Another Step Into Darkness
I wish to make a comment about Trump's recent statements, encouraging the assassination of Hillary, and also trying to create a national body of "observers" to show up at polling places.
One of the characteristics that has, so far, separated the Trump campaign from traditional fascist movements like those of Hitler and Mussolini, is that they almost always involved the creation of a private army to enforce the will of the leader. We have, of course, the SA in Germany, and the black shirts in Italy as examples.
This is one of the main reasons that I have had reservations about comparing Trump too closely with previous fascist rulers. Remember that it was the chaos created by the SA, and by the black shirts' march on Rome, that were major contributing factors in both Hitler's and Mussolini's ascendance.
However, I now wonder if, facing humiliation in a fair contest, and looking toward the future (remember, the Nazis never won a national election in Germany until Hitler was appointed Reichchancellor, and eliminated all other parties,) he isn't now beginning the attempt to create such an extra-judicial army to get his way, regardless of the decision of the voters. This would certainly remove one of the last significant distinctions between Trump and Hitler, and would be the point at which, I suggest, there is far more in play than who wins an election.
One of the characteristics that has, so far, separated the Trump campaign from traditional fascist movements like those of Hitler and Mussolini, is that they almost always involved the creation of a private army to enforce the will of the leader. We have, of course, the SA in Germany, and the black shirts in Italy as examples.
This is one of the main reasons that I have had reservations about comparing Trump too closely with previous fascist rulers. Remember that it was the chaos created by the SA, and by the black shirts' march on Rome, that were major contributing factors in both Hitler's and Mussolini's ascendance.
However, I now wonder if, facing humiliation in a fair contest, and looking toward the future (remember, the Nazis never won a national election in Germany until Hitler was appointed Reichchancellor, and eliminated all other parties,) he isn't now beginning the attempt to create such an extra-judicial army to get his way, regardless of the decision of the voters. This would certainly remove one of the last significant distinctions between Trump and Hitler, and would be the point at which, I suggest, there is far more in play than who wins an election.
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