Trump is the American Oswald Mosley

[Thunderbird is the word]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

Teddy Roosevelt?

[The Mikado]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

This exact statement could apply to Churchill. It's absurdly vague.

[eric82oslo]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

This exact statement could apply to Churchill. It's absurdly vague.

Oswald Mosley was a fascist just like Trump. UK's fascist leader who wanted to transform Britain into a Third Reich utopia a la Hitler's. Are you blind or something? In that case I would advice you to go and see a doctor and maybe he could refer you to an eye surgeon.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

This really tells us nothing. However, Trump does match Griffin's definition of fascism extremely closely.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism#Roger_Griffin

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[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

This really tells us nothing. However, Trump does match Griffin's definition of fascism extremely closely.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism#Roger_Griffin

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"Palingenetic"

Palin genetic

Freaky

[eric82oslo]

Both extremely wealthy men who appealed to populist sentiments and demogogary and had a tendency to switch parties.

This really tells us nothing. However, Trump does match Griffin's definition of fascism extremely closely.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism#Roger_Griffin

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"Palingenetic"

Palin genetic

Freaky

I only know this word as genetically Palin, which basically means that you can see Russia from your house.

[Mr. Reactionary]

If right of center is now defined as fascist does that mean left of center is officially defined as socialist now?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

If right of center is now defined as fascist does that mean left of center is officially defined as socialist now?

Trump isn't "right of center" in any remotely sane context.

[Maxwell]

If right of center is now defined as fascist does that mean left of center is officially defined as socialist now?

Trump isn't "right of center" in any remotely sane context.

Correct. Trump is a moderate.

[pbrower2a]

Roger Griffin:

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[eric82oslo]

Roger Griffin:

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9 out of 10 times I'm really your biggest critic and more, yet this time I'm your biggest fan and more.

[heatmaster]

If right of center is now defined as fascist does that mean left of center is officially defined as socialist now?

I would prefer to say Socialist in the Stalinist sense.

[tpfkaw]

No, he's a pre-2000s moderate Republican. His views and rhetoric blatantly ape Nixon. In fact he was a moderate Democrat until he switched to the Reform Party in 1999, and hasn't substantially changed his views since then, except on abortion and gun control. (And if you think his conversion on the former is genuine, I have a luxury condo in Manhattan to sell ya).

[Beezer]

People need to stop throwing around labels like "fascism" as if they're going out of business. Trump is populist...not exactly in line with the classic brand of populism though since e.g. European populists usually portray themselves as average Joes whereas Trump talks 24/7 about how his elite status.

[pbrower2a]

People need to stop throwing around labels like "fascism" as if they're going out of business. Trump is populist...not exactly in line with the classic brand of populism though since e.g. European populists usually portray themselves as average Joes whereas Trump talks 24/7 about how his elite status.

Donald Trump is a ruthless, unprincipled opportunist. He cadges left-wing elements of populism with elements of orthodox pro-capitalist politics. His ego drives his political effort.

Anti-intellectualism is an important aspect of the American Right, in part because anti-intellectualism endorses authoritarian businesses. Much of Big Business promotes the ethos of "suffer with a smile" in retailing, the hospitality business, and food service; the work offers low wages and pure drudgery. The Right speaks often of 'elites', but for them 'elites' are those people privileged to think on the job. To the Right, billionaires are 'average Joes' who have worked harder than others because they get spectacular rewards for their achievements (often the result of birth, but anyone who thinks about economic inequality is a filthy intellectual who fails to recognize the need for repressive, exploitative structures that enforce severe inequality).

Fascism offers a 'national struggle' as morally preferable to a 'class structure'. Under fascism, solidarity between working people of differing nationality is unthinkable; workers are to know their place -- subordinate and impoverished. the American Right dares not insist upon the right to exercise the usual tools of political fascism -- torture chambers, slave labor camps, mass killings of dissidents, politicized militias, and militaristic expansionism; such would violate American tradition. But economic fascism and contempt for the unruly intellect? Such is part of some American cultures, especially among those with ties to the old Confederacy or believers in fundamentalist Protestantism. For the American Right the national struggle is to establish a pure plutocracy that supposedly fosters growth, a system that offers low wages and monopolistic profits. 

I will believe in the absence of a class struggle when I see the super-rich living much like their nearly-destitute employees. Great wealth and high incomes have always fostered sybaritic indulgence.   

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

People need to stop throwing around labels like "fascism" as if they're going out of business. Trump is populist...not exactly in line with the classic brand of populism though since e.g. European populists usually portray themselves as average Joes whereas Trump talks 24/7 about how his elite status.

Oh yes, but Trump's gauche displays of richness is much more appeals to the average Joe than Mitt Romney's hidden wealths or say the aristocratic background of David Cameron. Donald Trump, to your typical blue-collar worker, is what they would be like if they had money. None of that fancy elite stuff, just buy bigger and better and more ostentatious.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

If right of center is now defined as fascist does that mean left of center is officially defined as socialist now?

Trump isn't "right of center" in any remotely sane context.

Correct. Trump is a moderate.

On a number of issues, he is. At least when compared to the popular alternatives of Generic R or Generic D. He is also a fascist. That word gets over-used as a meaningless slur in public discourse, but it does have a meaning in political science, and Trump and his supporters fit Griffin's definition of fascism very well. Whether Trump would be any good at actually creating a fascist government, I don't know, but he's been pretty successful campaigning as a fascist.

I don't mean this as a generic put-down of Trump. I actually like some of the directions he takes the conversation in comparison to the stock or religious-nut types of Republicans. But I am very nervous about him experiencing any sort of political success because the shape of his politics is fascist in the technical sense, and I see very little good being the end result of any government based on fascist ideology.

[eric82oslo]

If Trump is a fascist, Hillary is a socialist.

At least every sane human being could reason that it's better to be a socialist (most goods for the most people) than a fascist (only goods for the one O Sole Mighty Leader).

[eric82oslo]

No, he's a pre-2000s moderate Republican. His views and rhetoric blatantly ape Nixon. In fact he was a moderate Democrat until he switched to the Reform Party in 1999, and hasn't substantially changed his views since then, except on abortion and gun control. (And if you think his conversion on the former is genuine, I have a luxury condo in Manhattan to sell ya).

LOL. Are you for real? Or are you a non-human existing human? I bet on the latter.

I've never ever ever ever heard a worse answer than that, that didn't come from an alien.

[eric82oslo]

If Trump is a fascist, Hillary is a socialist.

And? Would it be the dead's end if 300 million Americans got their lives back instead of being slaves of the 3 million richest? Probably not. But of that you know nothing. Maybe you should start studying economics or something so that you at least could take part in the debates? Just a tip.

[Oakvale]

Sick burns from eric82oslo ITT, who has not let his record of dismal failure in virtually every prediction he's ever made temper his bilious excretions.

[Mr. Reactionary]

If Trump is a fascist, Hillary is a socialist.

This. It's hilarious that some posters will argue that Bernie Sanders is NOT a socialist, but Donald Trump IS a Fascist.

[Mr. Reactionary]

anyone who thinks about economic inequality is a filthy intellectual who fails to recognize the need for repressive, exploitative structures that enforce severe inequality).

... class struggle  

Yes yes, we know ... blah blah blah Marx blah blah blah Freedom is Slavery. In reality, nationalism does not equal Fascism.

[eric82oslo]

In order for Trump's immigration position to be racist, he would have to not want Mexicans in general to come here. Pointing out that we are getting mostly lowlifes who are committing mass crimes is not racist towards Mexicans at all, it's reality. It's amusing that this nonsense comes from the insane progressive left, who view even pointing out that these people are here illegally as offensive. If you people view the U.S. as simply "lines on a map", then your opinions on what is good for the country (that you don't believe should exist) shouldn't matter. Unfortunately, the world caters to leftists for some reason.

So burning 11 million Mexicans in the ovens is not enough for you? Not even slightly racist?

Can some mod please ban this total idiot?

If people are illegal as you claim, then you can go back to the moon or the sun or the Neptune where you came from okey? There's a birth right written in the placenta when you get born which says that no human being is ever illegal. Ever. Only in your crazy extreme far right tea party existence do illegal people exist.