Fascism is just one fork on the authoritarian path. There are others and who knows, the United States might live up to stereotype once again and pioneer a new trail of authoritarianism that will displace ‘fascism’ as a generic term.
The history of civilization shows that humans are ingenious at incorporating contemporary technologies to devise new ways of bridling the populace. Here’s hoping this is one domain in which good ol’ American innovation proves impotent.
I like your sense of humor!
The original argument was that the US government funded art, just like the Nazi’s did, therefore Kleptocrat Trump is potentially doing a good thing by cutting art funding.
Just don’t ask who’s pocket that newly saved money will be going into, because it won’t be going anywhere near the working classes.
Don’t visit an art gallery then, because if it contains anything pre 20th century it is likely to contain state sponsored art. Governments, however, do not fund art. We do. And the reason we let governments do it? Because, on the whole, they do a better job than the free market. Evidence? On the one side the Uffizi; on the other, Hallmark.
What cared Duke Ercole, that bid
His mummers to the market place
What the onion-sellers thought or did
So that his Plautus set the pace
For the Italian comedies?
And Guidobaldo, that had made
That grammar, school of courtesies
Where wit and beauty learned its trade
Upon Urbino’s windy hill
Had sent no runners to and fro
That he might learn the shepherd’s will [Yeats].
It amuses me that some Trumpocrats (Trumpistas? Trumpisti?) are making keyboard warrior posts of the “if the Federal bureaucracy gets in the way just sack it”. They are simply unaware of how their comments betray their complete ignorance of how things actually work. Trump is now a prisoner of the bureaucracy, just like any Roman emperor.
I didn’t say I was against it – I said I found it problematic.
You do understand the difference, right?
That’s how the think of themselves, but it’s not remotely true. Most Americans are far right. Sinclair Lewis was right in the 20s and 30s, and he’s still right, because we haven’t changed.
Don’t underestimate “sports team” politics.
There are a lot of people who would have agreed with what Hillary was saying she would do as president, but voted for Trump because they have always voted for Team Red.
I can’t find the polls that backed this up (Anyone know which ones I’m talking about? Can I have links?), but I remember they asked about policies rather than parties.
Trump is left of Hillary, but more authoritarian.
The guy’s a known quantity in these parts, there is no doubt he can benefit from. Mostly I ignore him, but sometimes, I just can’t.
Not significantly, and it is mostly protectionism rather than any other policies that are actually approaching left wing.
I’m not a fan of protectionism myself, and I’m well to Bernie Sanders left on workers rights issues.
From someone who calls themself “Ambiguity” I find that funny.
Admitting ambiguity in the world is not, IMO, a call to stop making any kind of distinction.
In fact, I would say the opposite: I seem to see some color here, where you seem to see only grey. In other words, I can still be for something but have reservations in my support.
See, ambiguity!
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