The parallels between " Il Duce" and pur own "Il Douche" are amazing. I just can't believe how History is just repeating and we all stand impotently around
THANK YOU CHARLIE! We all need to learn that the US has never been immune to fascist ideology. Whether this type of knowledge will be a green light for the budding pro-fascists out there, or a terrifying yellow light to those of us shudder at the thought, who knows? Maybe that's the divide that has to happen now.
Praise for Mussolini in the 1920’s? Disgusting. Good article, although it’s similar to the current praise in some elite corners for the war criminal and diplomat Henry Kissinger. Just as disgusting.
I read Ilya's piece and it's great. But I would just like to add that we do not even have to litigate the 14th in court, as the Constitution already gives us leave to imprison Trump right now. Without trial.
Article 1, sec. 9 US Constitution: "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of REBELLION or Invasion the PUBLIC SAFETY may require it." (my caps)
1. He has been proven in a court of law to have started an insurrection
2. He has continued his threats to Public Safety.
Lock him up. No trials. No lawyers. No judges. No rulings.
If anyone could have noticed the historic echoes it would be the survivors of slavery in the Americas and their descendants, the children of the Abolitionists in America and Europe (most Britain), and probably the millions who were subjects of different colonial powers - if they were hearing news. Ghandi's side-eye ambivalence aside, I think they did raise alarms, and certainly Jews outside of Germany knew what was happening. Those voices were in the minority and drown out by people shouting in excitement about the new world order under the great men of their time. "Evil? What evil?" The tragic tale of the St. Louis's inability to unload her refugees in Cuba and the United States can be seen as an example of overall lack of concern regarding the Nazis into the late '30s.
I grew up hearing stories about what my family did during the Civil War from the people who grew up with the veterans and widows around them, including bringing formerly enslaved people back north after the war to settle. So, no, the past for many is not so past. And TBH, like nature it's always around us if we stop to look and listen.
As Heather Cox Richardson articulates so well, it is the weaponization of language that will destroy democracy. rump has mastered it and he will destroy democracy unless we destroy his ability to weaponize language.
In 1933 General Italo Balbo, Mussolini's head of the Regia Aeronautica, Italy's Royal Air Force, led an air flotilla of 25 seaplanes that crossed the Atlantic and landed in Chicago for the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair. Balbo and his aviators were received rapturously in Chicago. 7th Street was renamed "Balbo Drive", and a 2000 year old pillar from Ostia that Mussolini had sent to commemorate the event was placed on a stone pedestal and called the "Balbo Monument". Both the Monument and the Drive still bear the name of Balbo, who died during World War II as the Governor General of Italian Libya.
I agree, sort of, with all this doomwringing and handsaying.
Fortunately, there's an alternative to our destruction at the vengeful hands of Mango Mussolini. He's called Joe Biden. I heard he was president, of some country, called the "United States".
Robert Kagan, soothsaying the future as he does, has stated that the Democrats have "no leader". Um, last I checked, that guy is the Democrats', and America's, literal leader.
We should support him. Perhaps you could vocally state such support, Charlie. Perhaps that would be a more efficient use of energy than loudly anticipating the End Of All Things.
If you think it's "obvious" that you wholeheartedly support Joe Biden, or "should be obvious", let me assure you, it's not, not to the average reader who just started reading the Bulwark. Sometimes impressions are not as obvious as you think they are, especially to the layman.
Implied things often need to be stated out loud, over and over again.
Trump and his dictatorship cannot be defeated without a specific person defeating him, and support of that specific person being shouted from the rooftops.
Just a suggestion.
I mean, I get it. It's winter, and people don't want to be revved up and motivated. They want to feel sorry for themselves, and lament the dark fate of mankind.
I'm weird. I just had a kid. Rather go down fighting, I guess.
In today's Washington Post, Robert Kagan warns of the danger of DICTATORSHIP if Trumps wins. Hallelujah for using terminology that might resonate with Americans. Warning of "authoritarianism" means nothing to the uninformed masses but perhaps "dictatorship' accompanied by many examples of what that will mean might make a difference. I have long thought that the word "authoritarianism" is a weaselly way of saying what the danger is should MAGA gain the leadership of this country.
Absolutely true. All too often, the language in the media reflects an academic understanding of things, but this comes off as either nerdy or nonsensical to the layman. The result is a shrug, if not a middle finger at the media.
Dictatorship is on point and universally understood, usually in the context of a bad or dangerous form of government. Nobody shrugs at that.
So to quote an oft used maxim, Keep It Simple [Stupid]!
You've convinced me. I almost always say authoritarianism, but I think you're right. The American electorate has demonstrated that they can be a bit thick. Maybe they'll understand dictatorship. Let's go with it.
I remember back in the run up to the 2016 election some talking heads (I wish I could remember who and where) discussing that Boomers were highly unlikely to vote for Trump, as they were children of WWII veterans and would be repelled by the fascist undertones of his message. I thought that was a good point, and remembered a friend of my dad’s who remained so ticked off at the Germans that he refused to buy or use German made products for the remainder of his life. I had an older dad and similar feelings were not uncommon among the adults I knew as a young girl. Those adults were also very strong believers in democracy, including voting, keeping informed about current events, and accepting others as they were, regardless of race, religion, etc. Yet here we are with these Boomers being a big demographic responsible for Trump’s success. They willingly soak their brains in poison and cheer on his fascist nonsense. Do they not appreciate what their parents’ generation went through to repel this evil? Or do they simply not see the parallels? This one really baffles me.
I am part of the Boomer generation and have those same memories. I grew up in NYC and remember riding the subway to work every day. Everybody had their noses in a newspaper reading real news about the real world. Now everyone gets their news from "alternate" sources such as Facebook, X, and You-Tube as well as faux "news sites" such as the Epoch Times or RT. I am also flabbergasted that so many Boomers are vile bigots having grown up in the shadow of WWII.
Regarding Senate Majority Leader Schumer's remarks on anti-Semitism:
I read a comment yesterday, I don't remember where, that had a problem with Mr Schumer's opinion piece in the NYT referring to the increase in the hatred being aimed at the Jews. The comment basically said that Mr Schumer lacks empathy for other oppressed minorities in other countries. It is very true that minorities worldwide face hostilities from their fellow countrypeople, e.g. the Uighurs in China or the Kurds in Iraq, but this persecution usually only occurs on an individual country/minority basis. If you take an American Jew, who is currently suffering under an increase in anti-Semitism, and move them to any other country, they will *still* be exposed to people hating them because of their religion; iow anti-Semitism is worldwide while the oppression of these other minorities is basically confined to the country or region in which they live.
A Jew is the only universal pariah around today, and has been throughout history. Will this *ever* change? I hope so, but I doubt it; the world cannot exist without scapegoats.
maybe this is "up there" but if not, good hard hitting piece by kagan in the wapo today. course you have got to get the wapo to read. but in the end i think we have to take the omerta that we simply never let it happen. all the other ways are good of course, first.
It's past time to ditch "authoritarian" and "authoritarianism" in our rhetoric about who and what's afoot in our country. Trump, MAGA and their Republican enablers (for all intents and purposes now the GOP writ large) are engaged in a proto-fascist movement and have been from the jump in 2016.
To me at least, the one and only and thinnest of reasons to justify not calling them full on fascists at the moment is their lack to date of consolidated, well organized and competently led, openly sanctioned Blackshirt equivalents, not that some haven't already engaged in fledgling efforts at such (looking at you, Ron DeSantis**) and their subsequent failure on J6 to actually turn the corner onto Fascism Boulevard and mash the throttle on their movement to the floor.
So just drop the analytical, hand-wringing comparisons and the fascism-lite innuendo, call a spade a spade and name them exactly for what they're now so openly showing us about who exactly they are in the morrow of their bones, and what they will fully be in reality if the rest of us don't stop them from pulling it off.
Perhaps there's one thing in our favor -- old guys don't really do revolutions. Trump is old. His core supporters are ... also old. Then again, wake up young america. Get your head out of the bong. It could happen.
true but it's very top heavy... so if it could be harnesses or really just brought to life. the young kids could finally take the car keys from grandma and grandpa... which they've been so very reticent to do.
The parallels between " Il Duce" and pur own "Il Douche" are amazing. I just can't believe how History is just repeating and we all stand impotently around
THANK YOU CHARLIE! We all need to learn that the US has never been immune to fascist ideology. Whether this type of knowledge will be a green light for the budding pro-fascists out there, or a terrifying yellow light to those of us shudder at the thought, who knows? Maybe that's the divide that has to happen now.
Praise for Mussolini in the 1920’s? Disgusting. Good article, although it’s similar to the current praise in some elite corners for the war criminal and diplomat Henry Kissinger. Just as disgusting.
I read Ilya's piece and it's great. But I would just like to add that we do not even have to litigate the 14th in court, as the Constitution already gives us leave to imprison Trump right now. Without trial.
Article 1, sec. 9 US Constitution: "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of REBELLION or Invasion the PUBLIC SAFETY may require it." (my caps)
1. He has been proven in a court of law to have started an insurrection
2. He has continued his threats to Public Safety.
Lock him up. No trials. No lawyers. No judges. No rulings.
If anyone could have noticed the historic echoes it would be the survivors of slavery in the Americas and their descendants, the children of the Abolitionists in America and Europe (most Britain), and probably the millions who were subjects of different colonial powers - if they were hearing news. Ghandi's side-eye ambivalence aside, I think they did raise alarms, and certainly Jews outside of Germany knew what was happening. Those voices were in the minority and drown out by people shouting in excitement about the new world order under the great men of their time. "Evil? What evil?" The tragic tale of the St. Louis's inability to unload her refugees in Cuba and the United States can be seen as an example of overall lack of concern regarding the Nazis into the late '30s.
I grew up hearing stories about what my family did during the Civil War from the people who grew up with the veterans and widows around them, including bringing formerly enslaved people back north after the war to settle. So, no, the past for many is not so past. And TBH, like nature it's always around us if we stop to look and listen.
The same was true of many dictators, not just Mussolini.
As Heather Cox Richardson articulates so well, it is the weaponization of language that will destroy democracy. rump has mastered it and he will destroy democracy unless we destroy his ability to weaponize language.
In 1933 General Italo Balbo, Mussolini's head of the Regia Aeronautica, Italy's Royal Air Force, led an air flotilla of 25 seaplanes that crossed the Atlantic and landed in Chicago for the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair. Balbo and his aviators were received rapturously in Chicago. 7th Street was renamed "Balbo Drive", and a 2000 year old pillar from Ostia that Mussolini had sent to commemorate the event was placed on a stone pedestal and called the "Balbo Monument". Both the Monument and the Drive still bear the name of Balbo, who died during World War II as the Governor General of Italian Libya.
How can you justify continuing to link to X after Musk's openly antisemitic posts? Link to threads, please.
It's not just his antisemitism...it's Musk himself. Time to 'X' twitter.
I agree, sort of, with all this doomwringing and handsaying.
Fortunately, there's an alternative to our destruction at the vengeful hands of Mango Mussolini. He's called Joe Biden. I heard he was president, of some country, called the "United States".
Robert Kagan, soothsaying the future as he does, has stated that the Democrats have "no leader". Um, last I checked, that guy is the Democrats', and America's, literal leader.
We should support him. Perhaps you could vocally state such support, Charlie. Perhaps that would be a more efficient use of energy than loudly anticipating the End Of All Things.
If you think it's "obvious" that you wholeheartedly support Joe Biden, or "should be obvious", let me assure you, it's not, not to the average reader who just started reading the Bulwark. Sometimes impressions are not as obvious as you think they are, especially to the layman.
Implied things often need to be stated out loud, over and over again.
Trump and his dictatorship cannot be defeated without a specific person defeating him, and support of that specific person being shouted from the rooftops.
Just a suggestion.
I mean, I get it. It's winter, and people don't want to be revved up and motivated. They want to feel sorry for themselves, and lament the dark fate of mankind.
I'm weird. I just had a kid. Rather go down fighting, I guess.
In today's Washington Post, Robert Kagan warns of the danger of DICTATORSHIP if Trumps wins. Hallelujah for using terminology that might resonate with Americans. Warning of "authoritarianism" means nothing to the uninformed masses but perhaps "dictatorship' accompanied by many examples of what that will mean might make a difference. I have long thought that the word "authoritarianism" is a weaselly way of saying what the danger is should MAGA gain the leadership of this country.
Absolutely true. All too often, the language in the media reflects an academic understanding of things, but this comes off as either nerdy or nonsensical to the layman. The result is a shrug, if not a middle finger at the media.
Dictatorship is on point and universally understood, usually in the context of a bad or dangerous form of government. Nobody shrugs at that.
So to quote an oft used maxim, Keep It Simple [Stupid]!
You've convinced me. I almost always say authoritarianism, but I think you're right. The American electorate has demonstrated that they can be a bit thick. Maybe they'll understand dictatorship. Let's go with it.
I remember back in the run up to the 2016 election some talking heads (I wish I could remember who and where) discussing that Boomers were highly unlikely to vote for Trump, as they were children of WWII veterans and would be repelled by the fascist undertones of his message. I thought that was a good point, and remembered a friend of my dad’s who remained so ticked off at the Germans that he refused to buy or use German made products for the remainder of his life. I had an older dad and similar feelings were not uncommon among the adults I knew as a young girl. Those adults were also very strong believers in democracy, including voting, keeping informed about current events, and accepting others as they were, regardless of race, religion, etc. Yet here we are with these Boomers being a big demographic responsible for Trump’s success. They willingly soak their brains in poison and cheer on his fascist nonsense. Do they not appreciate what their parents’ generation went through to repel this evil? Or do they simply not see the parallels? This one really baffles me.
I am part of the Boomer generation and have those same memories. I grew up in NYC and remember riding the subway to work every day. Everybody had their noses in a newspaper reading real news about the real world. Now everyone gets their news from "alternate" sources such as Facebook, X, and You-Tube as well as faux "news sites" such as the Epoch Times or RT. I am also flabbergasted that so many Boomers are vile bigots having grown up in the shadow of WWII.
Regarding Senate Majority Leader Schumer's remarks on anti-Semitism:
I read a comment yesterday, I don't remember where, that had a problem with Mr Schumer's opinion piece in the NYT referring to the increase in the hatred being aimed at the Jews. The comment basically said that Mr Schumer lacks empathy for other oppressed minorities in other countries. It is very true that minorities worldwide face hostilities from their fellow countrypeople, e.g. the Uighurs in China or the Kurds in Iraq, but this persecution usually only occurs on an individual country/minority basis. If you take an American Jew, who is currently suffering under an increase in anti-Semitism, and move them to any other country, they will *still* be exposed to people hating them because of their religion; iow anti-Semitism is worldwide while the oppression of these other minorities is basically confined to the country or region in which they live.
A Jew is the only universal pariah around today, and has been throughout history. Will this *ever* change? I hope so, but I doubt it; the world cannot exist without scapegoats.
fnord
maybe this is "up there" but if not, good hard hitting piece by kagan in the wapo today. course you have got to get the wapo to read. but in the end i think we have to take the omerta that we simply never let it happen. all the other ways are good of course, first.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/30/trump-dictator-2024-election-robert-kagan/
It's past time to ditch "authoritarian" and "authoritarianism" in our rhetoric about who and what's afoot in our country. Trump, MAGA and their Republican enablers (for all intents and purposes now the GOP writ large) are engaged in a proto-fascist movement and have been from the jump in 2016.
To me at least, the one and only and thinnest of reasons to justify not calling them full on fascists at the moment is their lack to date of consolidated, well organized and competently led, openly sanctioned Blackshirt equivalents, not that some haven't already engaged in fledgling efforts at such (looking at you, Ron DeSantis**) and their subsequent failure on J6 to actually turn the corner onto Fascism Boulevard and mash the throttle on their movement to the floor.
** https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/15/ron-desantis-florida-state-guard-militia-veterans-quit
So just drop the analytical, hand-wringing comparisons and the fascism-lite innuendo, call a spade a spade and name them exactly for what they're now so openly showing us about who exactly they are in the morrow of their bones, and what they will fully be in reality if the rest of us don't stop them from pulling it off.
If the shirts fit...
Perhaps there's one thing in our favor -- old guys don't really do revolutions. Trump is old. His core supporters are ... also old. Then again, wake up young america. Get your head out of the bong. It could happen.
There are quite a few not-old people hoping to ride the Trump Train back into power and this time blast away all the institutional guardrails.
true but it's very top heavy... so if it could be harnesses or really just brought to life. the young kids could finally take the car keys from grandma and grandpa... which they've been so very reticent to do.