I am rereading your “What Happened” from August 21st and also reading “Citizens of London” by Lynne Olson you are recommending. As I am trying to understand the Ukraine war and Trump’s fascism, the story you are putting together begins to make sense now. The urgency of your statement that if the freedom surrenders and the American experiment ends, there will be no liberators this time, because of thousands of Trumps and millions of us co-conspirators. It will be a tragedy of epic proportion, especially for the developing nations aspiring to become democracies. The cost of resisting fascism is great but the cost of not stopping them is unimaginable.
Sadly accurate, and given the apathetic state of much of the electorate (and if you're reading Steve's substack, that obviously doesn't apply to you), it (a Republican/fascist win in 2022 and/or 2024) may be inevitable at this point. I'm incredibly disheartened at the lack of public alarm at what is going on.
A friend sent me an article on why we should not panic about the state of our country right now. It was horribly misleadingly and filled with Christian religious rhetoric. We need to be fully awake and aware of the crisis at hand. People don’t want to feel scared, so they lie to themselves. It all leads to complacency and inaction when we need the opposite.
It's only inevitable if you decide to surrender. Ever heard "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees"? Doing nothing will insure you get what you don't want. Always, in all things.
Indeed. Few people don't/can't see what's right in front of them and are content to live their simple, blinded life. I only hope we can eek out a victory for the Senate and House this Fall. This will mean a lot less disruption to committee chairs and what bills gets brought to the floor. This can only help Biden remain on a steady course and watch bills get signed into law.
Sadly, I believe 2024 will be won by the facists. Either legally (through legitimate votes), or won by certain swing states taking legislative control of the slate of electors and ignoring the will of the people. Legitimate votes will also be hampered by other voting restrictions put in place since 2020 by rightwing state legislatures.
If we hold the House and increase in the Senate and either kill the filibuster outright or do carve-outs to allow passage of voting rights defense, codification of Roe v Wade, and deliver the other wildly-popular things like child care, child tax credit, and the rest that have been blocked by the Thousand Year MAGAts, 2024 will not be a Republican victory, and you thinking like that is pretty "1940 French" of you.
Even if we(dems) win, we may loose. Whatever swing state may be in play, AZ or PA for instance, the governors and legislatures will still not certify electors for Biden. Doug Mastriano - should he win the PA governorship - has as much proclaim it out loud already.
We must do, everyone of us, whatever we can. As easy as writing post cards, making telephone calls, letters and texts. Doing something will help the cause and also help abate any fear....
I follow Astrology. One mundane astrologer predicted early this year that 2024 will flip. Sadly. But, there’s no real way to predict an outcome assuredly. Despite that, it’s very anxious making. I was a nervous reck during Trumps administration. It’s exhausting to watch the destruction of decency in the hands of a mobster. DeSantis might well deliver a much worse scenario.
Thank you for explaining the differences between semi conductors and fascism. You got it right, this 21st century version of fascism maybe wrapped in a different package but it is undeniably fascism. It brings with it the brutality of violence to achieve their goals. We have Senators and Representatives warning of violence if their dear leader is held responsible for crimes against our great country. Too late Lindsey, we have already seen violence in our streets by supporters of the Malignant Orange One. We are a nation of law and order and when laws are broken there are prosecutions of those who disregard our laws. That is Democracy and thankfully we still live in a country who upholds these ideals.
The problem is that, for most Americans, it is inconceivable that fascism is a real risk or threat to our democracy. Does our neighbor flying a Trump flag really support fascism? No. The neighbor has been convinced that Trump and his followers are going to restore our freedoms. But the underlying, subliminal message that Trump has tapped into is the fear of the loss of White supremacy associated with the Democratic Party’s vision of a truly pluralistic society and the inevitable result of a truly democratic system committed to equal rights, opportunities, and essential status for all races and religions.
Well said, John: "....the underlying, subliminal message that Trump has tapped into is the fear of the loss....". I feel it is important to keep in mind how fascist-cult leaders systematically indoctrinate their followers (our neighbors, my own brother) through tapping into their fear of a perceived enemy, threat or loss. Thanks.
To you and to @Lisa, how then is it better explained to those who don't 'think it's facism' because a) if they know the meaning, they associate it with another time - not even knowing who Orban, for example, is and b) believe it is what you and Lisa said and that it's on the 'good' side? The fear of loss of White culture isn't new; the militancy is greater or is it that we are more aware of it?
Joan, I am honored to be a part of this thread. You have asked an important A and B question for numerous individuals. The best short answers I have, given a day of consideration are:
A.) Our priority, for now, is to cut off the heads of the dangerous MAGA cult leaders that have infected the Republican party, before they get control of more power and control over the MINDS of our citizens, and therefore our Democratic system. I suggest, to get clarity on this, we read The Warning, starting with the post 'Naegleriasis' ( a deadly infection of the brain -i.e. a Nazi scale of brain infection is now happening as a mass-movement.)
We have to deal with the CAUSE and then generations of the symptoms of this deadly brain disease. Protect yourself, the children, and the ones you love in ways that don’t endanger yourself.
B. I suggest you refer to John’s answer. I hope we can keep this thread going.
For further understanding to get clarity around your A- question, I highly recommend a short book called ‘On Tyranny’ by Timothy Snyder. This is an excellent resource!
My professional background is in education. My personal background is partly one of having survived a violent extremist religious cult that took over the brains of my parents when I was a child. The fall-out from what is being perpetrated by MAGA on MILLIONS of innocent people will likely continue for many generations. Sadly, I don't feel that there is a 'return to normal' any time soon. This is an urgent process of mitigation to save our country.
Education matters, as well as being a strong presence and role model for our students and children. I'm grateful to have this forum. Thank you.
I think it is because it is a more immediate threat now. Just like automation is finally actually starting to displace workers and begin to sink in as a real factor affecting the middle class, the rise of influence and voting power of non-Whites is now becoming seen as a real threat to White supremacy. And Trump and the Republican Party have discovered that, like the old “tough on crime” crap, White fear is a winner!
Thank you again, Steve. I learn something with each of your posts. Seriously, explain me this. Why would a Rubio or Cruz ( and any others ) think they will end up on the top of the food chain if Fascism ( or, Trumpism ) prevails? Under what psychopharmacologic delusion would MTG believe she will be a “ haves”. Trump is a perfect reminder of a narcissistic strain that can undercut any idea, person, or business on a whim. This is a truth. Thus, they are committing their children to a very uncertain and dismal future. Under fascist regimes the lot of those near the center of power is illusory, or temporal at best.
Like so many of us I belong to a variety of email discussion groups who talk about politics. In one of these groups I commented that "I can imagine that there were lengthy discussions at the White House about whether the president should call republicans semi-fascists or fascists, and I said I would vote for calling them what they are, fascists." A response from another member of our group said that all name-calling should be dropped because it is not helpful to bringing us together. Then I read your piece today Steve and saw that it seems that once again I am on your side. Scary. But, I'm an optimist and believe that the American people will vote to correct all the republican bunkum (had to use that word) in the fall elections. If they don't, I will be so depressed, but not enough to keep me from speaking out and supporting democratic causes until the people do vote out the fascists. I will send this to my email group and advise them AGAIN to sign up for THE WARNING.
I agree that there is no such thing as being semi-fascist, just like I’m not semi-fat. You either are are you are not. I do think it was a smart political move on Biden’s behalf, however. It forced the fascists to come out on the defensive (“I know you are but what am I?”). The upcoming elections will be won on the margins. The more educated Republicans who understand history and switch course by either not voting or voting for the Democrats will decide if the fascist movement is successful or not. Without power, it dies.
Call them what they are, Steve. But let's all be prepared: Like the "deplorables" label against which MAGA and the GOP generally originally took offense but eventually embraced, soon they will embrace the label "fascist" as well, and be completely, nakedly unapologetic in that label and their goals - and a sizeable percentage of the American people (whether for reasons of self-interest, bigotry, or a pathetic need to belong to *something*) will be there right along with them.
Exactly. The worst is being normalized. Trump is a law breaker. He normalized it. He is showcasing the dark underbelly of society and making it the new normal. DeSantis picks up where he leaves off. Get ready, folks.
Completely agree that we should name it what it is: fascism, not “semi” anything . In a forthcoming book, The 7 Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism (9/15, Roman & Littlefield), I call this evil aim & energy “christofascim.” I agree that unless we stop it — in 2022 and 2024– it will engulf and consume our democracy.
Totally agree with you Steve. While some folks use words such as “socialist” to malign their opponents inaccurately, you have shown why the term “fascist” is so appropriate and accurate here. And the truth does matter.
Another reason Biden and others should keep saying this. By now “liberal” is a buzz word that Carrie’s certain connotations. Time to get the word “fascist” on that playing field
I am concerned that polls that indicate that Americans are concerned about our democracy are being misinterpreted. The interpretation is biased by belief. We might interpret the meaning to be an awakening about the real threats to our democracy but the MAGA crowd is also claiming threats to our democracy (just look any of DJT’s recent comments). Might the recent polls be reflecting some of that rhetoric as well? If it does, which I think likely, we shouldn’t take too much comfort in those polls. We must educate ourselves and others and get out the vote.
Exactly. When the polled in a poll are not identified by party affiliation or none at all, the results are open to interpretation. A poll is a statistical number. The polled individual is not abstract. Pollsters should include race also. And gender. And age. When "concern about democracy" is the question, what does it mean? What precisely is the concern about?
Many who live in the “Acela Corridor” and specifically are real DC residents (v temp ones) who exist without voting representation in Congress; who fear - rightfully - the powers of the current and future fascists in Congress (or SCOTUS or WH) ask that you separate us out. It’s like the generic use of “DC” for the Govt v people. Your subscribers are likely smart enough to know it; who fear past, current and future fascists; too many have no clue. My angst about now and Nov grows with every passing day.
Right now we fight these fascists with words, ideals, arguments, shining the light on these MAGA cockroaches in hopes they scurry away. But there may come a time when we must be prepared do more than just this. Not in offense, but in defense of our freedom and democracy. Well-meaning and fundamentally decent people quite understandably are shocked and appalled by the cruel violence, outrageous lies, and utter ruthlessness of the MAGA fascist threat. That makes it an asymmetrical war, and gives MAGA what appears to be an advantage because they will stop at nothing to gain power over a majority that is reluctant to stand up to them out of fear or caution or just a desire for peace at any price. But that is foolish wishful thinking and we must understand that we cannot defeat these people unless we are willing to fight them in the most American sense of that word, in defense of the Rule of Law and our Constitution and Democracy.
I am rereading your “What Happened” from August 21st and also reading “Citizens of London” by Lynne Olson you are recommending. As I am trying to understand the Ukraine war and Trump’s fascism, the story you are putting together begins to make sense now. The urgency of your statement that if the freedom surrenders and the American experiment ends, there will be no liberators this time, because of thousands of Trumps and millions of us co-conspirators. It will be a tragedy of epic proportion, especially for the developing nations aspiring to become democracies. The cost of resisting fascism is great but the cost of not stopping them is unimaginable.
Sadly accurate, and given the apathetic state of much of the electorate (and if you're reading Steve's substack, that obviously doesn't apply to you), it (a Republican/fascist win in 2022 and/or 2024) may be inevitable at this point. I'm incredibly disheartened at the lack of public alarm at what is going on.
A friend sent me an article on why we should not panic about the state of our country right now. It was horribly misleadingly and filled with Christian religious rhetoric. We need to be fully awake and aware of the crisis at hand. People don’t want to feel scared, so they lie to themselves. It all leads to complacency and inaction when we need the opposite.
It's only inevitable if you decide to surrender. Ever heard "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees"? Doing nothing will insure you get what you don't want. Always, in all things.
i agree 100%
i think there is alarm beginning to show, witness the primaries way better for D's than expected
Indeed. Few people don't/can't see what's right in front of them and are content to live their simple, blinded life. I only hope we can eek out a victory for the Senate and House this Fall. This will mean a lot less disruption to committee chairs and what bills gets brought to the floor. This can only help Biden remain on a steady course and watch bills get signed into law.
Sadly, I believe 2024 will be won by the facists. Either legally (through legitimate votes), or won by certain swing states taking legislative control of the slate of electors and ignoring the will of the people. Legitimate votes will also be hampered by other voting restrictions put in place since 2020 by rightwing state legislatures.
If we hold the House and increase in the Senate and either kill the filibuster outright or do carve-outs to allow passage of voting rights defense, codification of Roe v Wade, and deliver the other wildly-popular things like child care, child tax credit, and the rest that have been blocked by the Thousand Year MAGAts, 2024 will not be a Republican victory, and you thinking like that is pretty "1940 French" of you.
Even if we(dems) win, we may loose. Whatever swing state may be in play, AZ or PA for instance, the governors and legislatures will still not certify electors for Biden. Doug Mastriano - should he win the PA governorship - has as much proclaim it out loud already.
Don't plan on it and don't act like you expect it, and we will find a way to deal with it. Defeatism is not a nice way to act.
We must do, everyone of us, whatever we can. As easy as writing post cards, making telephone calls, letters and texts. Doing something will help the cause and also help abate any fear....
I follow Astrology. One mundane astrologer predicted early this year that 2024 will flip. Sadly. But, there’s no real way to predict an outcome assuredly. Despite that, it’s very anxious making. I was a nervous reck during Trumps administration. It’s exhausting to watch the destruction of decency in the hands of a mobster. DeSantis might well deliver a much worse scenario.
Thank you for explaining the differences between semi conductors and fascism. You got it right, this 21st century version of fascism maybe wrapped in a different package but it is undeniably fascism. It brings with it the brutality of violence to achieve their goals. We have Senators and Representatives warning of violence if their dear leader is held responsible for crimes against our great country. Too late Lindsey, we have already seen violence in our streets by supporters of the Malignant Orange One. We are a nation of law and order and when laws are broken there are prosecutions of those who disregard our laws. That is Democracy and thankfully we still live in a country who upholds these ideals.
The problem is that, for most Americans, it is inconceivable that fascism is a real risk or threat to our democracy. Does our neighbor flying a Trump flag really support fascism? No. The neighbor has been convinced that Trump and his followers are going to restore our freedoms. But the underlying, subliminal message that Trump has tapped into is the fear of the loss of White supremacy associated with the Democratic Party’s vision of a truly pluralistic society and the inevitable result of a truly democratic system committed to equal rights, opportunities, and essential status for all races and religions.
Well said, John: "....the underlying, subliminal message that Trump has tapped into is the fear of the loss....". I feel it is important to keep in mind how fascist-cult leaders systematically indoctrinate their followers (our neighbors, my own brother) through tapping into their fear of a perceived enemy, threat or loss. Thanks.
To you and to @Lisa, how then is it better explained to those who don't 'think it's facism' because a) if they know the meaning, they associate it with another time - not even knowing who Orban, for example, is and b) believe it is what you and Lisa said and that it's on the 'good' side? The fear of loss of White culture isn't new; the militancy is greater or is it that we are more aware of it?
Joan, I am honored to be a part of this thread. You have asked an important A and B question for numerous individuals. The best short answers I have, given a day of consideration are:
A.) Our priority, for now, is to cut off the heads of the dangerous MAGA cult leaders that have infected the Republican party, before they get control of more power and control over the MINDS of our citizens, and therefore our Democratic system. I suggest, to get clarity on this, we read The Warning, starting with the post 'Naegleriasis' ( a deadly infection of the brain -i.e. a Nazi scale of brain infection is now happening as a mass-movement.)
We have to deal with the CAUSE and then generations of the symptoms of this deadly brain disease. Protect yourself, the children, and the ones you love in ways that don’t endanger yourself.
B. I suggest you refer to John’s answer. I hope we can keep this thread going.
For further understanding to get clarity around your A- question, I highly recommend a short book called ‘On Tyranny’ by Timothy Snyder. This is an excellent resource!
My professional background is in education. My personal background is partly one of having survived a violent extremist religious cult that took over the brains of my parents when I was a child. The fall-out from what is being perpetrated by MAGA on MILLIONS of innocent people will likely continue for many generations. Sadly, I don't feel that there is a 'return to normal' any time soon. This is an urgent process of mitigation to save our country.
Education matters, as well as being a strong presence and role model for our students and children. I'm grateful to have this forum. Thank you.
I think it is because it is a more immediate threat now. Just like automation is finally actually starting to displace workers and begin to sink in as a real factor affecting the middle class, the rise of influence and voting power of non-Whites is now becoming seen as a real threat to White supremacy. And Trump and the Republican Party have discovered that, like the old “tough on crime” crap, White fear is a winner!
Nailed it.
Perfectly stated!
Thank you again, Steve. I learn something with each of your posts. Seriously, explain me this. Why would a Rubio or Cruz ( and any others ) think they will end up on the top of the food chain if Fascism ( or, Trumpism ) prevails? Under what psychopharmacologic delusion would MTG believe she will be a “ haves”. Trump is a perfect reminder of a narcissistic strain that can undercut any idea, person, or business on a whim. This is a truth. Thus, they are committing their children to a very uncertain and dismal future. Under fascist regimes the lot of those near the center of power is illusory, or temporal at best.
Like so many of us I belong to a variety of email discussion groups who talk about politics. In one of these groups I commented that "I can imagine that there were lengthy discussions at the White House about whether the president should call republicans semi-fascists or fascists, and I said I would vote for calling them what they are, fascists." A response from another member of our group said that all name-calling should be dropped because it is not helpful to bringing us together. Then I read your piece today Steve and saw that it seems that once again I am on your side. Scary. But, I'm an optimist and believe that the American people will vote to correct all the republican bunkum (had to use that word) in the fall elections. If they don't, I will be so depressed, but not enough to keep me from speaking out and supporting democratic causes until the people do vote out the fascists. I will send this to my email group and advise them AGAIN to sign up for THE WARNING.
Thank you, Steve. You called them out. Your description is chilling.
I agree that there is no such thing as being semi-fascist, just like I’m not semi-fat. You either are are you are not. I do think it was a smart political move on Biden’s behalf, however. It forced the fascists to come out on the defensive (“I know you are but what am I?”). The upcoming elections will be won on the margins. The more educated Republicans who understand history and switch course by either not voting or voting for the Democrats will decide if the fascist movement is successful or not. Without power, it dies.
Agree. Biden was straight talkin. We need more of that for the 2022 elections
Call them what they are, Steve. But let's all be prepared: Like the "deplorables" label against which MAGA and the GOP generally originally took offense but eventually embraced, soon they will embrace the label "fascist" as well, and be completely, nakedly unapologetic in that label and their goals - and a sizeable percentage of the American people (whether for reasons of self-interest, bigotry, or a pathetic need to belong to *something*) will be there right along with them.
Exactly. The worst is being normalized. Trump is a law breaker. He normalized it. He is showcasing the dark underbelly of society and making it the new normal. DeSantis picks up where he leaves off. Get ready, folks.
Completely agree that we should name it what it is: fascism, not “semi” anything . In a forthcoming book, The 7 Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism (9/15, Roman & Littlefield), I call this evil aim & energy “christofascim.” I agree that unless we stop it — in 2022 and 2024– it will engulf and consume our democracy.
I agree. (Was going to say “Amen!” But not everyone gets my sense of humor)
Totally agree with you Steve. While some folks use words such as “socialist” to malign their opponents inaccurately, you have shown why the term “fascist” is so appropriate and accurate here. And the truth does matter.
Another reason Biden and others should keep saying this. By now “liberal” is a buzz word that Carrie’s certain connotations. Time to get the word “fascist” on that playing field
I am concerned that polls that indicate that Americans are concerned about our democracy are being misinterpreted. The interpretation is biased by belief. We might interpret the meaning to be an awakening about the real threats to our democracy but the MAGA crowd is also claiming threats to our democracy (just look any of DJT’s recent comments). Might the recent polls be reflecting some of that rhetoric as well? If it does, which I think likely, we shouldn’t take too much comfort in those polls. We must educate ourselves and others and get out the vote.
Yes. 21% saying they are "worried about democracy" does not mean WE are that 21%.
Exactly. When the polled in a poll are not identified by party affiliation or none at all, the results are open to interpretation. A poll is a statistical number. The polled individual is not abstract. Pollsters should include race also. And gender. And age. When "concern about democracy" is the question, what does it mean? What precisely is the concern about?
That is exactly my point. You said it better and more succinctly tban did I. Thank you.
And how do we even trust poll #s?
Recall recent post by Steve about lies= truth. I find it a waste of time to read any of it.
Many who live in the “Acela Corridor” and specifically are real DC residents (v temp ones) who exist without voting representation in Congress; who fear - rightfully - the powers of the current and future fascists in Congress (or SCOTUS or WH) ask that you separate us out. It’s like the generic use of “DC” for the Govt v people. Your subscribers are likely smart enough to know it; who fear past, current and future fascists; too many have no clue. My angst about now and Nov grows with every passing day.
Right now we fight these fascists with words, ideals, arguments, shining the light on these MAGA cockroaches in hopes they scurry away. But there may come a time when we must be prepared do more than just this. Not in offense, but in defense of our freedom and democracy. Well-meaning and fundamentally decent people quite understandably are shocked and appalled by the cruel violence, outrageous lies, and utter ruthlessness of the MAGA fascist threat. That makes it an asymmetrical war, and gives MAGA what appears to be an advantage because they will stop at nothing to gain power over a majority that is reluctant to stand up to them out of fear or caution or just a desire for peace at any price. But that is foolish wishful thinking and we must understand that we cannot defeat these people unless we are willing to fight them in the most American sense of that word, in defense of the Rule of Law and our Constitution and Democracy.
One of your best.
The fox is in the henhouse!