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Just Call Republicans What They Are: Fascists

Posted by leftoflansing on

Fascism: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fascism

It’s been astonishing to me that Democrats–and I mean ALL Democrats (national Dems, state Dems, progressive Dems, or moderate Dems)–have failed to call the Republican Party what it is.

Or better yet, what it hopes to become.

I’ve read arguments saying it’s dangerous to describe Trump as “fascist” since he isn’t “regimenting all industry, commerce, etc.”

Although, I’ve always held the belief that while oligarchs don’t necessarily “own industry,” they’ve been successful and re-regulating industry to satisfy their goals.

Using goverment to weaken environmental protections is a perfect example of how re-regulation works to further empower and enrich the top. Using government to weaken worker rights, or how the Republican Senate is currently demanding COVID-19 immunity for businesses, are just a few examples of “re-regulation.”

Sure, I suppose Trump and the Republican Party are staying within the boundaries of government to achieve those goals, but it exemplifies how govenrnment is used to serve one small segment of society.

On the other hand, Republican voters have become increasingly right-wing, and accepting of authoritanism throught the decades.

The V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg released a study last month which concluded today’s Republican party looks more and more like authoritian parties that rule in Hungary, Tukey, Poland, etc.

The study says this change started some two decades ago, and right-wing’s embrace of a strongman authoritarian rule is greater now than ever before.

Interestingly, as Julian Borger writes in The Guardian:

By contrast the Democratic party has changed little in its attachment to democratic norms, and in that regard has remained similar to centre-right and centre-left parties in western Europe. Their principal difference is the approach to the economy.

I’ll have more to say on that topic in another post.

The right-wing believes only they are the true patriots. They are the ones who must Make America Great Again, which begs the question(s) of what exactly do they mean? Do they wish to return to a pre-Civil Rights bill era? A Jim Crow Era? Antibellum?

It’s not expressly said, but does it have to be?

Republicans used to employ code words, euphimisms, or dog whisle words to signal to their majority white voters how they will govern. Ronald Reagan utilized these tools when he chose “states rights” as a rallying cry. He did it again whn he talked about the false “welfare queen,” which demonized black women.

George H. Bush followed suit when he and Lee Atwater scared white America with their Willie Horton ads. The late North Carolina racist Senator Jesse Helms grabbed the attention of white voters over their frustration for affirmative action.

The right-wing counted-on old-fashioned racism to denounce President Obama, who wanted to have dialogue regarding police brutality against black Americans. The right-wing attacked anyone who dared to challenge police on killing unarmed black men and women.

That, of course, continued during the Trump Years, as he attacked Black Lives Matter and other activists who wanted to hold police accountable.

And now, Republicans–including Michigan’s right-wing Republican leadership–are trying to throw-out votes from majority black districts to thwart the will of the people, and keep their strongman in office.

The 2020 election wasn’t even close by recent historical standards:

But to the right-wing in Michigan, and the rest of the country, this only proves how the national Democratic party stole this election! Well, the Democrats along with the help of the media, the deep state, and apparently, a dead Hugo Chavez, according to Trump’s attorneys.

The right-wing has already shown it’s willing to use violence to keep power.

We saw how right-wing terrorists were planning to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. These same terrorists attended those hate-spewing rallies in Lansing last Spring, which were in response to Whitmer’s executive actions to flatten the curve during the first wave of COVID-19.

Michigan’s Republican leadership consisting of House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, joined in the rallies where most of the pro-fascist crowd refused to where masks.

Chatfield joined The Cult when Dear Leader held a rally in Michigan, again not wearing a mask.

And Shirkey in October gave-up the game on where he stands on COVID relief or mitigation efforts when he said, “I’m also a big believer that there’s an element of herd immunity that needs to take place.”

Shirkey’s brilliant herd immunity idea would lead to another 30k dead Michiganders, but who cares, right? We have to keep Dear Leader in power at all costs.

If that means creeping towards fascism to do it, so be it.

I mean, I wasn’t surprised when Chatfield and Shirkey traveled to the White House like good waterboys at Dear Leader’s insistance. They released a statement saying the meeting surrounded COVID relief efforts, but Dear Leader was having none of that!

But hey! Shirkey and Chatfield, and other Michigan Republicans, got to wine and dine at Dear Leader’s Washington, D.C. hotel! There’s still no word yet if they used Michiganders’ tax money to stay in his hotel, which might not be another example of fascism, but it sure feels like it.

We’ve watched how the Michigan Republican Party has acted in fascistic ways through the years. That Shirkey and Chatfield are even giving-off a hint of acquiescing to Dear Leader’s wishes is how we continue to slowly creep towards fascism.

Lest we Michiganders forget (thankfully, Michigan Advance’s Susan Demas hasn’t), Shirkey and his right-wing cohorts worked to strip-away some of then-Governor-elect Whitmer’s powers before she even was sworn into to office!

Michigan Republicans are no different than Republicans across the country. In fact, they’re probably even more radical. Betsy Devos is another example of that truth. As is the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

I wish I had faith in our institutions that will prevent these radical Republicans from trying to steal this election from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for them!

But I’m sorry, I don’t.

Susan Demas speaks for me:

—Pat

Note: Photo is Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey.

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