Britannica identifies five key aspects of fascism:
- Extreme Nationalism
- Totalitarianism
- Authoritarianism
- Scapegoating
- Rejection of Liberalism and Communism
The 2024 election gave Americans a Commander-in-Chief who threatens our Democracy as he spirals toward autocracy and fascism. trump’s first term was a disaster, but his second term has proven to be catastrophic for Democracy and the erosion of our “Constitutional Rights”. trump, twice impeached, a convicted felon and sexual assaulter, and his MAGA regime are conducting the greatest attack on our collective citizenry that any other presidential administration in the history of our nation. In addition to ruining the economy and alienating our allies, he has employed many tactics consistent with the actions taken by authoritarian or fascist governments:
- Inflicting rampant, repeated violation of constitutional rights to “Due Process”.
- Inflicting repeated, targeted attacks on constitutional rights to free speech.
- Terrorizing entire groups of undocumented, law-abiding, productive citizens, in various stages of applying for citizenship, by denying them “Due Process”, then sending them to countries from which they have fled or to which they have no connection.
- Illegally sending National Guard troops into targeted cities without the Governor’s approval and threatening to use our cities as training sites for the military.
- Using the DOJ (Dept of Justice) to investigate judges, officials, and citizens he perceives as his enemies, weaponizing the government.
- Orchestrating the theft of citizens’ private information through DOGE, making it vulnerable to further theft, and using it to attack targeted individuals.
- Removing inspector generals throughout the Executive Branch to prevent oversight.
- Withholding federal funds from educational institutions unless they submit to his demands.
- Refusing a law firm’s legal access to federal buildings to adjudicate cases for clients unless they acquiesce to his demands.
- Firing government employees illegally in an effort to deconstruct the government
- Firing agency administrators who refuse to support and disseminate unsubstantiated or unscientific research or who do not demonstrate allegiance to trump’s agenda
- Blackmailing private media companies to fire employees who criticize his actions
- Urging citizens to turn in other citizens who oppose his agenda
- Pardoning convicted criminals (like himself) who either acted on his behalf or committed crimes similar to those he has committed
- Gutting public agencies to make them nonfunctional
- Installing unqualified, partisan judges and court officials to advance a trump agenda
- Demanding states provide protected voter registration data
- Defunding public broadcasting and health providers who don’t follow his dictates
- Releasing private information, including records possibly stolen by DOGE, to Republican candidates for use against his/her political opponent
- Producing AI-generated videos that denigrate leaders in the Democratic Party
- Rerouting funding intended for “Blue” states to “Red” states as retribution for failing to support him or his agenda
Republicans have been laying the groundwork to corrupt our Democracy and dis-empower opponents for decades. Critical to this effort is installing partisan loyalists to government offices, irrespective of competency, and seating under qualified, partisan judges and justices to the courts. Gerrymandering at unprecedented levels and voter suppression tactics have also been employed in Republican led states to silence the voting power of targeted populations perceived to oppose the Republican agenda.
To defeat the fascist regime that trump’s MAGA is seeking to implement, determined, decisive action is needed. Electing progressive, Democracy defending legislators at both state and federal levels, in the midterms and beyond, may allow us to salvage and restore much of what we have lost. This includes a government in which the “Rule of Law” is restored, the functioning of “Checks and Balances” is operational and enforced, there is complete restoration and protection of our constitutional rights, and where legislators and presidents are held accountable by the people!
Join the fight to save democracy! Voice your dissent and vote for Democrats!
