Republicans Leaning Into and Embracing Fasicsm

[The Aztec Panther]

Yep. This is yet another step towards fascism under the GOP.

www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/nassau-county-gop-moving-ahead-armed-civilian-militia-not-alone-rcna147236

Nassau County Republicans want an armed civilian militia. And they’re not alone.

Local conservatives in the New York county want an armed, civilian militia for "emergencies" that could also be used during civil rights demonstrations.



Yeah, an armed Republican run Militia. What could go wrong?

An armed militia with allegiance only to the Republican Party, not the law, and not the Constitution.

What could go wrong? This isn't fascism, right?

30 years ago George H.W. Bush would have been screaming bloody murder for these far right Republicans to pump the brakes on ideas like this. Trump's gonna love it.

Since conservatives have made a point of portraying nonviolent protests as threats to state and national security, WPIX asked Blakeman whether his civilian militia could be used to crack down on civil rights demonstrations. And he didn't say no:

Blakeman said he will call them up in only the most extreme situation like a natural disaster – with the mission being not to police, but to guard hospitals and other infrastructure to free up sworn Nassau Police. However, in theory, Blakeman could declare anything in an emergency, so PIX11 News pressed him about if a political protest he did not agree with might be declared an emergency. “So far our police have been able to handle any protest,” Blakeman said. “But if there was a riot I would consider it, especially at the level they were burning buildings.”

In recent years, conservatives have become more vocal in support of armed vigilante and militia groups that share their draconian and oftentimes illiberal view of criminal justice. This has been most evident in Republicans' involvement with groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both of which sought to overturn the 2020 election in Donald Trump’s favor. Trump has even portrayed the violent militiamen who fomented insurrection on his behalf as "patriots" and said their jailing has made them "hostages." And Kyle Rittenhouse has become a cause célèbre among conservatives after he was acquitted of killing two men after he had joined up with a militia group that had stationed itself outside a used car lot in Wisconsin in 2020.

We’ve seen Republican leaders in states as varied as California, Michigan, Nevada and Florida throw their support behind civilian-led militia groups, as well, which scholar Rachel Kleinfeld wrote about in this 2022 article for Just Security. (Kleinfeld, a distinguished scholar who ran the Truman National Security project and served on the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, reports that some GOP-led counties have even relied on such militia groups to provide security at events.)

Kleinfeld discussed this increasingly common alliance in an interview with WBUR radio of Boston that year.

She said:

[W]hat we’re seeing in America is the next stage of this phenomena. You know, the first stage might be dehumanization and allowing a mass public to start having beliefs about violence, that it’s OK. The next stage is trying to get organized groups. These are really violence entrepreneurs or violence specialists. Regular people, even those primed to commit violence, are still — they’re wary of taking the first step. But if you get violence specialists involved who are very comfortable with violence, then it’s easier to get a crowd of people to commit violence. And that’s where the militias come in. So what we’re seeing is in Republican counties, often local officials, occasionally state level — we’re starting to see this willingness to work with militias.

What we’re seeing in Nassau County is a continuation of the conservative movement’s troubling infatuation with vigilantes and other civilian forces that are even less accountable and subject to oversight than ordinary police.

This on top of Trump calling immigrants, "Vermin," and, "Animals," the same language used by the Nazis in 1938.

Fascism is on our doorstep. Is America going to let it in, or slam the door in its face?

[The Aztec Panther]

It's not at all surprising that our resident Republicans want nothing to do with this topic. It's hard to accept and admit that your side has gone bad. I had a hard time accepting that myself (I started thinking that in 2016 when Trump was leading in the primaries, but it wasn't until 2020 that I came to that final conclusion).

Remember, Conservative Republicans, I was a die hard Reagan Republican. I was a registered Republican and voted R all the way down the line until Trump, and I was still a registered Republican and voted R in every election except for Trump himself up until January, 2021. That was it for me. I saw what had happened to my party. It was no longer the party of Reagan. Like Reagan in the 40's, he didn't leave the Democratic Party, they left him. Well, I didn't leave the Republican Party, they left me.

But it was clear, my side had become the bad guys in all the ways that matter most, so I refused to take sides and registered independent/non-affiliated.

[aztecryan]

Apr 12, 2024 6:42:56 GMT -8 The Aztec Panther said:

It's not at all surprising that our resident Republicans want nothing to do with this topic. It's hard to accept and admit that your side has gone bad. I had a hard time accepting that myself (I started thinking that in 2016 when Trump was leading in the primaries, but it wasn't until 2020 that I came to that final conclusion).

Remember, Conservative Republicans, I was a die hard Reagan Republican. I was a registered Republican and voted R all the way down the line until Trump, and I was still a registered Republican and voted R in every election except for Trump himself up until January, 2021. That was it for me. I saw what had happened to my party. It was no longer the party of Reagan. Like Reagan in the 40's, he didn't leave the Democratic Party, they left him. Well, I didn't leave the Republican Party, they left me.

But it was clear, my side had become the bad guys in all the ways that matter most, so I refused to take sides and registered independent/non-affiliated.

This isn't the first time this subject has been approached. I don't think it's that at all. Give it time.

[uwphoto]

Apr 10, 2024 21:50:17 GMT -8 The Aztec Panther said:

Yep. This is yet another step towards fascism under the GOP.

www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/nassau-county-gop-moving-ahead-armed-civilian-militia-not-alone-rcna147236

Nassau County Republicans want an armed civilian militia. And they’re not alone.

Local conservatives in the New York county want an armed, civilian militia for "emergencies" that could also be used during civil rights demonstrations.



Yeah, an armed Republican run Militia. What could go wrong?

An armed militia with allegiance only to the Republican Party, not the law, and not the Constitution.

What could go wrong? This isn't fascism, right?

30 years ago George H.W. Bush would have been screaming bloody murder for these far right Republicans to pump the brakes on ideas like this. Trump's gonna love it.

Since conservatives have made a point of portraying nonviolent protests as threats to state and national security, WPIX asked Blakeman whether his civilian militia could be used to crack down on civil rights demonstrations. And he didn't say no:

Blakeman said he will call them up in only the most extreme situation like a natural disaster – with the mission being not to police, but to guard hospitals and other infrastructure to free up sworn Nassau Police. However, in theory, Blakeman could declare anything in an emergency, so PIX11 News pressed him about if a political protest he did not agree with might be declared an emergency. “So far our police have been able to handle any protest,” Blakeman said. “But if there was a riot I would consider it, especially at the level they were burning buildings.”

In recent years, conservatives have become more vocal in support of armed vigilante and militia groups that share their draconian and oftentimes illiberal view of criminal justice. This has been most evident in Republicans' involvement with groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both of which sought to overturn the 2020 election in Donald Trump’s favor. Trump has even portrayed the violent militiamen who fomented insurrection on his behalf as "patriots" and said their jailing has made them "hostages." And Kyle Rittenhouse has become a cause célèbre among conservatives after he was acquitted of killing two men after he had joined up with a militia group that had stationed itself outside a used car lot in Wisconsin in 2020.

We’ve seen Republican leaders in states as varied as California, Michigan, Nevada and Florida throw their support behind civilian-led militia groups, as well, which scholar Rachel Kleinfeld wrote about in this 2022 article for Just Security. (Kleinfeld, a distinguished scholar who ran the Truman National Security project and served on the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, reports that some GOP-led counties have even relied on such militia groups to provide security at events.)

Kleinfeld discussed this increasingly common alliance in an interview with WBUR radio of Boston that year.

She said:

[W]hat we’re seeing in America is the next stage of this phenomena. You know, the first stage might be dehumanization and allowing a mass public to start having beliefs about violence, that it’s OK. The next stage is trying to get organized groups. These are really violence entrepreneurs or violence specialists. Regular people, even those primed to commit violence, are still — they’re wary of taking the first step. But if you get violence specialists involved who are very comfortable with violence, then it’s easier to get a crowd of people to commit violence. And that’s where the militias come in. So what we’re seeing is in Republican counties, often local officials, occasionally state level — we’re starting to see this willingness to work with militias.

What we’re seeing in Nassau County is a continuation of the conservative movement’s troubling infatuation with vigilantes and other civilian forces that are even less accountable and subject to oversight than ordinary police.

This on top of Trump calling immigrants, "Vermin," and, "Animals," the same language used by the Nazis in 1938.

Fascism is on our doorstep. Is America going to let it in, or slam the door in its face?

There was a time when leadership thought of the "greater good" and were able to revere something outside of themselves. Think of Teddy Roosevelt ditching the secret service for 3 days to hike the wilderness of Yosemite with John Muir. Out of that trip came the protection of Yosemite within the National Park system. The devolution to our current state is exemplified by the vile narcissist who's famous quotes include: "Jeffrey is a fun guy to be with, he likes women as much as I do, he likes em on the younger side". He diminishes historical figures, our history, and established religion for a reason. It's a smoke n mirrors strategy to leave the vulnerable public unbalanced and angry. This is how he manipulates his target audience. My question is how can his base actually beleive that he sees any difference whatsoever between his trump sneakers and the $59.99 trump bibles? Are people really that stupid? I guess this is my answer to your question about the Republican party. They have thrown away any integrity they ever had, and are now "owned" by a flim flam man. The shocking thing is how easy it was.

[azson]

Apr 12, 2024 10:05:35 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

Apr 10, 2024 21:50:17 GMT -8 The Aztec Panther said:

Yep. This is yet another step towards fascism under the GOP.

www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/nassau-county-gop-moving-ahead-armed-civilian-militia-not-alone-rcna147236

Nassau County Republicans want an armed civilian militia. And they’re not alone.

Local conservatives in the New York county want an armed, civilian militia for "emergencies" that could also be used during civil rights demonstrations.



Yeah, an armed Republican run Militia. What could go wrong?

An armed militia with allegiance only to the Republican Party, not the law, and not the Constitution.

What could go wrong? This isn't fascism, right?

30 years ago George H.W. Bush would have been screaming bloody murder for these far right Republicans to pump the brakes on ideas like this. Trump's gonna love it.


This on top of Trump calling immigrants, "Vermin," and, "Animals," the same language used by the Nazis in 1938.

Fascism is on our doorstep. Is America going to let it in, or slam the door in its face?

There was a time when leadership thought of the "greater good" and were able to revere something outside of themselves. Think of Teddy Roosevelt ditching the secret service for 3 days to hike the wilderness of Yosemite with John Muir. Out of that trip came the protection of Yosemite within the National Park system. The devolution to our current state is exemplified by the vile narcissist who's famous quotes include: "Jeffrey is a fun guy to be with, he likes women as much as I do, he likes em on the younger side". He diminishes historical figures, our history, and established religion for a reason. It's a smoke n mirrors strategy to leave the vulnerable public unbalanced and angry. This is how he manipulates his target audience. My question is how can his base actually beleive that he sees any difference whatsoever between his trump sneakers and the $59.99 trump bibles? Are people really that stupid? I guess this is my answer to your question about the Republican party. They have thrown away any integrity they ever had, and are now "owned" by a flim flam man. The shocking thing is how easy it was.

All by conservative think-tank design after the Vietnam war. Back then tertiary education was cheap, so not only could most learn to think critically (i.e. see through said flim flam man), a living wage was also a thing so the common man could afford to take a week off work to head to DC to protest.

Make education expensive/dumb down the populace (w/Fox "News" lending a helping hand) + make it financially impossible to take to the streets when Rome begins to burn (see: current day) and presto: Orange Mussolini elected.

[uwphoto]

Apr 12, 2024 11:18:19 GMT -8 azson said:

Apr 12, 2024 10:05:35 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

There was a time when leadership thought of the "greater good" and were able to revere something outside of themselves. Think of Teddy Roosevelt ditching the secret service for 3 days to hike the wilderness of Yosemite with John Muir. Out of that trip came the protection of Yosemite within the National Park system. The devolution to our current state is exemplified by the vile narcissist who's famous quotes include: "Jeffrey is a fun guy to be with, he likes women as much as I do, he likes em on the younger side". He diminishes historical figures, our history, and established religion for a reason. It's a smoke n mirrors strategy to leave the vulnerable public unbalanced and angry. This is how he manipulates his target audience. My question is how can his base actually beleive that he sees any difference whatsoever between his trump sneakers and the $59.99 trump bibles? Are people really that stupid? I guess this is my answer to your question about the Republican party. They have thrown away any integrity they ever had, and are now "owned" by a flim flam man. The shocking thing is how easy it was.

All by conservative think-tank design after the Vietnam war. Back then tertiary education was cheap, so not only could most learn to think critically (i.e. see through said flim flam man), a living wage was also a thing so the common man could afford to take a week off work to head to DC to protest.

Make education expensive/dumb down the populace (w/Fox "News" lending a helping hand) + make it financially impossible to take to the streets when Rome begins to burn (see: current day) and presto: Orange Mussolini elected.

not pretty. But what if this is just a natural progression of a culture/ society similar to what has happened hundreds of times over millenia? Beginning, pinnacle / rennaisaince and crash and burn...with elements of critical mass / carrying capacity woven in. This is just on a much larger scale, including global. Of course this is the most depressing way to look at it... but if you examine culture / historical examples...a bit scary.

[azson]

Apr 12, 2024 13:32:35 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

Apr 12, 2024 11:18:19 GMT -8 azson said:

All by conservative think-tank design after the Vietnam war. Back then tertiary education was cheap, so not only could most learn to think critically (i.e. see through said flim flam man), a living wage was also a thing so the common man could afford to take a week off work to head to DC to protest.

Make education expensive/dumb down the populace (w/Fox "News" lending a helping hand) + make it financially impossible to take to the streets when Rome begins to burn (see: current day) and presto: Orange Mussolini elected.

not pretty. But what if this is just a natural progression of a culture/ society similar to what has happened hundreds of times over millenia? Beginning, pinnacle / rennaisaince and crash and burn...with elements of critical mass / carrying capacity woven in. This is just on a much larger scale, including global. Of course this is the most depressing way to look at it... but if you examine culture / historical examples...a bit scary.

It's the sudden, steep ignorance quotient decline that really stands out. Trump gets laughed out of politics by all parties just a single generation ago. Now johns, musicians and thors are commonplace.

[uwphoto]

Apr 12, 2024 13:57:29 GMT -8 azson said:

Apr 12, 2024 13:32:35 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

not pretty. But what if this is just a natural progression of a culture/ society similar to what has happened hundreds of times over millenia? Beginning, pinnacle / rennaisaince and crash and burn...with elements of critical mass / carrying capacity woven in. This is just on a much larger scale, including global. Of course this is the most depressing way to look at it... but if you examine culture / historical examples...a bit scary.

It's the sudden, steep ignorance quotient decline that really stands out. Trump gets laughed out of politics by all parties just a single generation ago. Now johns, musicians and thors are commonplace.

John is thoughtful and engages,plus he's sincere. I don't always agree with him, but I beleive he is a good dude.

[azson]

Apr 12, 2024 14:10:46 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

Apr 12, 2024 13:57:29 GMT -8 azson said:

It's the sudden, steep ignorance quotient decline that really stands out. Trump gets laughed out of politics by all parties just a single generation ago. Now johns, musicians and thors are commonplace.

John is thoughtful and engages,plus he's sincere. I don't always agree with him, but I beleive he is a good dude.

Agreed, that was probably unfair of me to add him with the other two. However, he DID vote for Trump the first time around, i.e. he did not see through the flim flam.

[aztecryan]

Apr 12, 2024 14:14:14 GMT -8 azson said:

Apr 12, 2024 14:10:46 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

John is thoughtful and engages,plus he's sincere. I don't always agree with him, but I beleive he is a good dude.

Agreed, that was probably unfair of me to add him with the other two. However, he DID vote for Trump the first time around, i.e. he did not see through the flim flam.

It's the hollow argument and false equivalence problem.

[aztecryan]

I honestly don't think thread titles like this serve a ton of purpose. We overutilize hostile words like "fascism" when the majority of those on the right don't even know what the term means. Nuance gets lost in an actual discussion because we're so hyperbolic with descriptors that the magnitude of the event gets lost.

- Dozens of people involved in the RNC have been replaced by Trump loyalists.

- Trump has managed to create a backdoor entrance into Congress and legislation that would have helped Biden and the country as a whole has been killed.

In order to understand the what, we need to explore the how and the why.

[johneaztec]

Apr 12, 2024 14:10:46 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

Apr 12, 2024 13:57:29 GMT -8 azson said:

It's the sudden, steep ignorance quotient decline that really stands out. Trump gets laughed out of politics by all parties just a single generation ago. Now johns, musicians and thors are commonplace.

John is thoughtful and engages,plus he's sincere. I don't always agree with him, but I beleive he is a good dude.

Thanks bud. I appreciate that. Right back atcha.

[johneaztec]

Apr 12, 2024 14:14:14 GMT -8 azson said:

Apr 12, 2024 14:10:46 GMT -8 uwphoto said:

John is thoughtful and engages,plus he's sincere. I don't always agree with him, but I beleive he is a good dude.

Agreed, that was probably unfair of me to add him with the other two. However, he DID vote for Trump the first time around, i.e. he did not see through the flim flam.

Yeah, I was so starved for a new voice, so to speak, a non politician, that I jumped the gun. I didn't really know much about Trump. I didn't realize how divided our country would become. I'm definitely more engaged in the subject.

If I had to do it all over again I would have voted for neither Trump nor Hillary.

[aztecryan]

General apathy towards candidates is how we ended up with a disastrous Trump term. It's likely where we are headed again, with Republican plant RFK Jr. in the middle. Instead of "which candidate do you prefer?" we really need to be asking what's best for the country as a whole. There's too much at stake.

[The Aztec Panther]

Apr 12, 2024 15:28:18 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

I honestly don't think thread titles like this serve a ton of purpose. We overutilize hostile words like "fascism" when the majority of those on the right don't even know what the term means. Nuance gets lost in an actual discussion because we're so hyperbolic with descriptors that the magnitude of the event gets lost.

I would agree in the past (in fact, I did say that the use of the term Fascism or Fascist was inappropriate and exaggerated), but with this new push for a civilian, "Militia," which would be a group of armed thugs loyal only to the Republicvan Party and by design to be used against political protests, on top of Trump's use of Nazi language and his promise to elimiate anyone in the Executive Branch that isn't 100% loyal to him (over the Constitution), I think it really, accurately applies.

[johneaztec]

Apr 12, 2024 16:21:24 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

General apathy towards candidates is how we ended up with a disastrous Trump term. It's likely where we are headed again, with Republican plant RFK Jr. in the middle. Instead of "which candidate do you prefer?" we really need to be asking what's best for the country as a whole. There's too much at stake.

You think that RFK and the Republicans are in cahoots with each other?

[aztecryan]

Apr 12, 2024 16:23:04 GMT -8 The Aztec Panther said:

Apr 12, 2024 15:28:18 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

I honestly don't think thread titles like this serve a ton of purpose. We overutilize hostile words like "fascism" when the majority of those on the right don't even know what the term means. Nuance gets lost in an actual discussion because we're so hyperbolic with descriptors that the magnitude of the event gets lost.

I would agree in the past (in fact, I did say that the use of the term Fascism or Fascist was inappropriate and exaggerated), but with this new push for a civilian, "Militia," which would be a group of armed thugs loyal only to the Republicvan Party, on top of Trump's use of Nazi language and his promise to elimiate anyone in the Executive Branch that isn't 100% loyal to him (over the Constitution), I think it really, accurately applies.

This isn't news, it's definitely not new news. When you explore Trump's first term as a whole, elements of this were already in place. It's how Trump weaponized the AG's office to have Bill Barr run interference for him and people in his orbit. The AG of the United States personally killed criminal investigations into Trump's circle. It's Goebbels-esque, controlling the propaganda and flow of information. Trump's press secretary, in repeated fashion, used the platform of the microphone to spread conspiracies on a daily basis. How do you turn a populace against itself? You control narratives, you spread misinformation. All you have to do is plant seeds of doubt, the rest will take care of itself.


There are many, many examples of Trump removing people who challenged him and replacing them with loyalists who would implement his policies. Look no further than January 6th, where an entire operation was led on his behalf. Why was the Guard never deployed? Because Trump never made the call. He knew what he was doing.

[The Aztec Panther]

Apr 12, 2024 16:26:16 GMT -8 johneaztec said:

Apr 12, 2024 16:21:24 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

General apathy towards candidates is how we ended up with a disastrous Trump term. It's likely where we are headed again, with Republican plant RFK Jr. in the middle. Instead of "which candidate do you prefer?" we really need to be asking what's best for the country as a whole. There's too much at stake.

You think that RFK and the Republicans are in cahoots with each other?

I think there is a very good chance he's in Trump's back pocket.

Why would he bother to run a campaign when he knows he has no chance of winning, and the likelihood is that he siphons more votes from Biden than Trump unless he was, "In cahoots," with the Republicans or just wanted the Democrats to lose.

We really are at a crossroads here. The one thing, more than any other, that makes Democracy work is the trust and belief that the elections are valid and accurate. Trump and the Republicans have torn that faith and belief down among 67% of Republcians. If Republican voters truly believe that elections are rigged against them, what's going to stop them from engaging in acts of domestic terrorism and insurrection? They'll firmly believe that their country has been lost and they have no choice but to rise up, violently, to, "Stop the steal," and win their country back by any and all means necessary.

If Trump gets in he will have the support of a lot of people now that he didn't have in 2020 (inside and outside of government). He will feel emboldened to further violate the constitution and secure power and control for his lackeys in the modern Trumpublican party.

If he wins it will be really bad. REALLY bad.

[aztecryan]

Apr 12, 2024 16:26:16 GMT -8 johneaztec said:

Apr 12, 2024 16:21:24 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

General apathy towards candidates is how we ended up with a disastrous Trump term. It's likely where we are headed again, with Republican plant RFK Jr. in the middle. Instead of "which candidate do you prefer?" we really need to be asking what's best for the country as a whole. There's too much at stake.

You think that RFK and the Republicans are in cahoots with each other?

A billion percent.

[johneaztec]

Apr 12, 2024 16:21:24 GMT -8 aztecryan said:

General apathy towards candidates is how we ended up with a disastrous Trump term. It's likely where we are headed again, with Republican plant RFK Jr. in the middle. Instead of "which candidate do you prefer?" we really need to be asking what's best for the country as a whole. There's too much at stake.

Apathy, and people tired of politicians running the country at the time.