I am not a fan of Donald Trump. In fact, I often find myself rolling my eyes and cringing when he speaks. I am appalled by his blatant narcissism. I believe that he has been unethical, at least, in some of his past business dealings. And his reputation for his relations with women is disgraceful. I cannot admire a man like this. But Donald Trump is not a racist, he is not an antisemite and he is definitely not a fascist.
I voted for Donald Trump twice. I did so for the following three reasons. First, as I have grown older, my politics have changed. I am an example of the aphorism, “If you are not a liberal in your youth you have no heart; if you are not a conservative when older, you have no brain.” Second, in both presidential elections in which he prevailed, I believe that, even with all his personal faults, he was the better of the two political candidates, better than Hillary Clinton, and way, way better than Kamala Harris. Finally, because I am an American Israeli-Jew, in both elections there was no contest. The image of Hillary Clinton hugging Suha Arafat is burned into my brain. And Kamala Harris’s pandering to anti-Israel student demonstrators was beneath contempt.
Some of my oldest friends, friendships that literally go back to my childhood, have branded Donald Trump a fascist. I’m not surprised. Unlike myself, they have retired to the same liberal world view we all shared when much younger. In that world we steadfastly voted for the Democratic candidate as had our parents, probably the closest thing to religious commitment many of us knew.
But some years back I converted, if you will, and my newer beliefs and values differ from those of my younger days and conflict with many of my peers. Some of the latter insist Trump is a fascist. He is not. He is many things, but he is not a fascist. Here is Google’s “simple definition of fascism:” “Fascism is a far-right form of government in which most of the country’s power is held by one ruler or a small group, under a single party. Fascist governments are usually totalitarian and authoritarian one-party states.” A fascist is one who subscribes to this form of governance.
The last time I checked, the authoritative power of the United States is still divided between three powers, executive, legislative, and judicial. The heads of all three branches of government continue to be democratically elected. And all elected officials remain subject and loyal to the Constitution of the United States.
Ah, I am told, but this is only one definition of fascism… the old one. The term has since migrated so that it now covers a much wider base of behaviors and traits. The progressive view of fascism and a fascist personality is discussed in an article by CNN journalist Peter Bergen, based on historian Robert O. Paxton’s 2004 Anatomy of Fascism. This upgraded portrayal no longer limits fascism to actions taken by an autocratic ruler or totalitarian government. It is enough that certain groups feel “a sense of overwhelming crisis beyond the reach of traditional solutions,” as well as in Trump’s case, his seemingly endless self-aggrandizement and his calling out of individuals or groups that he believes politically harmful to him and his mission.
modifying the definition of genocide so as to condemn the State of Israel. Israel does not practice genocide. Or, similarly, to campus demonstrators who decry the apartheid State of Israel. There is no apartheid in Israel.
Calling someone a racist or a fascist is tantamount to dropping a verbal hydrogen bomb in an effort to destroy a person’s reputation and obliterate his persona. In America, a true fascist would have no hope for a political career. In Donald Trump’s case, not only didn’t the label stick, but the hyperbole that was employed against him and his supporters throughout the campaign only seemed to boost his popularity in the polls.
Those who, even after his having returned to the White House, persist in calling Donald Trump a fascist will not allow themselves to engage in any discussion over issues. Their visceral disdain of him shuts down any substantive conversation or prevents one from even getting started. It is as if these adversaries are victims of self-hypnosis, mechanically entering attack mode at the mere mention of Trump’s name. They ignore or deflect any news item that casts him in a positive light; positive news about Donald Trump elicits cognitive dissonance. They regard Trump’s supporters as radioactive, cretins who must be shunned, censored, and not be given a voice. There is to be no dialogue with the devil and his agents.
These individuals are certain that they are on the right side of history, that their never-ending opposition to Donald Trump is both just and necessary in order to save American democracy. But they err. Their dysfunctional behavior elides the democratic process. History will reveal if they were right or wrong.
Image: AT via Magic Studio
Jesus Christ is King
