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FASCISM CAN HAPPEN HERE.
In the late 1920s, Germany was a Democracy with one of the highest rates of literacy, known for science & technology. due to a lost war, pandemic, & inflation, many were struggling; A ranting Demagogue promised them hope. Conservative politicians hoped to use his popularity to cement their rule. they put him in power, & things changed very quickly...
I will destroy Democracy "only through Constitutional means" using "the politics of legality."—Adolf Hitler
WHAT IS FASCISM?
Fascism (FASH-iz-əm)
is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, contempt for electoral democracy, & the belief in a natural social hierarchy & rule by elites.
Before Proceding:
Read this as if you are living in a foreign country & unfamiliar with Donald Trump.
Tactics Used by All Authoritarians:
1) Machismo
Portray themself as powerful. Never show weakness, admit wrongdoing, or take responsibility. Keep up a godlike image. Only they can fix things & rescue the country.
"I, alone, can fix it."—Trump
"I am the chosen one."—Trump
"I'm the greatest of all time, maybe greater than even Elvis."—Trump
24 things nobody does better than Trump, according to Trump.
Present simple solutions to complex problems.
Trump talking about Chicago: "They have a problem that's very easily fixable."
Trump talking about peace in the Middle East: "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe, not as difficult as people have thought over the years.”
Portray themselves as savior of the nation yet a man of the people.
Trump is a billionaire elite born into great wealth, yet he portrays himself as an everyman. He was "loaned" millions from family members & inherited over $400 million from his father. He is far from a self-made man.
2) Victim & Protector
Always on the attack, yet always playing the victim.
"I am a victim... they are coming after me."—Trump
"No politician in history has been treated worse or more unfairly."—Trump
Pretend that any attempt to come after them is actually an attempt to go after their supporters, & they are the only ones standing in the way. Followers get on board with their aggressive actions because it is portrayed as self-defense.
On January 6, Trump said the election had been stolen & told his followers, "We fight like hell; & if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."
"For those have been wronged & betrayed, I am your retribution"—Trump
3) Adulation
Constantly seek attention & recognition. Throw rallies to rile up your base and keep them engaged. Create a cult-like worship of their leader.
Unlike other presidents, but like Authoritarians, Trump regularly threw rallies outside of elections.
Trump also regularly focuses on crowd sizes: "Nobody has spoken to crowds bigger than me."
4) Desensitize
Regularly say & do increasingly controversial & outlandish things to desensitize people & the media. Don't give them time to process & respond to one incident before moving onto another. Create a new controversy to deflect attention from the last. People grow weary & eventually stop reacting.
5) Attack the Media
Try to discredit & silence the media. Label it the “enemy of the people.” Anything they don’t like is “fake news.” Eventually, take control of the media.
Trump said that the government should take away ABC's license for moderating his 9/10/24 debate with Kamala Harris in a way he didn't like.
Trump said, "Our so called 'government' should come down hard on them (MSNBC)" for criticizing him.
Trump said, "I will request their (Google's) prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election" for displaying negative search results about him.
6) Use Propaganda to create Unreality
Create a disorienting alternate reality by constantly repeating falsehoods & conspiracy theories (propaganda) to blur the lines between fact & opinion. Debate becomes impossible when there is no common reality. Use loaded words, incendiary language, and superlatives when speaking.
"The masses... more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a little one."
"Essential to the Big Lie's effectiveness is a simple appeal to emotions, not intellect, & endless repetition without concession to contrary evidence."—Hitler, Mein Kampf
Trump frequently tells outlandish, easily disprovable lies:
Trump repeatedly claims his crowds are the largest: He said his inauguration crowd was larger than Obamas [FACT CHECK], & his January 6 speech had more people than MLK's "I have a dream" speech. [FACT CHECK]
"I had no inflation... They (Biden & Harris) had the highest inflation in the history of our country."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
Trump said Democrats "execute babies" after they're born. [FACT CHECK]
"The transgender thing is incredible... your kid goes to school & comes home a few days later with an operation. The school decides."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
On 9/11/2001, Trump erroneously claimed his building on 40 Wall St is now the tallest building in lower Manhattan. [FACT CHECK]
Accuse your enemy of what you are doing (projection). Your enemy is both weak & strong. (Goebbels mastered this technique.)
Trump portrayed both Hilary & Biden as heads of crime families in charge of a powerful "deep state" yet also called them weak with low IQs.
He also accused Kamala of committing crimes & called her “dumb,” “low IQ,” & lacking “mental capacity”.
Trump, the Trump Organization, & the Trump Foundation (his charity) were all found guilty of committing crimes.
Systematically feed people made-up information to make them question their own judgement & perception of reality; convince them to adopt your fake reality as their own (gaslighting). After a while, people become so discombobulated that they long for the surety of "strong leadership."
"We've gotten what everybody wanted. Democrats, Republicans, & everybody else & every legal scholar wanted it (abortion) to be brought back into the states."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
"I never mentioned doing that (ending the Affordable Care Act), never even thought about such a thing."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
Trump said about January 6, "That was a day of love."
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”—George Orwell, 1984
7) Redefine Patriot
Attack critics & anyone who does not support them. Say they are not patriots, & label them as the enemy. Patriots are loyal to them, not the country, rule of law, or the Constitution. Divide the country & make everything about "us" versus "them."
According to Trump, only MAGAs are real Republicans & true patriots. All other Republicans are RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).
Trump posted on his social media platform, "FoxNews: STOP PUTTING ON THE ENEMY!"
He called his followers who stormed the Capital & were convicted of crimes, "unbelievable patriots" & "hostages."
8) Scapegoat & Fearmonger
Target minorities & the opposition & blame them for the country’s problems.
Trump said, Haitians "are eating the pets of the people that live there." [FACT CHECK]
Similarly, Nazis said that Jews were drinking the blood of Christian children.
"13,099 murderers let in over the last short period of time. Murderers that have been released from penitentiaries, prisons, jails, released into our country."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
The Cato Institute, a right-wing, Libertarian think tank, found that "illegal immigrants had a criminal conviction rate 47% below that of native-born Americans."
Trump "torpedoed" the bipartisan border security deal for political gain according to the Washington Examiner, a right-wing news outlet, & Mitch McConnell who said, "Our nominee for president did not seem to want us to do anything at all."
Trump promises to "Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history," deporting "15 million & maybe as many as 20 million" people. His plan includes using the military & putting people in "vast holding facilities (camps) on open land in Texas near the border.”
"1st they came for the Communists, & I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, & I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, & I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, & I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me, & there was no one left to speak out for me."—Pastor Martin Niemöller
9) Dehumanize
Portray enemies, opposing parties, critics, & minorities as subhuman animals to make it easy to attack them & commit atrocities.
Hitler & Trump called them "Vermin."
"They're not humans, they're animals."—Trump
Like Hitler, Trump believes in Eugenics (racehorse theory), the idea that some people & groups are genetically superior, while others are inferior:
Undocumented immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country.”—Trump & Hitler
Trump said about migrants who committed murder, "It's in their genes, & we've got a lot of bad genes in our country."
Trump said to a crowd of mostly white people, "You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn't it, don't you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we're so different? You have good genes in Minnesota."
Trump plans to "end citizenship for children of illegals," despite the 14th Amendment declaring, "All persons born in the US are citizens of the US."
Similarly, Nazis declared Jews “subjects” & stripped them of their citizenship.
10) Glorify Violence
Use threats, intimidation, & actual violence. Brutality by law enforcement & the military is encouraged.
"Getting them out (migrants) will be a bloody story."—Trump
Hitler's S.S. police (Gestapo) were also known for their brutality.
11) "Law & Order"
Claim to be for law & order but never for themselves. They are above the law. "Rule of law" becomes "rule by the lawless." Any attempt to hold them accountable is a “witch hunt” by the “deep state.”
On multiple occasions, Trump falsely asserted that Article II of the Constitution gave him "the right to do whatever I want."
Trump knowingly hired undocumented immigrants to work for his organization, even though he's against it for other employers.
Flout the system & rule by decree (like executive orders or emergency declarations) instead of using the usual channels of governance (unless they took power by force, like a coup). Laws are perverted to crush dissent, punish enemies, & impose their will on people.
Trump said, "We should give a 1 year sentence in jail to anybody that burns the American flag," even though it is protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.
Trumps also said that people who criticize our judges & justices should be put in jail, even though their speech is protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.
However, Trump regularly criticizes judges himself.
Eventually, take control of the legislative process & dictate the laws.
Trump threatening to crackdown on dissent is similar to Putin, who passed a law making it illegal to insult government officials.
12) Inversion
Say Democracy is the real tyranny, & Fascism (Trumpism) is the way to set people free. Any aggression they do is because they are the defender of freedom, & the opposition represents tyranny. Mass repression is hailed as something positive. Use opposite meanings like "anti-corruption" ("drain the swamp") to corrupt the government & "freedom of speech" campaigns to stifle free speech.
Written on the gates of Nazi concentration camps: “Work sets you free.”
13) Glorified Past
Harken a past when everything was perfect, then blame the opposition for destroying it. Disparage their current country & vow to make it “great again.”
"We don't have a great country anymore...America is not great."—Trump
14) Sodom & Gomorrah
Portray cities as places of moral decay; the traditional, rural heartland is pure & the backbone of the county.
15) Sexual Anxiety
We support the family; they are deviants that threaten our way of life. Control women’s bodies & demonize other people's sexual practices.
When asked, "Do you believe in punishment for abortion?" Trump responded, "There has to be some form of punishment for the woman."
Trump also said that he would be ok with states monitoring women's pregnancies.
"We don’t need a federal ban when we have the Comstock Act on the books. I just don't want him (Trump) to shoot off his mouth... until the election."—Jonathan Mitchell (Trump's lawyer)
16) Anti-intellectualism
Demonize science & experts. Label universities as incubators of Liberalism, Marxism, Communism, & Fascism.
“I will not give ONE PENNY to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.”—Trump
As a result of this continued demonization, 31% of Republicans now say vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they prevent.
“When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag & carrying a cross.”—Sinclair Lewis
17) Exploit Religion
Blur the lines between religion & state. Use religion as a means to manipulate & control people. Justify their actions by saying they are doing God's work. Their will is portrayed as God's will.
Trump shared a video to his social media platform declaring, "God made Trump!"
When asked about being shot, Trump said, "It's a miracle, & God had something to do with it, & maybe it's uh we want to save the world."
Weaponize religion against your enemies, & use it as justification to commit atrocities.
Trump warned about Biden, "No religion, no anything, hurt the bible, hurt god, he's against god."—Trump
18) Corruption
Use their position of power for personal gain. They & their cronies operate with impunity & use the government to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.
Trump pardoned several people in his inner circle who committed crimes & promised to pardon his supporters arrested on January 6th.
Trump charges the government exorbitant rates for the secret service to stay at his properties while guarding him.
Trump often has government officials, world leaders, foreign dignitaries, & special interests stay at his hotels & golf clubs, while paying excessive rates. Some rented entire floors at his hotels & paid up to $1 million for golf club memberships.
According to the Wall Street Journal (which is now owned by the same company as Fox News, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.), "Trump’s Businesses Got Millions From Foreign Governments While He Was President."
Additionally, Trump has had many foreign dealings with people in positions of power at his international properties.
19) Consolidate Power
Push out opposition in the party until just cronies remain. Threaten, buy off, or promise positions of power to holdouts.
Trump has campaigned against Republicans in Congress not loyal to him, pushing many of them out.
Trump took over the RNC & merged it with his own campaign. His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is now co-chair. He has control over where & who their funds go to, giving him tremendous power.
20) Create a Deep State
Install loyalists & ideologues in the government & courts to replace skilled, career professionals. Hire people based on loyalty, nepotism, & ideology, not skills, merit, or adherence to the law or Constitution. Checks & balances are destroyed; there is no more accountability or reason to show restraint.
Project 2025 details the Heritage Foundation's plans for Trump to create an actual "deep state."
Trump's Agenda47 mirrors Project 2025's plans.
When asked if he would have certified the 2020 election, JD Vance said, "I would have asked the states to submit alternative slates of electors."
21) Protect Power
Use the government, law enforcement, & the military as a personal tool to neutralize any threats to power.
Trump promised, "We're going to give immunity to police," which the right-wing Cato Institute warned could lead to abuses by Trump.
Trump said that he will fire "woke" generals in the military & replace them with his people.
During his 1st term, Trump threatened to deploy the military to suppress protests & dissent.
Trump later clarified that he considers Adam Schiff & Nancy Pelosi to be among the "enemy from within."
Hitler similarly called Jews & detractors, "The enemy within."
22) Indoctrinate
Mandate that educational institutions only teach a "patriotic" curriculum portraying the country, its history, & its leadership as flawless. Use the media to echo & protect that image.
"President Trump will fight for patriotic education in America’s schools."—Agenda47
Trump wants to create a new federally operated university called the "American Academy" & a Presidential Administration Academy to "educate" political appointees.
23) Alliances
Praise & cozy up to other Authoritarians & form strategic alliances. (like Hitler, Mussolini, & Stalin)
"Hitler did some good things."—Trump
"Erdoğan lifted Turkey to a new level of prominence & respect!”—Trump
Trump hosted Orban at Mar a Lago then said, "“There’s nobody that's better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orban. He’s fantastic. He says, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ & that’s the end of it. Right? He’s the boss. He's a great leader.”
"Venezuela is right now being run by a dictator. The next interview we'll do in Caracas, Venezuela because it's safer than many of our cities."—Trump [FACT CHECK]
24) Loyalty & Revenge
Obsession with Loyalty & Revenge. Use the government to punish people they feel have not been sufficiently loyal to them or those they perceived have wronged them. They are only loyal in return until the person or entity is no longer useful to them.
Trump plans to fire "Marxist" prosecutors, appoint 100 U.S. Attorneys, & overhaul the Department of Justice, potentially making it easier to weaponize the justice system against perceived enemies.
Trump said about the special counsel who is a US citizen, "Jack Smith should be considered mentally deranged, & he should be thrown out of the country."
"She (Kamala Harris) should be impeached & prosecuted for her actions."—Trump
"Lock up the Bidens, lock up Hillary."—Trump
"She (Nancy Pelosi) should be prosecuted for J6."
"She (Michelle Obama) was nasty. Shouldn't be that way, that was a big mistake that she made."—Trump
In his book, Save America, Trump threatens Mark Zuckerberg: “We are watching him closely, & if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison."
Trump has made more than 100 threats to prosecute or punish perceived enemies.
25) Undermine Elections
Call any lost election "stolen" & make it harder for the opposition to vote. Eventually, end free & fair elections to stay in power indefinitely.
"The rampant Cheating and Skullduggery that has taken place by the Democrats in the 2020 Presidential Election... was a disgrace to our nation."—Trump [FACT CHECK 1 / FACT CHECK 2]
The right-wing Heritage Foundation's own Election Fraud Database found only 1,561 cases of voter fraud since 1959, or 0.00001%.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, a close confidant of Trump, recently told Newsmax, “The American people should just stand up & say, ‘Listen, enough’s enough, let’s not have elections anymore.’” (02:45)