Week One: Fascism Never Sleeps; Neither Can We

Most of my political friends and colleagues are still genuinely surprised -- even shocked -- with the rapid-fire fascistic actions of Trumpism/Fascism 2.0 during its opening week. Really? Yes. Even after we were told by reliable sources, centered on a fact-based discussion of Project 2025, and from 47 himself? Yes.

Others, many others, are still in denial, saying such things as "I don't see the evidence" of fascism emerging. Really? Yes. This group seems still not familiar with Project 2025, or simply wish it away, and are looking for "positive signs" that 47 will do "reasonable" things. Really? Yes.

Trump's secretary nominations of RFK Jr. to Health and Human Services and Tulsi Gabbard to National Director of Intelligence, in particular, are touted by this group and others as "progressive" appointments, their controversial, wildly inconsistent and opportunistic histories notwithstanding.

Still, others say that Trump needs to be given a chance to "grow" into his new term, even as he systematically takes steps to dismantle the civil service, withdraws the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accords, threatens the constitutional principle of birth-right citizenship, purges the military of any non-binary (male-female) members while seeking to weaponize the remaining soldiers for domestic enforcement of executive orders against both documented and undocumented immigrants, purging inspectors general, threatens to attack and annex territory held by traditional allies, and so much more.

Still another cohort has largely checked out: taking a snap vacation, relocating to more "welcoming" locations (internal and external), looking only at sports, TikTok, and other forms of escape, ignoring and avoiding conversations related to politics.

There is also the serious problem of opinion leaders and prominent academics, experts in the field of anti-democratic and democratic systems of government, who speak and write in detail about Fascism yet refuse to use the word Fascism. Why? Because, they say, it is too overwhelming for most U.S. citizens -- with some 50% of us reading at a sixth-grade level or less -- to comprehend the dark definition that is Fascism.

(Once again, here is my definition of Fascism: Click Here)

Others, in the corporate media, are too afraid to call out the Fascism for fear that they will lose their jobs. So, instead, the above prominently positioned writers, researchers, stenographers, and talking heads search for euphemisms, such as oligarchy, broligarchy, illiberalism, right-wing, conservative, anti-democratic, MAGA and more.

The extreme danger in all of this evasion, of failing to call out Fascism by name and with clarity, is that it plays right into the Fascism playbook of confusing, conflating, conning, distracting, dividing, lying, projecting, scaring, threatening, attacking, purging, destroying, incarcerating, shaming, and blaming -- all in service to its primary goals of acquiring, consolidating, and expanding POWER.

Fascism never, ever sleeps. In the pursuit of power, Fascism fully embraces the twin Machiavellian concepts of the "ends justifies the means" (any steps or methods on the good-to-evil spectrum can be and are rationalized to be necessary) -- which, in turn, is rooted in the political ideology of "amorality": a ruthless worldview that recognizes neither moral nor immoral postulates , but rather, sees only the pursuit of power for the few (oligarchs), in service to the leader (dictator), by any and all methods, executed by loyalists, as its purpose.

So, Fascism -- birthed in its nascent form during the French Revolution's "Reign of Terror" (1793-1794) under Maximilien Robespierre's brief dictatorship and re-birthed after the First World War's tragic outcome that planted the seeds for its resurfacing and continuation down to the present -- is the most cynical, ugly, and evil of all modern ideologies -- grounded in the "three cornerstones" of state-corporatism, white supremacy, and religious nationalism.

Full-blown Fascism has come to the United States, as of 20 January 2025. It can only be stopped and reversed when we recognize it, define it, name it, and oppose it with an comprehensive, focused, and unified strategy centered on anti-Fascism techniques and a pro-Democracy vision and mission -- with eyes wide open, brains fully engaged, and hearts filled with radical hospitality, hope, and love.

Fascism never sleeps. And neither can we. In order to crush it, and to restore and expand a justice-centered Democracy, we must become vigilant, alert, interconnected, and relentless.