the Town Hall meeting, comments from NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch and comments made at CPAC, conservative organization by Wayne Lapierre, CEO of the NRA amongst others.

I find their continued statements, fostering and promoting distortion of the second amendment to the level of disgust that I must do and say something. I know that I am only one voice and may not be able to move the needle towards sane gun safety legislation, waiting periods and Federal background checks. I am a regular contributor to Republican and Democratic politicians albeit small in most cases. However, I will no longer contribute to or support those elected or running for political positions that support the NRA, are members of the NRA, or take campaign contributions from the NRA. I have instructed those managing personal investments to divest from any funds that are members of the NRA or are associated with the NRA or who promote the NRA. 

In fact, the NRA has taken extreme positions on gun ownership for all and offers no solutions or ideas to sane gun safety or background checks. The NRA organization is a very large part of the problem and is a consistent impediment in what many, maybe most voters believe in, as it pertains to gun safety, restrictions and universal background checks. 

I will pose the following questions to those running for elected positions as a condition of contributing and my vote.

1.  Are you a member of the NRA?

2.  Do you receive campaign donations from the NRA?

3.  Are you opposed to an established Federal background check system?

4.  Are you opposed to supporting limits on the availability of assault and automatic weapons?

5.  Do you support the arming of our educators?

If the answer is yes to any of these, you will not have my support, contribution or financial investment.

Yes, I am only a little part of this process, but enough is enough. It is time to get on the right side of this issue. If enough people feel this way, change will occur. I am so proud of and inspired by the student survivors of the Parkland High school slaughter. They are wise beyond their years.

Palmer Gillis,  Ocean City, Maryland

Conservative Political Action Conference - Stale, Moss Covered, Exclusive and Loosing Ground

....minority populations grew 30 percent while white population grew at 1 (one) percent....

Conservatives gathered in National Harbor, Maryland for their annual flock of look alikes called the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.  In so doing, they publicly pulled the scabs off of the painful wounds of their two past Presidential election losses. A speakers line up of mostly white males, Sarah Palin notwithstanding, mourned in a chorus of self analysis. But, rather than inspire, they spoke like astrologers who predict the future by telling us about the past. They seemed to explain how their stars weren't aligned with the changing demographics of the American voters. They retro-predicted how they should've been more aware of outreach efforts, they should've been more inclusive and open to diversity. But, they didn't inspire confidence that anything will change.  Their political "future" was, instead, a retro-analysis. Perhaps, they would've instilled more confidence about change if they had invited a conservative conclave of astrologers to speak. Unfortunately, they didn't even dare invite one of their own, Governor Chris Christie, a Republican with populist appeal.

Instead, the CPAC keynote speaker was Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who believes communists have infiltrated Harvard Law School.  

Linda Feldman writes in the Christian Science Monitor that the CPAC audience was largely youthful. There again, the CPAC audience wasn't representative of the electorate, who are, actually, "older" and ethnically diverse.

In fact, data from the 2010 census show the minority population in the United States increased over the last decade by 30 percent (Hispanics by 43 percent), while the white population grew 1 (one) percent. The dramatic difference in growth rates means communities of color accounted for 92 percent of the U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010. The 2010 minority share of the population was 36 percent, up more than 5 percentage points from 2000.

Those figures suggest the share of minority voters were about 28 percent in 2012, up from 26 percent in 2008. 

Exit poll data, collected in the 2008 and 2010 elections, suggest minority voting is increasing more quickly than minority population growth. A Pew Research poll predicts the Hispanic voters will double by 2030.

Ronald Brownstein writes in the National Journal how the American electorate  is changing and won't go back to being white and middle class.

So, the CPAC convention left Americans with the following take-away messages:

1.  Republicans can't seem to change their conversation about being old, stale, white and exclusive.
2.  Republicans continue to lick the wounds of past losses rather than shine a light on how to attract young, diverse, vibrant, intelligent and inclusive voters.
3.  Republicans need an intelligent leader, someone who will convincingly embrace the changing face America's voters.

CPAC cannot survive as a conclave of political astrologers.