Mirror, Mirror

Hypocrisy flourishes.  Pundits who support Trump, the greatest narcissist ever (really, the greatest ever), assure us that his critics are just narcissists. This post by Ed Morrissey illustrates the weak foundation (and utter hypocrisy) of this charge nicely, and it links to several others that add spin of various sorts.  One in particular is a post by Glenn Reynolds that Morrissey quotes:

Well, it’s not so much that they think Trump is a Nazi, as that they want to think of themselves as the bold resistance. The absence of actual brownshirts — well, except for the ones from the Left who were smashing windows, and Trump supporters, in DC last night — only makes it easier and more appealing to strike that pose.

When you take out the spin and misdirection, there isn’t much left of this claim.

     First, many millions of Americans clearly do think Trump is a fascist (which is not exactly the same as a Nazi, but close enough for government work).  And this belief is not unreasonable.  He talks like a fascist.  He has promised to act like one when he takes power.  He has appointed a cabinet uniquely well suited to implementing the various elements of a fascist regime—representatives of the corporate sector who will ensure that government is firmly in the hands of the economic elite, war mongers who will ensure that permanent war supports ever-increasing government power, and various bigots to keep the population distracted.  Not to mention his inauguration speech.

     Beyond this, women and minorities (racial, cultural, religious, sexual) have very specific reasons to fear Trump, and to be very angry.  Throughout his campaign, Trump has advocated violent bigotry; and he is a vulgar sexist pig.  Women and minorities have every reason to fear that he will help the Republicans role back the gains they have made in recent decades.  And they have every reason to be angry, not just at Trump, but at the nearly 63 million Americans who voted to put this racist, sexist demagogue in the White House.

     Second, it is not at all clear that brownshirts are absent.  Reynolds’ snarky reference to brownshirts from the Left is just misdirection and spin.  For those who didn’t pay attention to the media coverage of the Inauguration, he is referring to the “anarchists” who got out of hand on the 20th.  These people routinely show up at large political gatherings and stir up whatever trouble they can; what they typically do not do is prey on vulnerable groups who cannot protect themselves.  (I suppose Trump supporters could claim that they are a vulnerable minority, but this would rather undermine their hero’s legitimacy.)  They have been around for awhile, and they have nothing to do with the Women’s March. 

     On the other hand, it seems clear that there has been a substantial increase in crimes of violence and vandalism targeting women and blacks and Latinos and Muslims.  (A simple Google search will provide a wealth of data on this matter.)  And often the perpetrators reference Trump explicitly.  Trump’s campaign and election have emboldened the worst elements of our political culture.  And if there is significant resistance to his administration, he will likely try to embolden them further.

     Of course, America’s slide into fascism didn’t begin with Trump.  We can trace it at least as far back as Reagan’s efforts to make corporate stoogery the primary business of government, or perhaps even to Nixon’s war on drugs, which launched the militarization of our domestic police forces.  But the elements of a fascist government are all in place now—constant and pervasive surveillance, a militarized police force, a corporatist economy, perpetual war, and a deep resistance to facts.  The time is ripe for a third-rate Mussolini like Trump to take us the rest of the way to fascism.

          Narcissists?  Or just people waking up to the reality of their situation?