Americans are starting to use the word Fascism when it comes to the Republican party and Donald Trump.
Yale Professor Jason Stanley, a renowned authority on Fascism and the author of 'How Fascism Works,' offers insights. Here are some of the tactics of Fascism that Stanley outlines in his video, I have paraphrased his points.
Go Back to the Good Old Days (Mythical Era)
In the past, life was great. One group had more power than others and controlled everything. And then the fascist leader says, "That has been taken from you by the leftists...They wanna weaken our military. They wanna weaken our greatness."
Common Enemy to Rally Behind Fascist Leader
Fascists blame one person or group for a problem, creating a "scapegoat" as a common enemy, an easy answer to a complex issue. Fascists create scapegoats to rally people behind their cause.
Groups blamed for problems are those who are different, like those with other religions, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, or immigrants.
Us vs. Them Propaganda
All authoritarian or dictators use propaganda. But Fascist propaganda is unique. Fascist propaganda is a way of spreading ideas that divide people into friends and enemies. The enemy is a danger to everything you believe in and who you are. Here is a video from a recent Trump rally, he's not hiding his plans.
Trump says he will round up immigrants in mass detention camps so they don’t “ruin our country” pic.twitter.com/3W3BNm94Lq
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) June 9, 2024
Sexism
Fascist leaders are male and rigid traditional gender roles rule. As democracy backslides into Fascist rule, "Divorce, abortion, and homosexuality are suppressed, per WBUR. The outlet reports that Fascist governments believe the "purpose of women is to be the mother of children. In other words, the mother of future soldiers." Professor Anne Wingenter told WBUR, "From Nazi Germany to Mussolini's Italy, fascist regimes shared an early target: Women. The fascists passed laws criminalizing abortion both for doctors performing, for people providing information for women seeking."
Military and War Glamorized
Under fascist leaders, war, violence, and death are seen as exciting or attractive.
Anti-Science and Anti-Experts
According to Stanley, Fascism attacks science and experts. In his book, "Mein Kampf," Hitler said that science is only important if it helps the country. In a Fascist government, the leader makes all the rules about what's real and not real. So, when experts or facts disagree with the leader, it challenges their power.
Control of the Press
Fascist politics seeks to undermine the credibility of institutions that give independent viewpoints a voice. Fascists want to weaken institutions, like the free press, that have different opinions than theirs.
Instead of attacking the free press and freedom of speech head-on, fascists use "spin" tactics to position the press as bad or oppressive.
Religion and Government are One
The religious beliefs of the leadership influence the way they run the country. Justice Samuel Alito gives Americans almost daily examples of how the GOP tries to combine Church and State.
Manipulating Speech by Softening Harsh Topics
A euphemism is a polite way of talking about something uncomfortable or upsetting. It's like using a nicer word instead of something that might be mean or gross. We use euphemisms to talk about things we don't want to say directly
Disregarding Human Rights
Disregarding human rights is a key part of Fascism. For example when Trump made fun of a disabled journalist at a campaign rally in 2016. People who support the leader aren't bothered by separating migrant families from their kids or having forced sterilization----because fascists believe they are above others.
Fascism is a Bundle of Tactics
Stanley has other Fascism tactics that he mentions in his video. According to Stanley, Fascism is "a very particular ideological structure. When thinking about Fascism, you can't think about these individual elements in isolation. They come as a bundle."
The Yale profession gives an overview in the video with a warning, "Each of these individual elements is not in and of itself fascist, but you have to worry when they're all grouped together, when honest conservatives are lured into Fascism by people who tell them, 'Look, it's an existential fight. I know you don't accept everything we do. You don't accept every doctrine. But your family is under threat. Your family is at risk. So without us, you're in peril.' Those moments are the times when we need to worry about Fascism."
Read about Project 2025, the Republican plan to turn America into a dictatorship, then watch Stanley's video. It is nine minutes of your life. Please watch the Tactics of Fascism, and please vote for Biden and vote Democrat on every ballot.
