Even a little fascism is dangerous

A number of Gettysburg Times columnists and letter writers regularly denigrate Democrats (“to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone’s character”) by calling them Socialists. If they want to apply labels, let’s call them what they are: Fascists – a label they use indiscriminately

Fascism dates back to1919 when Benito Mussolini launched the fasci di combattimento, the fighting fasci, a movement that was meant to embrace everyone, “from the very, very intelligent to the ignorant and illiterate.” Merriam-Webster dictionary defines fascism as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” Sound familiar?

An essay in the Encyclopædia Britannica analyzes and describes the history and attributes of fascism. The following are excerpts from the essay.

“Unlike democratic conservatives, fascists accused their political opponents of being less ‘patriotic’ than they, sometimes even labeling them ‘traitors.’ Fascists often blamed their countries’ problems on scapegoats. Jews, Freemasons, Marxists, and immigrants were prominent among the groups that were demonized.”

“Fascists also pandered to anti-urban feelings. The Nazis won most of their electoral support from rural areas and small towns. In Nazi propaganda the ideal German was not an urban intellectual but a simple peasant, and uprooted intellectualism was considered a threat to the deep, irrational sources of the Volk soul. Jews were often portrayed—and therefore condemned—as quintessential city dwellers.”

“In the political discourse of the fascist right, economic problems related to large disparities of wealth between rich and poor were treated as problems of social status and class prejudice. Rather than attacking upper-class wealth, fascists attacked upper-class snobbism. Rather than narrowing class differences, they taught that these differences were subjective and unimportant.”

“Unlike left-wing populism, fascist populism did not attribute workers’ hardships to big business and big landowners and did not advocate measures such as progressive taxation, higher pay for industrial and farm workers, protection of unions, and the right to strike. In general it spared the wealth of the upper classes—except that belonging to Jews.”

“Some find fascism deeply irrational, whereas others are impressed with the rationality with which it served the material interests of its supporters. Similarly, some attempt to explain fascist demonologies as the expression of irrationally misdirected anger and frustration, whereas others emphasize the rational ways in which these demonologies were used to perpetuate professional or class advantages. Finally, whereas some consider fascism to be motivated primarily by its aspirations—by a desire for cultural ‘regeneration’ and the creation of a ‘new man’—others place greater weight on fascism’s ‘anxieties’—on its fear of communist revolution and even of left-centrist electoral victories.”

Fascists believe liberal democracy is obsolete, and regard the complete mobilization of society under a totalitarian one-party state is necessary to prepare a nation for armed conflict and to respond effectively to economic difficulties. Congressional Democrats are working to pass the For the People Act of 2021. It is perhaps the most consequential voter protection legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 1965. The Act is a comprehensive package of (small d) democratic reforms that will expand and protect voting rights, end partisan and racial gerrymandering, and get dark money out of politics. It would end gerrymandering by requiring independent commissions, instead of politicians, to draw districts; ensure automatic voter registration and same-day registration; expand early voting and voting by mail; give states adequate resources to conduct secure elections; prohibit inappropriate purging of voter rolls; prevent foreign entities from interfering in elections; and support related bills that would update the Voting Rights Act.

Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to reverse vote-by-mail and early voting programs that enjoyed bipartisan support just a few years ago. Rather than reconsidering their policies – or lack of policies – after an electoral loss to better appeal to the vast middle, Republicans see an advantage in excluding as many voters as possible in communities likely to vote Democratic. As Republicans in state governments nationwide are introducing more than 250 bills raising barriers to voting, President Biden signed an executive order to expand voter access and rights. Among other provisions, it directs federal agencies to make plans to “promote voter registration and participation.” Federal agencies are also ordered to examine how they can increase federal employees’ voting access, or their ability to take time off from work to serve as poll workers

The Republican Party is complaining that President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, became law without bipartisan support – not a single Republican voted for it – using the reconciliation process which required a simple majority to pass it in the Senate. This same Republican Party passed their unpopular 2017 tax bill without a single Democratic vote using reconciliation. Multiple polls conducted prior to the legislation’s passage in the Senate show that Biden’s plan has broad public support; according to a Quinnipiac University survey, 68 percent of respondents approve of the plan; in 2018, Gallup found only 39 percent approved of the 2017 tax bill. In fact, the ARP is the most popular important legislative/executive action since the minimum wage hike of 2007.Adding to the good news for Democrats, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll found more than two-thirds of Americans approve of President Biden’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mark Berg is a community activist, a proud Liberal/Progressive. His email address is MABerg175@comcast.net.