It is not fascism because Trump is not doing what he does for the true feeling, it is good for the country, and people.
Trump does things purely for himself.
Trumpism is as good a label as any for his actions. He has never been told no before and doesnt like it.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
It is not fascism because Trump is not doing what he does for the true feeling, it is good for the country, and people.
Trump does things purely for himself.
Trumpism is as good a label as any for his actions. He has never been told no before and doesnt like it.

That demonstrates the "lame" argument I've talked about.

If Trump was living the good, quiet life in Florida, golfing or whatever, fuck his views and narcissism.

Trumpism is plural, multifaceted. It's beyond argument that Trump is a toxic, malignant narcissist, with dangerous tendencies and ignorance of or spiteful of governance and the constitution, in particular, etc. His supporters know that, yet still support him. Why? Is it because of his character, or despite it?

He's got millions of supporters, many with lots of power to affect change and control of our lives and government, and he is a loose cannon. These supporters know darn well that Trump is out for himself, yet he's somehow (very) an avatar for whatever they want, and they think they can achieve it, whatever, through him, or perhaps the chaos he generates. The very first mistake made by GOPers with power, and the big donors, was thinking they could control Trump. They have learned their lesson somewhat, but are still on-board, mostly because he's got them by the balls now, by leveraging his supporters/followers. The second big mistake was and is by his followers. They seem to believe he is their champ. He likes for them to think that, and feeds them red meat.

Thus, in combination, the "movement" looks like fascist intent, by all basic definitions.

By your definition.
As to why people support him? Beats me.
He may have dirt he's using on some of the big names, and the rest are just tag alongs.
I'm not going to worry about it until he's the last one running. I still think he will slip to one of the dozen or so in the line-up. The independents are behind trump more than biden right now. I doubt that lasts, and when they turn, so will many others.

Occasionally respond to the plethora of Trump, GOP fascist articles you relentlessly post? “Don’t take security in the false refuge of consensus.” Hitchens

quote:

“Don’t take security in the false refuge of consensus.” Hitchens

https://youtu.be/Ne0FVkpL7JU?si=L_cidR9gEbnvzqo-

https://quotees.co.uk/philosop...-of-consensus-quote/

Here's the full quote:

"How do I know that I know this, except that I've always been taught this and never heard anything else? [...] How sure am I of my own views? Don't take refuge in the false security of consensus, and the feeling that whatever you think you're bound to be okay, because you're in the safely moral majority."

Christopher Hitchens

Here's the expanded version of what Hitchens said:

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.../glossary/groupthink

According to psychologist Irving Janis, groupthink is “a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment that results from in-group pressures.”

Group members often suffer overconfidence and hold an unquestioned belief in the group’s competence and morality. Dissent by group members may be discouraged and even lead to expulsion from the group. Because people often want to avoid these punishments, they remain silent. This creates the illusion of agreement or unanimity in the group.

Groups may also reach decisions, including moral judgments, which are more extreme than any single member of the group originally supported.

Irving Lester Janis was an American research psychologist at Yale University and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley most famous for his theory of "groupthink" which described the systematic errors made by groups when making collective decisions. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Janis as the 79th most cited psychologist of the 20th century.
Wikipedia

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. It occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. The term was first used in 1972 by social psychologist Irving L. Janis. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people. It is characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and ethics.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...7edb75ed00f9ab&ei=32

Ask the GOP Debaters if They Support Trump’s Open Fascism

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...=25#image=AA1hhSNn|1

The real reason why Donald Trump wants Gen. Milley to be killed

At the Atlantic, political scientist Brian Klaas, who is an expert on authoritarianism, sounded this alarm about Trump's most recent death threats and how they have been responded to by the news media and public:

Trump's rhetoric is dangerous, not just because it is the exact sort that incites violence against public officials but also because it shows just how numb the country has grown toward threats more typical of broken, authoritarian regimes. The United States is not just careening toward a significant risk of political violence around the 2024 presidential election. It's also mostly oblivious to where it's headed…

Bombarded by a constant stream of deranged authoritarian extremism from a man who might soon return to the presidency, we've lost all sense of scale and perspective. But neither the American press nor the public can afford to be lulled. The man who, as president, incited a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in order to overturn an election is again openly fomenting political violence while explicitly endorsing authoritarian strategies should he return to power. That is the story of the 2024 election. Everything else is just window dressing.

Trump's death threats against Gen. Milley are being echoed by other Republicans in Congress.

There is an aspect of this MAGA fascist movement that I have not explored. The reason is that I'm agnostic regarding practically all aspects of religion, including the existence of the devil, hell, angels, antichrist, etc.

The question anyway:

Is Trump an antichrist, if not the antichrist?

There is disagreement on this about as much as there is on MAGA Fascism.

But the support Trump has from Christians is still unanswered as to why. Obviously, any support of Trump is with the expectation of receiving something out of the deal.

So, have Christians made a deal with the devil?

https://religiondispatches.org...ell-avoid-the-label/

TEFLON ANTICHRIST: HOW DID A PRESIDENT WHO FIT THE ROLE SO WELL AVOID THE LABEL?

Solomom Asch studied consensus in the 1950s, before the term "groupthink" was invented.

quote:

Solomom Asch

Of course you know that I find that sort of information very interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ith%20the%20majority.

Solomon Asch

https://www.verywellmind.com/s...ch-biography-2795519

psychology of conformity

There is another psychological thing that I find interesting:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/projecting-7481323

What Does Projecting in Psychology Mean?

I see it or what I think it is often, especially with the Right, in arguments herein and otherwise. One glaring example is when Trump started calling the "persecuting" Left, his Nemesis, rule of law, prosecutors and judges, Fascists.

There's another place where groupthink or consensus is cherished, if not demanded, and that's churches. It's a fact that a lot of the projections, and consensus thinking, or non-thinking, comes from the pulpit, and that's what the congregation wants to hear. Some are MEGA hotbed affirmation factories.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...3535cdbec6bb570&ei=8

Retired 4-Star General Delivers Ominous Warning Over Trump's ‘Lawless Cult’
Story by Lee Moran •
3h

https://youtu.be/N5sZcWL928g?si=vnr3Ipx4TZvvwSMU

“What we are seeing is a parallel to the 1930s in Nazi Germany," says Retired U.S. Army General Barry McCaffrey on the Trump movement. “That’s 15-25 House members, a couple of Senators, and all those who are Trump MAGA loyalists—it’s a major threat to the armed forces of the United States."

https://youtu.be/1m1NuZMQQtU?si=LlT51mF-hsf4XzxP


Gen. Milley responds to Trump post accusing general of treason | 60 Minutes

(notice how softly he speaks)