Porteroso said:
This thread is a sort of smorgasbord of what Republicans wished history said. True, a long, long time ago it was Republicans who were trying to end slavery, and Democrats who wanted to keep it going. That has little relation to today though, where even in our lifetimes we see the script being completely flipped on issues like women's right, US-Russia relations, etc.
To paint fascism, communism, socialism as completely left wing ideologies is to try to impose a snapshot of modern American politics onto the history of European politics, and that is just simply not accurate. Fascism in Italy was certainly right wing, for example. There is no doubt about it.
The core reason however, that neither American party has ever been described by anyone with a brain, up until Trump, as fascist, is our limited government and Constitution. Someone earlier correctly described fascism as more closely related to absolutist government than right left up down wing.
Personally, I don't think it is Trump's intention to say fascist things, but simply his total ignorance of the Cobstitution, which he has admitted several times, that caused him to say things veering not really into any sort of right wing rhetoric, but absolutist government rhetoric.
Him having unconstitutional power over the generals of the Armed Forces for example, or asking Pence to unconstitutionally throw out the vote of the people. These are absolutely fascist tendencies. The left does this too, so that is a valid argument, but if there are fascists amongst the leftist politicians, they certainly conceal it better than Trump.
To understand all these 3 ideologies as left wing would be a huge misunderstanding of history, and guess what? Something of course you zealots love.
Truth. I would say that Totalitarian is the culprit here. Communism, fascism, socialism can all lead to totalitarian regimes.
Totalitarianism is extreme authoritarianism. There's no democracy, no opposition, no free speech you just do exactly what the authorities tell you to do, or else they'll break your legs.
So then, freedom is gone.
Fascism is totalitarianism applied to ultra conservative nationalism. Those in charge want to force the country to return to a time when men were men and the country belonged to "the right people". The elite in charge have a thing for dressing in military uniforms, and they encourage all good patriots to take out their frustrations on immigrants, minorities, liberals and communists with extreme prejudice. )
Looking at you Trump)Nazism is genocidally racist fascism. Nazis don't just blame minorities, liberals, etc.; they specifically set out to exterminate them all. The state become
totalitarian as freedom is wiped out.Communism embraces egalitarianism "we're all equal, so let's all work together for the common good", as
Animal Farm says, "Some animals are more equal than others."
Communist revolutionaries t(Think Stalin) throughout the 20 century resorted to totalitarianism as a way to impose the communist ideal
by force "Everyone must happily work for the common good … or else we'll break your legs or exterminate."
Again, freedom is gone. For more, see the attempted take over of Ukraine."We must commit ourselves with all our vigor in all its dimensions: the struggle in the world against Communism and fascism (and totalitarianism); the struggle within our country against oppression and stagnation; within ourselves against pride and corruption nor can our engagement in one dimension exclude our responsibility for the other. If democracy cannot produce the large resolute breed of people capable of this climatic effort, it will founder. Out of the effort, out of the struggle alone, can come the high courage and faith that will preserve freedom." Arthur Schlesinger The Vital CenterOur freedom is at stake Waco1947 ,la