Is Trump a fascist, or, more vaguely, fascistic? Let me
suggest that we lay this one to rest. No doubt that he's fascist/fascistic.
He's mobilized extreme xenophobia and nativism, violence,
racism, in the service of strongman rule and as against traditions of due
process and civil liberties. Trump's managed to subvert the distinction between
truth and lies, and not in any cool subtle postmodern way, either. No, history
will show that Stump owes more to Joseph Goebbels than to Marcel Duchamp.
Not that he's much heard of either.
So yes, he's fascistic already. But remember fascism itself
wasn't built in a day, neither in Italy, under the leadership of Il Duce nor in
Germany under that of the Fuhrer. Trump's regime is far from asserting the
absolute control it seeks. So lets move on from terminology and labels to
process.
There's much in American culture and politics to impede
Trump. It's been noted that the Constitution has nearly sacred status here and
Clump has been clumsy in violating it. Even career militarists like John McCain
find themselves standing up for it.
On the other hand, there are conservatives like Speaker of
the House Paul Ryan who succeed again and again in swallowing every little tiny
urge to protest or resist.
Is that because they are craven careerists or because they
see in Rump a way to further their lifelong desire to gut the New Deal and the
Great Society, privatize everything, and enact utterly nutso Ayn Rand
fantasies?
Both I think.
Another point: Mussolini and Hitler were, as compared to
Dumpster, relatively integrated personalities, fulminating enough sick ideology
to disguise how craven and smashed they were at the core, whereas Plump seems
always on the verge of coming apart like a high-jacked train racing through red
lights in the subway tunnels.
To wit: have you noticed how he's lost that lustrous
spray-on tan, and with it, seemingly, the desire to appear young, billionaire
rich and cool, to party; how his hair has lost that alien orange; how his face
is spreading out and sagging, as if about to peel off?
Have another cheese burger Jumbo. Nosh down on two or three.
You've had a hard day, Scumbo. It's too little appreciated
that telling lies takes effort too.
This guy Bannon that keeps whispering absolute horseshit in
your ear, ditch him, feed him to the dogs. What? No dogs in Trump Tower?
Well, then, bring in crocs.
Anyway, you're not getting away with this.
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