Fascist Fatigue

 Opponents of the current regime and the institutions behind it have been using the f-word for years now, with a sprinkling of the n-word as well. The terms "fascist" and "Nazi" have become meaningless epithets, as both sides fling them at each other.

Voices on the left face accusations of crying wolf because they have been calling "fascist" for so long. But there's a difference between crying wolf in the sense that we've all come to scorn: alarming the populace about an imaginary peril; and simply providing advance warning long before the general public is ready to see where the trend must inevitably lead. The wolf was a long way off, but its path was clear.

As with original recipe fascism in the 1920s and '30s, the current iteration has had its supporters who like some or all of its tenets, whether they just hope for the economic prosperity or also relish the suppression of fringe elements in society. Maybe they believe that what really brought down the fascists and Nazis was their expansionism (which is true), and believed the rhetoric of the current regime about ending foreign wars and concentrating on some nice ethnic cleansing at home. Now, of course, the regime has struck militarily at Venezuela, threatens to steal territory from a NATO ally, has eyes on Cuba, and is rattling sabers at Iran.

Nothing annoys a modern fascist more than being called a fascist. They will lead the chorus saying that anyone who points out their fascistic tendencies is overreacting. They find harmony among all of the ordinary folk who don't want to believe that their simple struggle for survival and economic advancement is going to be interrupted by either an authoritarian crackdown or a messy resistance to an authoritarian crackdown. Surely things aren't so dire! We just want affordable housing, food, education, and transportation.

America is the land of the open mind when it comes to debating political philosophies while ignoring systemic oppression of women and minorities. Let's argue fine points of whether we're really well into a fascist state, while said state sends armed goons into selected cities to harass, maul, and even kill without remorse or restraint. Don't get between them and their targets of ethnic cleansing, or you will be punished, up to the point of summary execution in the street (you fuckin' bitch).

Sounds pretty fascist to me. And the playbook was public before the election that threw this regime into power. We knew what they wanted to do. Now they're doing it. Call it what it is and declare your support or opposition. It's that simple.