The Fascist and the Furious
The Fascist and the Furious
Kelly on Trump, Bezos Shuts Out the Lights
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing news. In the two days I was away from my keyboard, we learned that Trump has fantasized about having "the kind of generals Hitler had," was directly described as a fascist by his longest serving Chief of Staff John Kelly (a description that has already been confirmed by 13 former Trump administration officials), and that, according to the WSJ (Gift Article) Elon Musk, Trump's biggest current supporter (both financially and on social media), has been having secret conversations with Vladamir Putin. "The discussions, confirmed by several current and former U.S., European and Russian officials, touch on personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions." (Personal topics? "How's the constant lying on your platform going?" ... "Great, thanks. What's new with your mass murder campaign?"). In a normal American era, any of these stories would qualify as an October surprise. In 2024, the surprise will be if a majority of Americans see fascist tendencies and Hitlerian fantasies as disqualifying features for a president. Before coming to a conclusion on that matter, consider that half of Americans saw Donald Trump as a fascist in a poll taken before the John Kelly story. (That said, in the same poll, 22% see Harris as a fascist.) The Harris campaign clearly thinks the threat to democracy is a worthy topic for their closing argument. And it may move some Trump supporters to reconsider their allegiance (or at least stay home on Nov 5th). But don't underestimate the ability of people to normalize even extremely dangerous behaviors and beliefs. As I mentioned last week in Zero Tux Given, "You thought it couldn’t happen here? This is exactly what it look likes." (And just wait until we get to story number 2...)
+ Maybe hearing a universally respected patriot like John Kelly issue a warning like this will be the thing to finally get Trump's top enablers to consider the risks we face and put country over party. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Wait, sorry. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Susan Glasser in The New Yorker: Donald Trump and the F-Word. "Now that the fascist label is out there, a significant part of the G.O.P. has predictably gone ahead and normalized it, as they have with all Trump’s previous outrages. Watch the clip of New Hampshire’s formerly moderate Republican governor, Chris Sununu, smirking on CNN as he rationalized Trump’s admiration for Hitler and Nazi generals as something 'baked in' with the voters. If Trump wins, we will surely see many repetitions of that scene: when he starts carrying out the policies that led to Kelly and others to call him a 'fascist,' his defenders will shrug and say, Well, it’s old news."
+ Wait, it gets worse. Mike Johnson and Mitch McConnell are out with a joint statement. It doesn't argue that Trump's fascist tendencies are the threat to America. No, in a gaslighting move that would make Joseph Goebbels blush, they warn that the real threat is that someone is saying he's a fascist. (Because, you know, Donald Trump is against name-calling.) Johnson, McConnell ask Harris to ‘stop escalating the threat environment’ after Trump fascist remarks. (These guys can go fascist themselves.)
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Darkness Visible
The Washington Post's tagline is, Democracy Dies in Darkness. Well, Jeff Bezos just shut out the lights. For the first time in several decades, the newspaper that broke Watergate and is famous for holding the powerful to account, will not make any endorsement for president. I'll let former Post editor Marty Baron chime in on this: "This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage." Follow the money just took on a whole new meaning.
+ Jeff Bezos killed Washington Post endorsement of Kamala Harris, paper reports. Note that this troubling news comes just days after the LA Times owner pulled a Harris endorsement. Of course, these endorsements wouldn't have made much difference among Trump supporters. But it's just one more example of a society willing to bend to authoritarian tendencies, even before the authoritarian takes charge. For those scoring at home, one billionaire turned Twitter into a MAGA megaphone, one billionaire turned out the lights on democracy, and another threw shade on the SoCal sunshine. No, this is not what I want to be writing about on a Friday, but this is really disturbing stuff, folks.
+ The key is to meet this news not with despair, but with determination. More than a million people signed up to attend Kamala Harris' rally in Houston tonight.
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Fee Fi Foes
Some American traditions are still holding up. The World Series kicks off tonight. The two former neighbors have been big time rivals for a long time. (As a Giants fan, I'll just let them fight it out among themselves.) Yankees vs Dodgers: The World Series’ most frequent rivalry through the years. "In the beginning, the World Series matchup of the Dodgers against the Yankees was a kind of charming intra-city showdown of two New York City boroughs, blue collar Brooklyn, equipped with a neighborhood called Gravesend, against the pretentious Bronx, with the fancy Grand Concourse."
+ Aftermarket ticket prices are high. Really high.
+ With two mega-corporations clashing in the biggest series, let's give a little attention to a couple entrepreneurs in the bat business. "Bat choice used to be driven by what the kid next door was swinging or what Mom or Dad grabbed from Target or Dick’s. But the Baseball Bat Bros changed that." Bloomberg(Gift Article): The Influencer Bros Selling More Baseball Bats Than the Pros. (Bros before pros...)
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Weekend Whats
What to Doc: Hulu and Disney Plus just debuted a new doc that takes us behind the scenes (and in front of the stage) to celebrate Bruce Springsteen and E-Street Band in Road Diary. For those have SiriusXM, Bruce and the band were guests on Howard Stern this week and you can listen or watch on the app. Here are couple outtakes: If I Should Fall Behind and Brilliant Disguise.
+ What to Watch: Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon star as siblings dealing with the death of their father and their own relationships in His Three Daughters.
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Extra, Extra
Vlad Handing: "He beamed as he clinked a champagne flute with visiting heads of state at a gala dinner. He stood proudly beside the powerful leaders of China and India, who chose his country to hold their own first official meeting in more than five years. And he held court at round table discussions during which he pronounced that the West is facing an irreversible process of decline." NYT (Gift Article): Inside Putin’s Alternate Reality: Warm Embraces and a Veneer of Normalcy. Normalcy is contagious. Navalny widow blasts UN chief Guterres for meeting ‘murderer’ Putin. "It was the third year of the war, and the UN Secretary-General was shaking hands with a murderer."
+ Rewriting the Ending: In another case of a documentary having a big effect on a legal matter, the Los Angeles County District Attorney has recommended resentencing of Menendez brothers for the 1989 slaying of their parents.
+ Mc Drop: "The E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has led to 75 illness across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death." Vox examines why food recalls are everywhere right now.
+ Well, Well, Well: "A 12th-century Norse saga tells of an invading army from the south razing a castle stronghold and throwing a dead body into the well to render the water undrinkable. Human remains believed to be those of this so-called "Well-man" were discovered in the 1930s, providing valuable potential outside confirmation of the tale. Scientists have now sequenced the DNA of those remains, and while they could not prove once and for all that the remains are those of the Well-man, their findings are consistent with that identification." DNA corroborates 'Well-man' tale from Norse saga.
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Feel Good Friday
"The astronauts should have been back two months ago. But their homecoming was stalled by problems with Boeing’s new Starliner astronaut capsule, which came back empty in September because of safety concerns. Then Hurricane Milton interfered, followed by another two weeks of high wind and rough seas." The travel delay of the century is finally over.
+ He has been one of the UK’s favorite and most prominent refugees for two-thirds of a century. Now Paddington Bear – official name Paddington Brown – has been granted a British passport.
+ A man who was twice homeless as a teenager before becoming a multimillionaire entrepreneur has topped a list celebrating influential black Britons.
+ US power grid added battery equivalent of 20 nuclear reactorsin past four years. (That's enough to send out one edition of NextDraft...)
+ ‘Game-changer’: UC Berkeley chemists develop powder to suck carbon dioxide from the air. Go Bears.
+ A "hero" New York City bus driver has reunited with the young girl he rescued last month while she was wandering a sidewalk alone.
+ The mates who have met for a pint every Thursday for 56 years.
+ Enjoy the Dua Lipa Tiny Desk Concert.
The Dangers of Fascism: Lessons from History and Warnings for the Present
In the modern political landscape, the specter of fascism has once again entered public discourse, raising alarm bells for many who are wary of history’s darkest chapters. But why is the term “fascism” more than just an epithet thrown around in heated debates? The answer lies in the characteristics, behaviors, and rhetoric that define fascism, which can eerily echo in the present.
Understanding Fascism: What Are Its Hallmarks?
Fascism is fundamentally an authoritarian political ideology, driven by a belief in centralized power, suppression of opposition, aggressive nationalism, and a cult of personality around a strong leader. Historical fascist regimes, such as those led by Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, demonstrated several key traits:
Authoritarianism - The consolidation of power in a single leader or ruling party and disdain for checks and balances. Hitler once declared, “I will tolerate no opposition. We recognize only subordination—authority downwards, and responsibility upwards.” This reflects a belief in absolute control and obedience, where the state’s interests override all others.
Totalitarian Control - Fascist regimes sought to control many aspects of public and private life. Joseph Stalin, despite being a communist rather than a fascist, similarly demonstrated this drive with his iron-fisted rule, saying, “In the Soviet army, it takes more courage to retreat than advance.”
Suppression of Opposition - Fascists often eliminated dissent, targeting the free press and political adversaries. Mao Zedong once stated, “Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” indicating his intent to hold onto power through force and suppression.
Nationalism and Scapegoating - Fascist leaders typically promote an exclusionary form of nationalism. Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies were fueled by the belief that “The Jew has always been a people with definite racial characteristics and never a religion,” laying the groundwork for horrifying acts of violence and persecution.
Cult of Personality and Uniformity - Fascism thrives on building a strong visual and emotional brand. Hitler once remarked, “The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence,” a reflection of how violence and propaganda cemented his rule. Fascist leaders often surround themselves with symbols and slogans, creating an image of unity and strength.
Echoes of the Past: Present-Day Parallels
In recent years, concerns about the rise of authoritarian and fascist-like behavior have intensified. Some see echoes of the past in the rhetoric and actions of contemporary leaders. A quote from Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican National Convention—“I alone can fix it”—mirrors a central belief of fascist leaders: that only the strongman leader can rescue the nation from its crises. This echoes Mussolini’s assertion, “Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state,” where the leader becomes synonymous with the state itself.
Further, in Trump’s reported admiration for Hitler’s generals, a sense of nostalgia for unwavering loyalty and ruthless military discipline becomes apparent. John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving Chief of Staff, directly labeled him a fascist, a sentiment confirmed by 13 other former Trump administration officials. Kelly’s warnings of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and Hitlerian fantasies underscore the real and present danger of such ideologies gaining mainstream acceptance.
Normalizing Dangerous Ideals
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of fascist rhetoric is its gradual normalization. A recent report highlighted Elon Musk’s undisclosed conversations with Vladimir Putin, discussing geopolitical tensions and business matters. This mirrors what we have seen historically, where authoritarian leaders form alliances and maintain secret channels of communication to consolidate power and strengthen their influence.
Meanwhile, rhetoric that once would have seemed outrageous has increasingly become “baked in” to certain segments of the electorate, as described by New Hampshire’s formerly moderate Republican governor, Chris Sununu. When Sununu dismissed Trump’s admiration for Hitler and Nazi generals as just another political stance accepted by voters, it showed how insidiously these ideologies can creep into mainstream thought.
The Consequences of Complacency
History teaches us that complacency in the face of fascism can have catastrophic consequences. During the 1930s, many rationalized Hitler’s early actions, believing they were just political rhetoric or that he was simply an unconventional leader. By the time the world realized the extent of his intentions, it was too late to prevent the atrocities that followed.
Similarly, Vladimir Putin’s lament—“Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain”—serves as a chilling reminder of how authoritarian figures often seek to return to or expand upon their previous power structures.
A Call to Recognize and Resist
The United States, like many other nations, is currently at a crossroads. As Susan Glasser wrote in The New Yorker, now that the fascist label has been publicly attached to Trump, the real danger lies in how predictably a segment of the political establishment and the electorate has gone ahead and normalized it. This normalization, as with all previous “outrages,” becomes a slippery slope leading towards authoritarian governance.
As we approach the next election cycle, the need to recognize and challenge these tendencies is paramount. The lessons of history are clear: fascism thrives in times of instability and uncertainty. The allure of strong leadership, simple solutions, and scapegoating perceived “enemies” of the nation can be enticing, but the cost is steep.
Conclusion: The Responsibility to Act
The fight against fascism is not one of partisanship but of principles. It requires vigilance, education, and a commitment to upholding democratic values, even when doing so feels difficult or inconvenient. As Americans, and as citizens of the world, we must remember that our silence and inaction in the face of authoritarianism can have dire consequences. Let the words and warnings from the past guide us, lest we repeat the mistakes that led to the darkest chapters of history.
As Mussolini once said, “Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice, it is a fallacy.” The responsibility now lies with each of us to prove him wrong.
Trump may like HItler, but Dr Seuss knew better. You might enjoy a look at a bunch of Seuss' anti-fascist cartoons from WWII https://forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/seusss-satirical-war-on-fascism