Republicans the New Fascists

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross,” is a quote often mistakenly attributed to Sinclair Lewis. Given some of his books, “It Can’t Happen Here” among them, it certainly has the ring of authenticity. While Lewis wrote in the 1930’s his commentary on capitalism and politics as practiced in the United States is still relevant today, nearly a century later, and that’s truly sad. When Donald Trump campaigned for a second term as president he quite literally wrapped himself around a flag and kissed it at the Conservative Political Action Committee convention in February 2020. Later that year, in June, after days of protests over police brutality Trump strutted over to the steps of the nearby St.  John’s Episcopal Church and struck several poses holding a bible for press photos.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines fascism as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition”. Trump has frequently made ugly, racist remarks about immigrants, particularly those from South and Central America while exalting white evangelicals over everyone else. Trump has threatened on numerous occasions to sue or direct the Department of Justice to punish detractors and has only been stopped from doing so by the increasingly fragile guardrails of democratic norms.

As he Republican Party has continued to move rightward becoming an expressly Christian nationalist/fascist party following Trump I fear what may happen if he or one of his clones like Florida governor Rick DeSantis were to win the presidency in 2024. Just look at what’s happening here in Texas and other southern states as women’s right to control their own bodies has been taken away and some counties even creating ordinances to make it a crime to drive a woman across that county in order to obtain and abortion out of state. They’re turning County Sheriff’s and Constables into Gestapo agents.

It’s not just the political leaders to be blamed. Republican voters are complicit as they go along with this anti-democratic behavior. If you doubt this just check the polling results for the Republican primary and you’ll see Trump leading at nearly 60%. Republican voters are willing to give up control of government by the people in order to have a leader that speaks to their bigotry. It didn’t start with Trump although he has given permission to use the ugly, racist language that until recently wasn’t spoken out loud. Look at the language and imagery attacking Barack Obama back during his term as president, it was awful including a photo of the president painted over to look like an African witch doctor and claims he wasn’t born in the United States even though Hawaii recorded his birth certificate.

In 2024 if someone votes for Trump or one of is clones they’re making a statement that they are in favor of the nation being led by a fascist tyrant. If someone tells you they didn’t want Trump or a clone but couldn’t vote for Biden because anything, they’re telling you they’re okay with an autocrat running the country. If a local official runs as a Republican and doesn’t repudiate Trump and his clones then they are complicit in wrecking this country. Whether voters or elected officials if they don’t act to stop Trump they’re as bad as Germans who joined the Nazi party but claimed they just did it to keep their jobs.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - October 18, 2023