Donald I, emperor of the world.

[CXRAndy]

The democrats under Biden and Obama have been going after Trump for years.

If you want to call it - Payback

 

[briantrumpet]

FWIW, Umberto Eco's essay on fascism, written in 1995, is a useful reference point for deciding whether the epithet is being fairly applied.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Fascism

The fourteen properties are as follows:

1. "The cult of tradition," characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
2. "The rejection of modernism," which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
3. "The cult of action for action's sake," which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
4. "Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
5. "Fear of difference," which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
6. "Appeal to a frustrated middle class," fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.
7. "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society. Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.
8. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak." On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
9. "Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
10. "Contempt for the weak," which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate leader, who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.
11. "Everybody is educated to become a hero," which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death."
12. "Machismo," which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality."
13. "Selective populism" – the people, conceived monolithically, have a common will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he alone dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the voice of the people".
14. "Newspeak" – fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.

 

[Pross]

There are currently 12 Europeans in New York State that Trump must be annoyed haven’t been deported.

 

[All uphill]

An interesting view from George Conway about a poll that says that 38% of Republicans think it's fine for Trump to use the DOJ for vengeance against his political adversaries: "They want Trump to run a government for himself, because for some reason it gratifies them see Trump go after people that they perceive to be their enemies because they're Trump's enemies".

It's the hyper-partisanship that is so dangerous: it's impossible to discuss any issues logically on merits when the only criterion is who will punish the perceived 'enemy' the most. It's likely to destroy the country that they profess to be 'fighting' for. Maybe they should read up on Pyrrhus.

https://bsky.app/profile/gtconway.bsky.social/post/3lztvnmxz6c2y

I increasingly see it as a form of civil war. What I don't understand is the apparent passivity of the liberal side.

 

[C R]

I increasingly see it as a form of civil war. What I don't understand is the apparent passivity of the liberal side.

They still don't think that the fascists will ever come for them.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

There are currently 12 Europeans in New York State that Trump must be annoyed haven’t been deported.

I'm not a golfist; but I am enjoying the fact that the Yanks are getting a right stuffing.
Mind you, The #MangoMussolini will probably claim that it's been fixed, or rigged, or that the Ryder Cup is now "Woke"

 

[briantrumpet]

They still don't think that the fascists will ever come for them.

I still don't get how many of them voted to confirm the very people who are now tearing down the place, like Pat Bondi, who were obviously unqualified for their roles and being put there to either weaponise or disable their departments.

 

[Ian H]

I increasingly see it as a form of civil war. What I don't understand is the apparent passivity of the liberal side.

There is no united 'liberal' side. Remember that the Republicans and Democrats have historically swapped sides on many core policies.

 

[Pross]

I'm not a golfist; but I am enjoying the fact that the Yanks are getting a right stuffing.
Mind you, The #MangoMussolini will probably claim that it's been fixed, or rigged, or that the Ryder Cup is now "Woke"

Stolen by the crooked Europeans. Probably the same ones that sabotaged his escalator

 

[C R]

Stolen by the crooked Europeans. Probably the same ones that sabotaged his escalator

And the teleprompter, don't forget the teleprompter.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

Stolen by the crooked Europeans. Probably the same ones that sabotaged his escalator

I read that this was down to a WH Videographer who, inadvertently, tripped the emergency stop?

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

He is literally going to levy 100% tariffs on the EU if we win the Ryder Cup!

When he plays golf his caddy moves his ball up the fairway and throws it into a better spot out of the rough when he thinks nobody is looking. There is a vid somewhere of him doing it.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

He is literally going to levy 100% tariffs on the EU if we win the Ryder Cup!

When he plays golf his caddy moves his ball up the fairway and throws it into a better spot out of the rough when he thinks nobody is looking. There is a vid somewhere of him doing it.

 

[Pross]

I read that this was down to a WH Videographer who, inadvertently, tripped the emergency stop?

No, no definitely one of the corrupt Europeans. Probably dangerous crooked Macron or sharia Khan put them up to it.

 

[Pross]

He is literally going to levy 100% tariffs on the EU if we win the Ryder Cup!

When he plays golf his caddy moves his ball up the fairway and throws it into a better spot out of the rough when he thinks nobody is looking. There is a vid somewhere of him doing it.

He should tax their appearance money - oh, wait unlike the US players they have never felt the need to insist on any.