Trump takes the tools of dictators and adapts them for the Internet. We should expect him to try to cling to power until death, and create a cult of January 6th martyrs.
Trump has always been a presence, not an absence: the presence of fascism. What does this mean?
When the Soviets called their enemies “fascists,” they turned the word into a meaningless insult. Putinist Russia has preserved the habit: a “fascist” is anyone who opposes the wishes of a Russian dictator. So Ukrainians defending their country from Russian invaders are “fascists.” This is a trick that Trump has copied. He, like Vladimir Putin, refers to his enemies as “fascists,” with no ideological significance at all. It is simply a term of opprobrium.
Putin and Trump are both, in fact, fascists. And their use of the word, though meant to confuse, reminds us of one of fascism’s essential characteristics. A fascist is unconcerned with the connection between words and meanings. He does not serve the language; the language serves him. When a fascist calls a liberal a “fascist,” the term begins to work in a different way, as the servant of a particular person, rather than as a bearer of meaning.
[…]
Fascism is a phenomenon, not a person. Just as Trump was always a presence, so is the movement he has created. It is not just a matter of the actual fascists in his movement, who are scarcely hiding, nor of his own friendly references to Hitler or his use of Hitlerian language (“vermin,” “enemy within”). He bears responsibility for what comes next, as do his allies and supporters.
Yet some, and probably more, of the blame rests with our actions and analysis. Again and again, our major institutions, from the media to the judiciary, have amplified Trump’s presence; again and again, we have failed to name the consequences. Fascism can be defeated, but not when we are on its side.
At this point, I’m just resigned - let us go to the brink, allow the forces of Mordor to assail the walls of Gondor - either the white tree blossoms or doesn’t.
When people see that the doors are torn down and the city is burned, 10 million people will decide they shouldn’t have sat out the election.
Why blame the people who didn’t vote? They didn’t vote for a reason surely, just as you and I voted for a reason. Just because their reason isn’t the same as yours doesn’t mean it isn’t just as valid. Maybe it’s ignorance or perhaps it’s misinformation, but at this moment there’s no way to know that, so discounting 10 million peoples conscious choice only serves to widen divides and alienate more people.
Blame Harris and the DNC for running bad campaigns and candidates. It’s on them to win the voters and an election, and it should have been clear that ‘the same campaign as last time and the time before’ wasn’t working.
No matter who we point at, we’re going to have to start reengaging with our communities and supporting each other, and having those 10 million (likely somewhere left of moderate right) people on side going forward is vital.
Because voter participation was only 65% and dropped compared to 2020 (in fact, Trump effectively got the same votes) and this was an election about continuing our democracy, or enabling a fascist to avoid accountability. People were worried about who Kamala was and what she would do - that pales in comparison to what Trump will do
You are not logged in. However you can subscribe from another Fediverse account, for example Lemmy or Mastodon. To do this, paste the following into the search field of your instance: !politics@beehaw.org
In-depth political discussion from around the world; if it’s a political happening, you can post it here.
Guidelines for submissions:
Where possible, post the original source of information.
If there is a paywall, you can use alternative sources or provide an archive.today, 12ft.io, etc. link in the body.
Do not editorialize titles. Preserve the original title when possible; edits for clarity are fine.
Do not post ragebait or shock stories. These will be removed.
Do not post tabloid or blogspam stories. These will be removed.
Social media should be a source of last resort.
These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.
At this point, I’m just resigned - let us go to the brink, allow the forces of Mordor to assail the walls of Gondor - either the white tree blossoms or doesn’t.
When people see that the doors are torn down and the city is burned, 10 million people will decide they shouldn’t have sat out the election.
Why blame the people who didn’t vote? They didn’t vote for a reason surely, just as you and I voted for a reason. Just because their reason isn’t the same as yours doesn’t mean it isn’t just as valid. Maybe it’s ignorance or perhaps it’s misinformation, but at this moment there’s no way to know that, so discounting 10 million peoples conscious choice only serves to widen divides and alienate more people.
Blame Harris and the DNC for running bad campaigns and candidates. It’s on them to win the voters and an election, and it should have been clear that ‘the same campaign as last time and the time before’ wasn’t working.
No matter who we point at, we’re going to have to start reengaging with our communities and supporting each other, and having those 10 million (likely somewhere left of moderate right) people on side going forward is vital.
Because voter participation was only 65% and dropped compared to 2020 (in fact, Trump effectively got the same votes) and this was an election about continuing our democracy, or enabling a fascist to avoid accountability. People were worried about who Kamala was and what she would do - that pales in comparison to what Trump will do