Building the Trump Reich

Today is January 31, 2017.

 

We have sailed into uncharted waters, and we exist in unprecedented times in American history. And it troubles me so, this passion I feel.

 

Perhaps I should clarify – I am an emotional, passionate person by my very nature. I neither hide it, nor apologize for it. What troubles me is the not the passion I feel, but the basis for such passion.

 

The current presidential administration has been in place for less than ten full days. In that time Mr. Trump has signed multiple Executive Orders that belie the American ideal, one of which Orders has already been challenged in our courts. He was taken to social media to ridicule those that oppose him. He has been caught in outright lies, yet has refused to acknowledge the truth. And now he's fired a subordinate claiming that she betrayed him. He literally used the word "betrayed." Trump fired the appointed Deputy Attorney General, one who so fiercely prosecuted a known terrorist that he received four life sentences, claiming her to be weak on terror because she dared stand firm in not defending an immoral and likely unconstitutional action that he'd taken.

 

He has broken the record for the quickest time in which a majority of Americans view the president with disfavor. He did not only break the record, he smashed it. He obliterated it by reaching that milestone in mere days, whereas the next quickest timeframe in which a president garnered an unfavorable rating by a majority of Americans took over a year and a half.

 

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the American flag." ~ Huey Long

 

Think about that.

 

Yes, I am comparing Donald Trump to Hitler.  

 

Yes, I am calling Donald Trump a fascist.

 

No, I will not apologize… and yes, I will support these notions with examples of his actions and his policies.

 

The poster below hangs in our National Holocaust Memorial Museum, and features fourteen early warning signs of fascism:

 

 

This list is attributed to writer Laurence W Britt, from an article he wrote entitled Fascism Anyone? (a link to which is included here: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27/076.html)

 

Taking these warning signs one by one, it is frighteningly easy to cite one or more examples of Trump's actions that fall within these categories. And I remind you, it's been ten days.

 

Ten. Days.

 

For those who continue to support the man, I offer the following. I do hope you'll read this list, and consider these words. If you disagree, Please respond. I welcome a reasoned discourse. Tellingly, though, of the posts I've written thus far, not one Trump supporter has spoken up. Perhaps, hopefully, they're feeling remorse for their choice and are examining the man, and themselves, in silent contemplation. Perhaps they'll speak up with facts and examples of their own in counterpoint to my writing. In the meantime, here is my examination of Trump regime when viewed in light of these warning signs of fascism .I will cite only one or two examples of each instance of his fascist tendencies; if I listed them all, this post would be painfully longer than it already is:

 

1.  Powerful and continuing nationalism.  One need look no further that the ill-advised Mexican Border Wall or the questionable blanket immigration ban as examples of Trump's powerful and continuing nationalism. Both of these exemplify the extreme, nationalist position in which he's entrenched himself – close off our borders and assert American self-righteousness.

 

2.  Disdain for human rights. One of the first Executive Orders he signed was to reinstitute the "Gag Rule" whereby United States aid will be prohibited if such aid is used to discuss the notion of abortion. This Order ignores the fact that such aid is crucially necessary for the promotion of women's health world-wide, especially in third-world nations where health coverage and education are dangerously scarce. This one, unilateral action erased decades of advancement in women's health, all on the basis of one religious ideology above all others. Similarly, the immigration ban prohibits refugees fleeing war-torn Syria from seeking refuge and asylum here in the United States. Children have literally been denied entry at our borders, all in the name of nationalism (see number 1 above).

 

3.  Identification of enemies as a unifying cause. Trump continues to use ISIS as his rallying point, citing the terror the organization can wreak as justification for his policies. He insists that we all come together around this cause – nationalism and security against ISIS… while foregoing the unifying principles of equal rights for all, assuring a fair tax code and equal taxation for all, providing for our veterans… I could go on, but his sole rallying cry remains security from ISIS.

 

4.  Supremacy of the military. Trump has without equivocation stated that building up our military should take precedence over balancing our national budget. He would drive our nation further into indebtedness for the sake of expanding our military might without further consideration.

 

5.  Rampant Sexism. I shouldn't have to even broach this subject, so obvious is his sexism, but I'll leave you with this: "Grab 'em by the pussy."

 

6.  Controlled mass media. Perhaps no one thing has fueled what appears to be the man's psychotic rage than Trump's portrayal in the media. He calls any news organization that defies him or paints him in unfavorable light "fake news." He refuses to acknowledge questions from long-respected journalists. He supports only those news organizations that support him, or at a minimum refuse to criticize him. And he continues to seek to suppress the media, and demands the termination of any journalist that opposes him.

 

7.  Obsession with national security.  Here I need only say… see above.

 

8.  Religion and government intertwined. He's already demonstrated this with the reinstitution of the Gag Rule, and his stated preference to instil a Supreme Court Justice opposed to the decision of Roe v. Wade. While I hope the rumor and speculation to be untrue, it is said that in the coming days he will issue yet another Executive Order which is designed to limit their rights of our lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender citizens. I truly do hope that the speculation on this topic will be unfounded, but that likelihood is slim; if it is not, such an action will be another prime example of the refusal to separate religious ideal and zealotry from our governance.

 

9.  Corporate power protected. Trump has evidenced this characteristic through his cabinet appointments first and foremost, instilling those with strong ties to major corporate entities whose interests align with Trump's own. His stated tax proposals favor those corporate entities to the detriment of others. His threatened withdraw from environmental accords will serve to harm our environment, and the American people by extension, while promoting corporate interests hindered by environmental regulation.

 

10.  Labor power suppressed. Admittedly, Trump has yet to fully show his hand on this issue, but hints in his rhetoric and policies suggest favoritism towards big business to the detriment of unionized work. He has, however, already promoted a wage and hiring freeze for federal employees, thus diminishing the power of even his own federal workforce.

 

11.  Disdain for intellectuals and the arts.  One of his first proposals upon taking office was to defund the National Endowment for the Arts and remove support for public television services. One of his first acts.

 

12.  Obsession with crime and punishment. Trumps radical obsession with crime and punishment goes back to the campaign, in which he threatened to prosecute a political opponent immediately upon taking office. He's subsequently threatened criminal prosecution against those that would oppose him.

 

13.  Rampant cronyism and corruption. One need look no further for a prime example of this than to Trump's removal of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the National Security Council and the appointment of Stephen Bannon to the Council. Bannon, a known white nationalist with no military or security experience whatsoever, and Trump's right hand. Of course there's also the issue of Trump refusing to release his tax returns so that the American people can see the extent of his international holdings, preventing us from making a reasoned determination of the extent to which his policies may be influenced by his international business dealings.

 

14.  Fraudulent Elections. Trump has refused to believe his own intelligence agencies that have confirmed Russian interference with our presidential election. He himself has claimed that the election was fraudulent in professing, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast. His source for such accusations was recently proven to be registered to vote in multiple states, as was the aforementioned Bannon and Trump's own child. Trump, mind you, claims such multiple registration to be voter fraud.

 

I'm sure many of those that blindly follow and support him will discount and rationalize everything I've referenced above. That saddens me, because it is a testament to our times that so many cannot view what's transpiring with a critical eye. I hope to open those eyes. I hope those that read this with skepticism will do their own research and come to the same conclusions. Our nation, our democracy, depends upon an informed public.

 

Yes, I am comparing Donald Trump to Hitler.  

 

Yes, I am calling Donald Trump a fascist.

 

No, I will not apologize.

 

I will keep seeking justice.

 

I will keep speaking.

 

I will continue to resist.

 

 

 

© 2017 J.J. Goodman. All rights reserved.