Keywords or Terms: Fascism; Nationalism; Immigrants;
Muslims; and, “First
they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew; Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist; Then they came for the trade unionists and I did
not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for me and
there was no one left to speak out for me” - Pastor Niemoller
Anyone who is not hopelessly
blinded by illusion of the heroism of Hitler or the far-right nationalists in
some parts of Europe or now, America, must by now recognize the similarity of
the campaign launched by Donald Trump for 2016 White House oval office and the
rise of global fascism. One could point to the similarity of the impassioned
campaign for the ouster of immigrants and Muslims from America, the building of
a ‘huge’ wall against the immigrants and the assignment of a register for
Muslims until “we” know what is going on, as proclaimed by Mr. Trump in his
campaign for 2016 White House. Are these not uncomfortable and ingesting a airy feeling of disbelief and concern
by many across America and the world? The symptomatic exclusions of the “Jews”
in Germany prior to the Second World War, exclusions of refugees to emigrate
into some parts of Europe, now substituted for the “immigrants and refugees” in
America of 2016, is probably a precursor to the rise of fascism in America, the
leader of the free world, whichever way you define it.
How about the get him out of here
authoritarian leadership preaching at Trump’s rally to supporters; and, the manhandling
of opponents of his brand of unconventional campaign? How about the dismissal
of the principles of governance delineated in US Constitution, which
Businessman Trump does not seem to share or care about in his campaign for the US
Presidency? How do you understand his intolerance for the Democratic process,
rejection of divergence of opinions and accommodation of violence against
minorities, especially Mexicans, Females and blacks? Would his narcissistic
brand of campaigning qualify for nationalism or fascism; or is his boastful
approach of discontenting his opponents not grounds enough to race a red flag
of fascism; and or its gestation?
Peter Baker’s New York Times article
of May 28th, 2016 on: “the Rise of Donald Trump Tracks Growing
Debate”, articulated rather well the similarity of Donald Trump’s campaign for
the 2016 White House oval office to the ills and miseries that destroyed
European Jews during the second world war; one that lends to the sub-theme of
the movie of the bands of brotherhood in US; a reflection on America’s Incursion
to the second world war in order to halt the spread of fascism; and multiple
mysteries that attenuated the psyche of dissidents, descendants and survivors of the inhumane annihilation of innocent people across Europe from the brown shirts? An
American expenditure to fight similar brand of campaign being launched by
Donald Trump in his 2016 White House bid is for now expedient and no longer funny? An expenditure war that made some great men in the fury and miseries of the battle
of war, offer premature act of final contrition, in anticipation of the last
call of the trumpet, the very last order of the Catholic faithful before the final
roll call. An accentuated call for the communion of saints, forgiveness of sins,
and the resurrection of the body, in an imminent moment of destruction of innocent
souls, as foretold in the use of the atomic bomb; a nightmare better forgotten,
so the world may move ahead. To those who proclaim that we need not worry about
Donald Trump 2016 Campaign for White House oval office rising up to the level
of fascism, I say: think again!
Unwittingly, and probably not to
be construed of a betrayal of American nationalistic feelings, a few among us
are supporting the 2016 fascist campaign for the highest office in the land, we
are fanning the flame of hate, a replica of Adolf Hitler’s and Benito
Mussolini’s brand of fascism, and denying the obvious. What is now seen as
unfortunate characterization of immigrants and minorities by level headed
Americans and reflective survivors of the holocaust, are being termed
overreaction to campaign by a prominent far-right nationalist attempting to
assuage the “perceived” fleecing of America by undocumented immigrants and the
world. Trump’s unconventional campaign supporters insist his campaign is
nothing more than a man showing true love for America, a genuine love that has
no place for being politically correct; one to which they remain unapologetic,
and for this and other reasons, they claim outsiders are unnecessarily
fastidious, insisting further that Trump’s campaign is only seeking to correct
the excesses of the federal government on issues of trade, immigration and
environmental protection that have prevented America to be number one in all
things and realm.
Critics of Trump’s brand of
campaign insist that his effort leaves to be desired, principles of democracy,
respect for freedom, individuality and peoples’ differences in a growing
multicultural society. They maintain that Trump’s supporters for 2016 White
House ambition fail to recognize that racist rants are exemplary of fascisms and
likening to the nemesis of the same; and the nature of his campaign can be
traced to the genesis of same in prior world’s political movement experience. Touting
that Trump’s campaign for the White House does not match a textbook definition
of fascism is hardly comforting or consoling, after fifteen months of the same
far-right pronouncements and carefree derogation of physically challenged and
or opponents: “when it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a
duck, no one needs to redefine it for the outsider to his campaign, it is as ducky
as a fascist!” Shortsightedness and ignorance is not an excuse in the realm of
challenge here; and America’s and world’s experience of fascism of the past,
demand a quick alert of the wave of change about to delude the society.
Turning away and pretending it is
not happening is not going to stop this evil. Trump’s demagoguery that
fascinates a rapid growing crowd of supporters across the nation, is more of a
modern day version of the Nuremberg rallies; and if one erroneous
discountenance this type of movement, denying it is as good as denying the
existence of fascism and hate in Trump’s use of campaign messaging; or
absolving Mr. Trump of conscious pitting of growing number of rank and file Republicans
against the American intelligentsia – scientists who have been alarming us of
the difficulties and repercussions of Climate Change. The fact that proactive
parliamentary groups, brown jackets or a standing military force are not
currently attenuating Donald Trump’s campaign, is no reason not to raise
cautionary notes and apprehension of the growing tentacles of Trump’s
supporters for the White House; especially when all you see and hear about Trump’s
rallies are disorderly conduct and unusual militancy that make you stop and
think.
Trump’s current campaign for the
White House is a debauchery, an ideology laden “isms” based on erroneous
beliefs rather than a system of political philosophy, a perfect case of extreme
nationalism; the rise again of the far-right philosophy of the past decade in
Western Europe and far East Asia. It would have been an easy matter for
outsiders to his campaign to fail to acknowledge the militancy and avoid
raising cautionary note, were it not for current Donald Trump’s machination or
manipulating of mass media communication, using Television, Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, or what have you, in his pursuit of the White House. It goes without
saying that these modern-day medium of mass communication, may propel him into a
psychic cautiousness of voter that prevents them from making objective
assessment of the credibility of his candidacy; ultimately creating irreparable
blunder or creeping into the minds of voters to doubt the efficacy of our Democracy,
or one man one vote. Yes, even in a thriving democracy, mass media has been
used to create blunders to the psyche of the populace, by the lone shouting and
intimidating voice that bullies others, just the way many minorities and
opponents of Mr. Trump’s campaign for 2016 White House, now laments.
For close to eight years, since
the last recession and the ascendancy of the first African-American President
in US History, a huge number of Republican far-right nationalists, who perceive
themselves as disenfranchised middle income Anglo-Saxons, some say perceived victims
of globalization of commerce, associate their deepest fear of losing grounds
from the long-standing economical privileges that appear to be fleeing, as
mostly fault of American government for entering into foreign trade pacts as
the TPP and NAFTA. For this group, their stagnated wages, inability to create a
balance between home and professional life, because of uncertainties associated
with not having lasting employment, health care and comfortable retirement
packages, are creating deeper fear among them and having the potential of
ruining American households and families. Donald Trump has craftily tapped into
these discontents to label every other opponent of his in the 2016 White House
race, as part of the “grand scheme” that has prevented this people from
attaining their lofty heights, or quickly achieving the American dream.
To this group, most of whom form
the basis of Donald Trump’s support for the White House, this is a blunder that
has been allowed to fester for far too long under too many White House
Administrations, Republicans and Democrats. Further, this blunder is one, if
radical reforms are not instituted, including deportation of undocumented immigrants
living in America, roll back of tenets of signed international trade pacts,
sending minorities and women back to “where they belong”, correcting perceived marginalization
of America’s interests, it is going to be difficult, if not infeasible to get
back to equilibrium or a buoyant American economy. Finally, to achieve this new
equilibrium or buoyancy, it is better to rely on an outsider to mainstream
American Political Party politics and experience, even if that “savior” is a racist,
quixotic and probably slanderous office seeker, who is probably ignorant of the
difficult terrain of the legislative wheeling and dealing process that leads to
bills being passed in US Congress to address the perceived blunder.
Unfortunately, supporters of this
kind of reasoning and dogma, are short sighted and fail to understand or
appreciate the democratic process. They fail to understand that
anti-establishment politics, filled with angry drivel and irate pronouncements
have the potential of undermining the same processes needed to correct whatever
grievances they have; and or economic and political shortcomings. Launching on
to Nationalist ranting, spewing hateful messages and aggressively antagonizing
other minority groups within the society, a precursor to what the World
experienced in Europe and Japan of 1930’s, is the first step to slippery slope of
fascism. To put it bluntly, this how the ‘Germany First’ ideology that led to
the mayhem of the second world war began. If Donald Trump’s campaign for the
White House defaults to the ‘America First’ missive, there is hardly any
difference between what happened in Germany in 1930s, and some say, is coming
back in countries like Austria, who narrowly nearly elected a far-right ultra-nationalist
as the country’s prime minister in 2016; and would ultimately reach America
with the ascendancy of Donald Trump to the Office of the US Presidency.
The singularity of the return of
de facto fascisms to Europe, which is synonymous of what is gradually happening
in America; and or, symptomatic of Donald Trump’s campaign for 2016 America’s
White House, is a spread of an old age plague that not only damaged people,
nearly extinct a race and crippled former bustling societies; but, also created
fear and mistrust among citizens of some nations. It is a plague that must be
talked about and referenced, so it is not allowed to once again, raise its ugly
head in the world and probably, America. Fascism cannot be the ultimate answer
to disequilibrium economic apparatus or undocumented or illegal immigrants;
there are better and superior answers out there; and many of us are wise enough
to have learned from the experience of history. We just need the right person
to lead us to the promised land; and Donald Trump does not fit that bill or
person, as many of us conceive him or her.
Succumbing to a rhetoric of hate
in a campaign for political office is a bad omen for everyone. To some doubters
of the trending fascism in America Presidential Campaign Experience, a few
political philosophers understand Donald Trump’s campaign for the White House
oval office in the context of fascism; using derogative languages and not-so
much obvious and understood epithets of political extremism, nationalistic
sympathizers of the swastika in American Presidential Campaign experience,
similar to what the Bones at Yale could have informed us about the American German
Cultural Society, a Nazi front in America intelligentsias of the 40’s, as
documented in history books. If fascism entails outright rejection of democracy
and a harsher definition of order, plus an ultra-right party followership as
referenced in Peter Baker’s essay in the New York Times of May 28th,
2016, maybe that is probably where the Tea party and supporters of Donald
Trump’s campaign are drawing their strengths, or probably heading, if he ever
ends up winning the US Presidency. The anti-deregulation rhetoric and get-off
my back, rugged individualism as advocated by Mr. Trump and his supporters are pedestrian
to a fascist society in a very near future, if we all fall asleep at the
switch.
Diligent observers of many presidential
campaign experiences, see nothing more than hate and misery in 2016 Donald
Trump’s White House bid and campaign messaging. They visualize what his
leadership of the US Presidency and by default, the free-world, can lead; and,
admonish the possible convergence of misery in trolls of coffins of returning military
brotherhood that may enlist in his prospective parliamentary hate enforcing
groups, who will end up fighting wars, here and abroad, and probably one day
arrive at Dover Air Force base, Delaware, under a sad and remorseful rendition of
the Star Spangle Banner. For those who forgot, this is the receiving port of
America’s fallen heroes, that was kept away from many in the society during
those turbulent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For those families who experienced
grief, who celebrated aguishly and reflect deeply during our memorial days, a
day set aside for reflections and remembering America’s heroes and those who
served selflessly in the company of heroes, who once sacrificed themselves in
the fields and mines of Europe and Asia, maybe it is time for all of us to
speak out against hate and fascism; maybe it is time to tell those hawkish
leaders and budding dictators, who delight in building up our military at the
expense of good public health, decent and safe neighborhoods, and clear and
even handed justice system, it is time to quit; it is time to stop spreading
hate and xenophobia in their broadcasted messages in the quest for the White
House oval office.
Finally, I know there is
something really wrong with the extreme wave of winds of nationalism and
fascism that encompass the campaign of Mr. Trump for the 2016 White House oval
office. When you hear a man who does not know what he was doing or where he was
going when he entered the race for US Presidency, who once or twice took a buy
on enlistment because of his parental affluence, promising to use the atomic
bomb or use interrogation tactics worse than water boarding, cuddling the worst
of the dark side of the human minds, screaming to build a wall against other unfortunate
souls, in his campaign for US Presidency, you know you’ve met a de factor
nominee that must step aside so a more prudent and seasoned person take the
mantle of the office from the current incumbent, so that another American soul
is not wasted in another manufactured misery in a foreign land. Heroes never
want to be afraid of deaths, even lesser mortals that are trained tough and
hardy, bemoan belatedly wounds of war. Men and women who were prepared for
wars, gone through the maneuvering and training of how to parachute in the
midst of pandemonium, who were quarantined by military marshals, debriefed of ghostly
commission with little unforgiven excuses, men and women who really know what
to do when the trains and trucks of ambulances and ammunitions are lined up in
sequence of military protocols, see their brothers and sisters fall to the
ground on the battle fields, the most miserable place ever described, men and
women who tell us war stinks to kingdom come, are today admonished by a fascist
political neophyte? How are the mighty fallen and weapons of the war perish!
Main reading room, the New York Public
Library, c. 1910. (Photo: Library of Congress/LC-DIG-det-4a24347)
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