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Re: Wherefore art thou Sebastian?
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Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Um, that was my point. "Authoritarian" would include Mao as well as Franco. "Fascist" is just Franco. Trump is an awful lot like Franco. And make no mistake, the Republicans are now building close alliances with the political parties in Europe that are the direct descendants of the fascist parties.
I don't necessarily think calling Republicans fascists is a way to win anyone's hearts and minds. But, analytically, they fit the bill and understanding Trump and the direction of the Republican party today involves understanding fascism.
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Analytically, there are both similarities and differences with fascists, their descendants, and other authoritarians around the world. You could mention Latin American caudillos while you're at it. (Pinochet had the libertarians backing him, something that points to how American libertarians behave.) Just applying the label "fascist" doesn't accomplish much of anything. Having a richer conversation about what Trump and other Republicans are doing is a great idea. I don't think you need the label to do that.
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“It was fortunate that so few men acted according to moral principle, because it was so easy to get principles wrong, and a determined person acting on mistaken principles could really do some damage." - Larissa MacFarquhar
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