By Bob Topper
Fascism is an ultra-nationalist political ideology that rejects liberal democracy and values nation and race over the individual. It is strict authoritarian rule wrapped in nationalism, and it is fundamentally opposed to American ideals of freedom, equality, and democracy. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were fascist dictatorial leaders in WWII. Both Germany and Italy were responsible for horrific crimes against humanity.
The word “fascism” came into common usage in the 1920’s, but America has stood against fascist ideology from its very beginning. When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he launched the world’s first liberal democracy, which assured the rights of the individual. America has always been antifascist. In WWII, over 400,000 American soldiers gave their lives fighting fascism.
On the 22nd of September, Trump signed an executive order that designated ANTFA, short for antifascism, a terrorist organization. Antifascism is standing for freedom and equality, and against authoritarian control and discrimination. After a 250-year history of rejecting fascism, how could an American president be against antifascism?
In 2020 FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that ANTIFA is, “not a group or an organization. It’s a movement or an ideology.” ANTIFA does not have a formal association, leader, or headquarters. It is no more organized today than it was in 2020.
The fight against fascism justified violence in the Second World War, but there is no excuse for violence in a peaceful society. Few acts of violence have been committed by people who identify with ANTIFA ideology; it is senseless to declare an idea a terrorist organization.
What is disturbing about Trump is that he has not declared well organized groups like the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, and the Oath Keepers terrorist organizations, for these groups participated in the January 6 violent attack on our Capitol. More disturbing is the fact that on January 6, Trump told these insurrectionists, “We love you. You’re very special.” And even more egregious, he pardoned some 1,500 people who participated in the rioting, including the leaders of the Proud Boys who had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. He approves of fascists who terrorized our capital and vilifies antifascists.
There is a way to make sense of all of this…recognize that Trump is fascist. He has demonstrated fascist leanings for years. Early in his first administration, Christian Nationalists and neo-fascists gathered in Charlottesville for the Unite the Right Rally, which became violent. Trump condemned the violence but defended the neo-fascists and Christian Nationalist saying there were good people on both sides. Never before had a US president described fascists good as people. And then, in 2020 on a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France he said the soldiers who died fighting fascism were “losers.”
What is more, the Trump administration’s actions are typically fascist. By denying due process to immigrants, they reject rights of the individual. And they reject liberal democracy. Debate, for example, is essential to the democratic process. But Trump and his party refuse to debate the government shutdown. They also refuse to confirm an elected member of the House in order to prevent release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which may implicate Trump. What is more, they work tirelessly to restrict voter rights. They mask their intent by claiming a need to stop fraudulent voting, though occurrences of voter fraud are extremely rare. And they have made gerrymandering an art form. These actions undermine democracy.
As a pretext for seizing power, autocrats invent enemies. That is what Trump did when he designated ANTIFA a terrorist group, and why he denigrates immigrants. He uses these fictitious enemies to ferment unrest, to anger and enflame his uninformed MAGA constituency, which he then uses to justify commandeering military and civil police. His claims of uncontrolled violence in Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles are nonsensical. Still, he dispatches our military to patrol those cities in violation of our Constitution.
This power-grab mimics Hitler’s rise in Germany. On 27 of February 1933, the seat of the German Parliament, the Reichstag, was destroyed by fire. Hitler ruthlessly exploited the incident casting blame on the Communists, calling them enemies of the German state. He then used the resulting confusion and fear as a pretext to seizing power. The day after the fire, Hitler’s government convinced President Paul von Hindenburg to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended civil rights, including the freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press.
It also allowed for arbitrary house searches and arrests. Police immediately detained thousands of Communists and Hitler’s political opponents. Having suppressed the opposition, the Nazi party exploited the atmosphere of panic by passing the Enabling Act of March 23, which transferred legislative power to Hitler’s cabinet.
Trump is following Hitler’s playbook. Substituting the name Trump for Hitler, and the words, antifa for communists, masked ICE agents for German police, Republican for Nazi, and the Insurrection for Enabling, reveals the parallel.
And look what the second Trump administration is doing. Following the fascist, Christian Nationalist project 2025 in lock step, Trump, and his people have replaced respected and experienced government servants at all levels with incompetent loyalists. He is using the Department of Justice to satisfy his personal vendettas. Special Council Jack Smith; FBI Director James Comey; NY Attorney General Letitia James; Army general Mark Milley; Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and others have been charged, or will soon be, with trumped-up offenses that threaten imprisonment and financial penalties. This is how a mad king exercises power, and how fascist dictators abuse power. It is happening now, in the land of the free.
The saddest irony is that as Trump destroys our Republic, Republican MAGA leaders cheer. But Trump and his extremist followers may be shocked. The real American patriots know the difference between a fascist, and an antifascist, and they have never liked kings.
Bob Topper is a retired engineer and is syndicated by PeaceVoice.
