The most telling symptom of fascist politics is division. It aims to separate a population into an “us” and a “them.” … Every mechanism of fascist politics works to create or solidify this distinction.
Jason Stanley
Fascists lure honest conservatives into fascism by constantly telling them that “the left” is an existential threat to their families and to their values. “Therefore,” they say, “even if you don’t like our crudeness and our lack of morals, you need us to survive.”
The current Big Lie about the 2020 election must be understood in the context of decades of lies, distortions, and character assassinations levied against any and all Democrats. The reason many otherwise honest, reasonable, and religious people could vote for a philandering, dishonest, narcissistic, illiterate, grifter for President is that they simply could not ever see themselves voting for a Democrat.
Decades of lies
Republicans have been taught for decades to see Democrats as dangerous, unpatriotic, immoral, threats to the country. They have been told lies. The Democrats they have been taught to fear simply do not exist. But their blind, knee-jerk fear is now deeply ingrained.
Yet Democrats are largely naïve about this. Since we know each other to be regular, hardworking, but perhaps a bit idealistic, folks, it doesn’t occur to us that our neighbors actually believe the lies told about us on right-wing media and in political commercials.
Many Democrats were surprised when Republicans (some of them elected officials) started to call them, with a straight face, “demons” and “pedophiles”. They should not have been surprised. The irrational, fear-based, anti-Democrat rhetoric has been slowly escalating for decades.
Large, big-money, organizations have long feared the potential power of a democratic government to limit their ability to maximize profits at the expense of the public (and the environment). Since the anti-war, and pro-civil rights, movements of the 1960s, the forces for social equality and justice have tended to gather and work within the Democratic Party.
Therefore, the forces defending the unrestricted selfish pursuit of power and gain have concentrated in the Republican Party. These forces have worked very hard, for decades, to label and define the Democrats, not as a legitimate, loyal, opposition, but as the embodiment of evil.
The abortion issue
One key issue that the right-wing forces have used as a sledge hammer against the Democrats is abortion. The history of abortion as a political issue shows that it was deliberately chosen, by right-wing propagandists, to help politicize Christian voters against the left. Prior to that time, abortion was considered, even by most Christian groups, to be a private medical decision.
The abortion issue, once activated, had the advantage of being a simple, slogan-based, “solution” to a complex religious, ethical, and medical problem. It had the additional advantage of making their “anti-abortion” supporters feel morally superior while actually requiring nothing from them.
The tactic was to use this “issue” to paint Democrats as, essentially, “murderers.” In classic “straw man” fashion, Republicans completely misrepresent both their own and the Democratic positions on abortion.
The literal meaning of the Republican position is that the government should stand between women and their doctors. That personal, and often complex, medical decisions should be dictated by (usually male) politicians. And that those who oppose such interference should be criminally punished.
Republicans are not, in any way, “pro-life.” They support the death penalty. They oppose even the most popular and reasonable efforts to regulate guns. They give billions to the war industry, while fighting against universal health care coverage. They rage and rally against masks and vaccinations during a pandemic. They deny science and oppose any efforts at environmental protection.
Democrats, on the other hand, are not at all “pro-abortion.” That is a false label given to them by Republicans. Democrats are “pro-choice.” We do not “promote abortion.” We simply believe the government should stay out of private medical decisions.
The “socialism” label
The other big issue that the right-wing uses to beat up Democrats is the word “socialism.” This meaningless label has been used against Democrats for more than a century. The label is meaningless because the Republicans won’t define it. They are largely ignorant of history and don’t know what the word “socialism” really means. To them, it is just a synonym for “bad.”
There is a long history of socialism in America. Most of it is unknown by most people today. Much of it is connected to the labor movement and the actions of business owners to shut down the unions — often quite violently. We can thank those early socialists for many of the things we take for granted today (such as the eight hour work day).
Socialism in the United States actually began with the utopian communities of the early 1800s, like those established by the Shakers and the Mormons. The basic idea is that property should be held in common for the good of all. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the capitalist ideal of selfish materialism.
Because of this, the capitalists put out a continuous stream of anti-“socialism” lies and propaganda. Occasionally they find it useful to use the police (or the military, or hired thugs) to violently put down workers, or minorities, or the poor. Money is a strict master.
Today people have been so brainwashed to fear “socialism” that they do not recognize that EVERY public convenience they enjoy: roads, clean water, garbage pickup, mail delivery, police, fire fighters, schools, libraries, etc. is essentially socialist. We the people, through our government, share our resources to provide these services to everyone.
It is important to remember that right-wing “conservatives” opposed (and continue to oppose adequate funding for) every one of the services listed above (well, except police). They point their fingers at scary “socialist” governments like Russia and Cuba while ignoring prosperous socialist governments like Sweden and Denmark.
The difference between Sweden and Russia is Russia’s authoritarianism. There is a huge difference between democratic socialism and authoritarian socialism — just as there is a difference between democratic capitalism and authoritarian capitalism. The real danger for the United States is NOT socialism. The very real and immediate danger here is anti-democratic authoritarianism.
The Republicans have gone all-in on supporting the ongoing lies of an illiterate, malignant, narcissist. They no longer have a party platform except to support whatever he says and does. They consider armed insurrection to be “legitimate political discourse.” They ostracize anyone who believes the bloody violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 should even be investigated.
The Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to help people. They seek justice and equity for all. Democrats want to properly fund schools, guarantee affordable health care, and protect the environment. If these efforts to make life better for everyone, instead of just the wealthy, are considered to be “socialist,” Democrats don’t care. The label does not matter. The purpose of a democratic government is to serve the people.
Conclusion
Because of the political framing of these issues by the right-wing, and the sense of moral superiority the Republican position stokes in its believers, rational policy discussion, on essentially any issue, has become impossible.
Because Democrats, no matter who they are or what their background really is, are now seen, by millions of voters, as “socialist baby-killers,” voters in red states are sending more and more unqualified, incompetent, corrupt, and even treasonous people to Congress.
The United States can either move toward greater freedom, justice, and equality for all, or it can move toward greater authoritarianism — which will restrict freedom and offer justice for sale. We are currently moving rapidly in the wrong direction.
Sources
— “History of the socialist movement in the United States,” Wikipedia.
Robin Abcarian, “When will Republicans learn that demonizing liberals as ‘socialists’ doesn’t work?” Los Angeles Times, January 27, 2021.
Jennifer L. Holland, “Abolishing Abortion: The History of the Pro-Life Movement in America,” The American Historian, November 2016.
Jason Stanley, “America is Now in Fascism’s Legal Phase,” The Guardian, December 22, 2021.
Jason Stanley, “The Ten Tactics of Fascism,” YouTube, October 24, 2021.
Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works, Random House, September 4, 2018.
This piece is the well stated. But don’t expect most of your LDS brethren to agree, because THE BRETHREN are more aligned with the Trump fascists. And things are only going to get worse.
Well said and point on.