Fascism and Bullying Trump’s Plan
Fascism is a very ugly form of government. It is based on brute force and a love of strong over weak. The non questioning of authority, and adherence to one viewpoint. Data is the enemy of fascism. This is largely because often facts interfere with an preconceived notion, an idea built on a false premise, or an overarching ideology. Hero worship and myths of greatness based on some unearned merit. This form of government must be enforced through concerted efforts. One effort is to prevent education and the free flow of information. Censorship of the politically unfavorable, and control of the media. Rewriting history to a more favorable story is used to remove the truth, and reiterate the party line.
These acquiescent means of distorting truth are malefic, but not as harsh as the main go-to move of fascists. This is bullying. This type of abuse can take on many forms. Retribution, ridicule, loss of property, and financial pressure. Physical abuse is the most obvious type of bullying. Abusers do not have to be smart. They only need a way to overpower their target. These people are much like the predators who hunt their quarry by entrapping, separating one from the group, and using fear tactics. Fascism is an organized to gain strength in numbers.
Let’s look at a bully’s plan. They first find someone who is weaker than they are. The bully must size up their victim carefully. This kind of person has fear and poor self esteem at their core. The bully can not allow for a potential loss. The weaker opponent is a must. The second step is to catch their prey while they are alone or vulnerable. The third step is the ultimatum. There are two parts to this; stand and fight, or run and face humiliation. To stand up to the bully is admirable, but one could face harsh repercussions. Remember that a bully sizes his prey up with the knowledge of an assured defeat for their victim. This leaves the latter of the two options, which is humiliation.
The bully’s plan is not as air tight has they might think. The ultimatum notion is based on a false dichotomy. It is not one or the other. Moving away from the bully’s trap is not necessarily humiliation. One’s self worth need not be based on a successful confrontation. Avoiding a street fight by acquiescence is a smarter plan than facing a beating. The bully’s second step of cornering someone while they are alone and vulnerable, can be defeated with vigilance. An oppressed demographic can plan ahead. They can rely on each other. This will defuse the trap before it is set.
Now let’s look at Trump’s plan. Donald Trump has used the Department of Homeland Security to deploy ICE agents. This was his first step. The second step was for these agents to provoke demonstrations, and for Trump to exaggerate the scale and severity of these demonstrations. The third step will be for Trump and Hegseth to deploy federalized National Guard troops to control the demonstrators. This is to inflame the public and provoke actual violence. The fourth step will be to invoke the Insurrection Act. This will enable Trump and Hegseth to use the US armed forces to attack US citizens as a military enemy.
We do not have to fall for all this. You know the plan. There is strength in number, and the American public outnumbers Trump and all his followers. As of late, many of Trump’s base has become frustrated with their leader. His followers are becoming smaller, while we become larger. Trump wants to provoke violence the way a bully wants to start a fight. Do not fall for the provocation. The ax of fascism is held together by a thin ribbon. That ribbon is broken by the educated intelligent response of the American public. Trump wants a fight. Lets give him jokes, ridicule, and people in costumes.
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