Paul Campos looks at Umberto Eco's essay on what constitutes fascism and sees a lot of overlap, but not a perfect match. He revisited that today, too.
I've always been a little reticent to describe Trumpism as pure fascism, but the label - while somewhat inaccurate - felt much more appropriate after 1/6.
Christo-fascism, White Christo-Nationalism...They don't exactly roll off the tongue. I think identifying the importance of a form of political evangelism is critical to understanding Trump. The obvious unreasoning nature of the movement has its same roots in much of evangelical belief, in fact it's a triumph of "belief" over reason and evidence.
There have obviously been fascist movements in America since fascism emerged as an ideology in the 1920s. However, the presence of White Nationalism is as old as the republic. I actually think that most instances of religion being used as a political organizing tool is actually not about religion as a doctrinal or dogmatic principle, but as a stand in for a form of ethnic conflict.
Anyway, Trump's assault on the Constitution is part of the unreasoned belief that America is a White Christian nation and while it has roots in America, it really needs to be rooted out next November.
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