There's a fantastic historical fiction book by the French author Laurent Binet about the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. Its title is HhHH -- initials form "Himmlers Hirn heißt Heydrich" ("Himmler's brain is called Heydrich")
Anthony: In Zero Degrees of Empathy, Simon Baron-Cohen claims that the issue is not evil, but the capacity for empathy. Yet, we agree.
Psychopaths/sociopaths lack empathy. Traumatized people often wind up with PTSD and empathy deficits. Undiagnosed/untreated trauma related issues are now pandemic; fueling fascism. We need single-payer healthcare for all. Everyone in need should have access to mental healthcare.
Let’s add to your list fascist Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabal. Zero empathy is required to carpet-bomb innocent men, women & children; collectively punished (a war crime) for acts of terrorists.
We need to demand a cease-fire.
Add Jaír Bolsonaro for his attack on the Amazon Rainforest and its Indigenous People. Add trump inspired president-elect of Argentina. Add the GOP, etc.
These are truly such scary angst-ridden times. Even if we crush Trump at the polls next November there is still an army of white supremacist deviants waiting in the wings
I fear that by starting to use such strong, hateful language a full year before the election, Trump is ensuring that such language will take root amongst his supporters, and will become normalized to others in the electorate, so that by election time, his egregious speech will be not be considered as anything but the norm.
It's Fascism 101--make the unspeakable, speakable. And not only speakable, but acceptable out loud. I think we're seeing this in visual form already with the herds of AR-15 toters who visually intimidate nearly all the people around them who are NOT toting weapons of war. Language, behavior, agenda...
Like Jason Stanley says, fascism is the politics of us vs them. The division of society is the worst part, where one faction begins to hate the other. It escalates to the point of killing the so called evil others. The moral fabric of the fascists is totally destroyed by their sociopathic leader because he has become their only real truth. The destructive charismatic leader totally polarizes the society.
I have never been so frightened for this country in my life, and I lived through Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam, and the other wars we were lied into. With all of that, our democracy survived. If dump gets in for a 2nd term, the Constitution, our democracy, our norms of civil decency are all out the window.
Start making a plan NOW for November '24: find those around you [friends, family members] who will vote Blue. Plan on beginning to contact them three or four months before election day. Make sure everyone is registered and knows where their voting place is, or is planning on a mail -in ballot. As election day approaches, speed up and intensify your efforts. Knowing that you're doing something to combat this threat should make you feel better. Get others to mimic your efforts.
Believe what Trump is saying, and look at the white males that surround him. He is so angry and out of control that it is very dangerous. Trump must have his way, thinking that he knows what is good for others. Very serious times ahead so VOTE Blue down the ballot. Keep your eyes open!
To find the real Deep State, one needs to only look at the driving force behind the CIA. The book, "The Devil's Chessboard" addresses this. Our Deep State is quite fascist.
These are terrifying times! What makes it worse for me is that, despite the severe threat we are living under at present, there doesn't appear to be any urgency on the part of Homeland Security or anyone else tasked with protecting the country =/
The thing is, as awful as Trump is, I think he will spin himself into a frenzy and become incapacitated. You are right when you use the term "multi-pronged." It's the characters behind this movement...the oily-garchs and technocrats that frighten me. Trump is only the tip of the iceberg.
On this Burnt Sienna Wednesday, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving (such as it is). If our country does not awaken from this bad dream, this time next year there won't be much left to give thanks for.
"He is telling us clearly that he will finish the job he started in his first term: wrecking U.S. democracy"
I would say "wrecking" might be too light a word.
A Trump win would unleash a concerted multifaceted attack on all democratic institutions of society from day one. This includes the Justice department, FBI, CIA, State Department, civil service, and defense department. After corrupting all aspects of the federal government with MAGA loyalists, the Trump attacks and intimidation would then shift immediately to focus on the secular society at large; the media/free press, church/state, LGBTQ, public schools, academic institutions higher ed, dissident professors, public intellectuals, and finally; the sacred free market/ private sector businesses and corporations. All would have to conform and toe the party line or else. Disney was an early example.
The end goal is the widespread destruction of American democracy and replacing it with a one party fascist dictatorship led by a authoritarian demagogue and his cult of personality. This would be a second revolution in American history and we've been seeing it coming since at least 2015.
To clarify; they were a private business who became a target of authoritarian attack and persecution from a governor. True they have not succumbed. But imagine what would happen to them and businesses like them if Trump comes back to power as President?
Let's assume Disney wins its case and all appeals in '24. (The next step in the case is a hearing on on Dec. 12th on DeSantis' motion to dismiss. I'm staying tuned on that.) There would be case law that those persecuted companies can argue in their suit against Trump for violating their 1st amendment rights. Can the judges withstand Trump? That's the question I would like Ruth to explore. They did in his 60+ lawsuits in '20 and '21, and more than half of them were Republican appointees.
If Trump wins back the White house and consolidates his power, I think all bets are off whether judges can withstand the onslaught of authoritarian threat and abuse? Remember Trump will first purge the government replacing 50k or more people at all levels and corridors of power through out government agencies with MAGA loyalists as he has promised he would do. "I am your retribution"
The judges and their families would quickly come under the scrutiny of Trump's paramilitary army and face death threats.
I sure would like someone to sketch out all the possibilities, especially the scenario where they withstand it. Somebody has to be thinking about this.
Keep the lamp light burning bright for our sake, Ruth. As a Boomer, I remember when we studied WWII our consternation at the German people permitting fascism and Hitler to prevail. How could they? We are them now if we don’t stop Trump. Every American is assigned required reading “Strongmen - Mussolini to The Present” from now until Nov. 5, 2024.
Also read Rachel Maddow's new book, Prequel, about the Nazis in the United States pre-WW II, the wide support for their views, how Germany fostered this, and many other things.
Trump's "Russia, Russia, Russia" was his way of mocking the all-too-accurate Soviet encouraging of a lot of support for him.
The central problem are the people who will vote this regime into power. A reflection of a civil society degraded by cynicism, indifference and the enchantment of spectacles.
I think the central problem might be the news from Fox and others like them or worse Many people listen to this type of news and don't have time to research the truth about much of what is happening. Fox is really the biggest threat because it usually has more readers.
One of the great American legends is Paul Revere's ride, mounted on his steed, riding through the streets of Boston, warning good patriots that "the British are coming, the British are coming!!"
Unfortunately, Paul was mistaken - the British were already there. Much like the Fascists today - they aren't coming but are already here. In fact, they have been here for some time.
Until we reconcile ourselves with our past, Fascism will remain an aspect of our society. Absurd distributions for wealth. The next to last country on the planet to abolish slavery. Genocide of indigenous populations. Violence, wars, and bloodshed in the name of imperial dynasticism. Disinformation campaigns spread through national and social media. Gerrymandering at the state level to ensure a minority will maintain in charge. The list goes on and continues.
Marx professed fascism is the final stage of capitalism. I don't think Marx envisioned feudalism would lead to communism which in some cases has led to fascism. Regardless, we have some difficult times ahead. How are we preparing to face these challenges on a daily basis?
As an aside, does anyone think that the photo of Steven Miller resembles Eichmann? Does a similar fate await?
Yes, fascism has been just under the surface here for years. The sociopathic director of our CIA, many years ago, Allen Dulles loved fascism. He hired many former Nazis. He also installed fascsist and quasi-fascist regimes in nations that once had democracies. Of course Prescott Bush and Henry Ford were big fans.
Thanks, Steve. And don’t forget the US organizations that supported the Nazis during their ascension to power and the German war effort afterwards - Opel, IBM, Union Bank, and Hamburg Shipping - and of course, most of these companies has to disavow their support after the war tide turned.
You might find the connection between our Council on Foreign Relations and the CIA an interesting collaboration. Neither had any connection to democracy.
Stephen Miller is evil! He’s, like Karl Rove & Bush, is Trump’s brain!
There's a fantastic historical fiction book by the French author Laurent Binet about the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. Its title is HhHH -- initials form "Himmlers Hirn heißt Heydrich" ("Himmler's brain is called Heydrich")
Thank you!
I think he’s the worst.
Anthony: In Zero Degrees of Empathy, Simon Baron-Cohen claims that the issue is not evil, but the capacity for empathy. Yet, we agree.
Psychopaths/sociopaths lack empathy. Traumatized people often wind up with PTSD and empathy deficits. Undiagnosed/untreated trauma related issues are now pandemic; fueling fascism. We need single-payer healthcare for all. Everyone in need should have access to mental healthcare.
Let’s add to your list fascist Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabal. Zero empathy is required to carpet-bomb innocent men, women & children; collectively punished (a war crime) for acts of terrorists.
We need to demand a cease-fire.
Add Jaír Bolsonaro for his attack on the Amazon Rainforest and its Indigenous People. Add trump inspired president-elect of Argentina. Add the GOP, etc.
Where does this leave the judiciary in this nightmare scenario?
It leaves the Judiciary ignored or forced into irrelevance.
Yes, Ruth, please write more about this.
Ironic how Miller looks the part! Good article on T's rhetoric in Atlantic (Quotes Ruth) https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/trump-becoming-frighteningly-clear-about-what-he-wants/676086/
This article is unreal. LISTEN to it.
These are truly such scary angst-ridden times. Even if we crush Trump at the polls next November there is still an army of white supremacist deviants waiting in the wings
Crushing Trump will be difficult, however, his loyal supporters will never leave the scene or go away!
Are WE the People strong enough to stand up to be heard?
We are doomed to get what we deserve!
VOTE! It may save our lives!
I fear that by starting to use such strong, hateful language a full year before the election, Trump is ensuring that such language will take root amongst his supporters, and will become normalized to others in the electorate, so that by election time, his egregious speech will be not be considered as anything but the norm.
Afraid you’re right! Normal will be abnormal!
That’s the plan, the 2.0 part. I’ve asked many, the answers lean heavily but there are many who say it’ll never happen...I thought that in 2016
💙💙VOTE BLUE THROUGH AND THROUGH💙💙
It will take quite a few cycles to weed them out.
It’s a MUST.
It's Fascism 101--make the unspeakable, speakable. And not only speakable, but acceptable out loud. I think we're seeing this in visual form already with the herds of AR-15 toters who visually intimidate nearly all the people around them who are NOT toting weapons of war. Language, behavior, agenda...
Like Jason Stanley says, fascism is the politics of us vs them. The division of society is the worst part, where one faction begins to hate the other. It escalates to the point of killing the so called evil others. The moral fabric of the fascists is totally destroyed by their sociopathic leader because he has become their only real truth. The destructive charismatic leader totally polarizes the society.
Absolutely! Thank you infinitely for citing Jason Stanley. These are excellent observations.
However, this might depend on the criminal cases including the one in GA.
I have never been so frightened for this country in my life, and I lived through Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam, and the other wars we were lied into. With all of that, our democracy survived. If dump gets in for a 2nd term, the Constitution, our democracy, our norms of civil decency are all out the window.
But do remember when Nixon said if the president does it, it is not illegal!
Thanks
Start making a plan NOW for November '24: find those around you [friends, family members] who will vote Blue. Plan on beginning to contact them three or four months before election day. Make sure everyone is registered and knows where their voting place is, or is planning on a mail -in ballot. As election day approaches, speed up and intensify your efforts. Knowing that you're doing something to combat this threat should make you feel better. Get others to mimic your efforts.
Thank you, Mauimom! This is very sane and solid advice, very grounding and affirming. I will definitely carry out this Blue plan!
Thanks!
Believe what Trump is saying, and look at the white males that surround him. He is so angry and out of control that it is very dangerous. Trump must have his way, thinking that he knows what is good for others. Very serious times ahead so VOTE Blue down the ballot. Keep your eyes open!
Register and get ready to VOTE!
I am sure that he cares about others. He only seems to care about what he wants.
Anyone concerned over the existence of The Deep State need look no further than to Project 2025 and Agenda47.
"The Deep State" is classic projection.
To find the real Deep State, one needs to only look at the driving force behind the CIA. The book, "The Devil's Chessboard" addresses this. Our Deep State is quite fascist.
These are terrifying times! What makes it worse for me is that, despite the severe threat we are living under at present, there doesn't appear to be any urgency on the part of Homeland Security or anyone else tasked with protecting the country =/
I wish everyone subscribed to your Substack. You’re telling us the truth as terrible and frightening as it is. I hope we can outvote this nightmare
Each citizen who is now, and those additional citizens who become increasingly aware of
this broadside assault on all things sacred in our Democracy MUST mobilize, organize, donate,
contribute time, effort, knowledge, skills to THWART the multi-pronged continuous, and
relentless PUSH toward an Authoritarian Dictatorship.
Fear and its resulting anxiety are tools deployed by autocrats and their minions as
weapons like intimidation and denigration to splinter, immobilize, confuse and blunt
all those who revere and embrace freedom, liberty, and justice.
I am 75, and in my lifetime, this is the GREATEST THREAT we have ever faced. Be
strong, be resilient, be persistent, but most of all DO MORE than you’ve ever done
before to support, nurture, defend, and bolster our DEMOCRACY.
As Ruth Ben Ghiat and Timothy Snyder warn, it is far easier to defend Democracy BEFORE
it is lost, than fighting to regain it once stripped away.
I'm 79 and agree with you. Please see suggestions I made above re things we can do.
🙏 Thank You~
The thing is, as awful as Trump is, I think he will spin himself into a frenzy and become incapacitated. You are right when you use the term "multi-pronged." It's the characters behind this movement...the oily-garchs and technocrats that frighten me. Trump is only the tip of the iceberg.
On this Burnt Sienna Wednesday, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving (such as it is). If our country does not awaken from this bad dream, this time next year there won't be much left to give thanks for.
Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 Jonathan. We should remember to live each day as though it is our last.
"He is telling us clearly that he will finish the job he started in his first term: wrecking U.S. democracy"
I would say "wrecking" might be too light a word.
A Trump win would unleash a concerted multifaceted attack on all democratic institutions of society from day one. This includes the Justice department, FBI, CIA, State Department, civil service, and defense department. After corrupting all aspects of the federal government with MAGA loyalists, the Trump attacks and intimidation would then shift immediately to focus on the secular society at large; the media/free press, church/state, LGBTQ, public schools, academic institutions higher ed, dissident professors, public intellectuals, and finally; the sacred free market/ private sector businesses and corporations. All would have to conform and toe the party line or else. Disney was an early example.
The end goal is the widespread destruction of American democracy and replacing it with a one party fascist dictatorship led by a authoritarian demagogue and his cult of personality. This would be a second revolution in American history and we've been seeing it coming since at least 2015.
FYI, Disney has not conformed, and is still fighting: " . . . there are still two outstanding cases in both state court and federal court where Disney is suing the governor and his Central Florida Tourism Oversight District over actions that Disney says violated their First Amendment rights and contractual development rights" (https://blogmickey.com/2023/11/ron-desantis-says-we-won-the-battle-against-disney-continues-to-admit-fight-with-disney-is-retaliatory/
To clarify; they were a private business who became a target of authoritarian attack and persecution from a governor. True they have not succumbed. But imagine what would happen to them and businesses like them if Trump comes back to power as President?
That depends on the federal judiciary.
Let's assume Disney wins its case and all appeals in '24. (The next step in the case is a hearing on on Dec. 12th on DeSantis' motion to dismiss. I'm staying tuned on that.) There would be case law that those persecuted companies can argue in their suit against Trump for violating their 1st amendment rights. Can the judges withstand Trump? That's the question I would like Ruth to explore. They did in his 60+ lawsuits in '20 and '21, and more than half of them were Republican appointees.
If Trump wins back the White house and consolidates his power, I think all bets are off whether judges can withstand the onslaught of authoritarian threat and abuse? Remember Trump will first purge the government replacing 50k or more people at all levels and corridors of power through out government agencies with MAGA loyalists as he has promised he would do. "I am your retribution"
The judges and their families would quickly come under the scrutiny of Trump's paramilitary army and face death threats.
I sure would like someone to sketch out all the possibilities, especially the scenario where they withstand it. Somebody has to be thinking about this.
The historical precedents are terrifying. I'm thinking of fascist Germany and Italy.
If trump gets back into power, it’s over.
Keep the lamp light burning bright for our sake, Ruth. As a Boomer, I remember when we studied WWII our consternation at the German people permitting fascism and Hitler to prevail. How could they? We are them now if we don’t stop Trump. Every American is assigned required reading “Strongmen - Mussolini to The Present” from now until Nov. 5, 2024.
Also read Rachel Maddow's new book, Prequel, about the Nazis in the United States pre-WW II, the wide support for their views, how Germany fostered this, and many other things.
Trump's "Russia, Russia, Russia" was his way of mocking the all-too-accurate Soviet encouraging of a lot of support for him.
Check out “Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America” by Steven Ross. This the book where Rachel Maddie began.
The central problem are the people who will vote this regime into power. A reflection of a civil society degraded by cynicism, indifference and the enchantment of spectacles.
I think the central problem might be the news from Fox and others like them or worse Many people listen to this type of news and don't have time to research the truth about much of what is happening. Fox is really the biggest threat because it usually has more readers.
One of the great American legends is Paul Revere's ride, mounted on his steed, riding through the streets of Boston, warning good patriots that "the British are coming, the British are coming!!"
Unfortunately, Paul was mistaken - the British were already there. Much like the Fascists today - they aren't coming but are already here. In fact, they have been here for some time.
Until we reconcile ourselves with our past, Fascism will remain an aspect of our society. Absurd distributions for wealth. The next to last country on the planet to abolish slavery. Genocide of indigenous populations. Violence, wars, and bloodshed in the name of imperial dynasticism. Disinformation campaigns spread through national and social media. Gerrymandering at the state level to ensure a minority will maintain in charge. The list goes on and continues.
Marx professed fascism is the final stage of capitalism. I don't think Marx envisioned feudalism would lead to communism which in some cases has led to fascism. Regardless, we have some difficult times ahead. How are we preparing to face these challenges on a daily basis?
As an aside, does anyone think that the photo of Steven Miller resembles Eichmann? Does a similar fate await?
The resemblance is chilling. The eyes…
Yes, fascism has been just under the surface here for years. The sociopathic director of our CIA, many years ago, Allen Dulles loved fascism. He hired many former Nazis. He also installed fascsist and quasi-fascist regimes in nations that once had democracies. Of course Prescott Bush and Henry Ford were big fans.
Thanks, Steve. And don’t forget the US organizations that supported the Nazis during their ascension to power and the German war effort afterwards - Opel, IBM, Union Bank, and Hamburg Shipping - and of course, most of these companies has to disavow their support after the war tide turned.
You might find the connection between our Council on Foreign Relations and the CIA an interesting collaboration. Neither had any connection to democracy.