I argue that Trump and Le Pen are much alike and that the reversals of Trump's populism, anti-globalism, and pro-peace pretense will also take place if Le Pen is elected.

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Trump's appeal to "the workers" is real but the results indicate the workers did not bite. The average income of the Trump voter: $96,000. The average income of the Clinton voter: $61,000. Clinton won robustly those making $25K or less as well as those making $50 K or less. Clinton got the vote of the working poor, Trump of those with money who saw in his fake populism a backdoor to tax cuts for the affluent.

All fascists appeal to the "people," from the volk of Germany to the fake populism of Trump and Le Pen.

Because of the history of the National front for racism and anti-Semitism, softened by the savvy political radar of Le Pen, French banks will not loan her money so she has had to go abroad, including Russia, which is very favorable to many far-right parties in Europe.

" In 2014, the National Front took Russian loans worth 11m ( 9.4m). One of the loans, for 9m, came from a small bank, First Czech Russian Bank, with links to the Kremlin."

The Russian loans happened as Russia was annexing Crimea, and some wonder whether there was a link. Le Pen says she wants to end the sanctions brought about by the annexation, but so did Trump but that is all now rotten fish, best forgotten, as within 3 months, the US reaches its "lowest point" with Russia. I am suggesting that Le Pen and Trump share the same professed ideology, campaign tactics (ultranationalism, attacks on globalism, scapegoating of minorities) and that we can expect the same flip flops if she is elected.

Don't get me wrong: I agree that Crimea legitimately is part of Russia, that neoliberalism and globalism are evil, that the people should come first, but Trump is lying about who is causing the exaggerated evils he conjured up, and so is Le Pen.

I agree we should be partners with Russia, but look at how Trump has reversed his campaign promises and positions, and Le Pen is likely to do the same. She remains a big fan of Donald, even after he has betrayed everything he ran on.

In her ramped up campaign to fight terrorism, she will intensify the Police State and extend French bombing (with may civilians killed) beyond Syria and Iraq.

The War on Terror, which is her them, is based on scapegoating Muslims and justifying expanded war powers, repression at home, war abroad. That is fascism writ simple.

Trump's Big Lie was that Mexicans are criminals and refugees are terrorists, both threatening America. Le Pen's big lie is that France because of "Islamic fanaticism" is on the verge of civil war. Like Trump, she is using fake threats and the need to "win" the war to drum up support. Here is what Madison said about making up excuses for war:

In time of actual war, great discretionary powers are constantly given to the Executive Magistrate. Constant apprehension of War, has the same tendency to render the head too large for the body. A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people."Speech, Constitutional Convention

When Le Pen conjures up a civil war, she is preparing the population for war. In fact, since 2015, there have been 215 killings by alleged terrorists, with many of the attacks having the hallmark of false flag events to justify the militarization of French society. Le Pen vows to intensify this development, which puts vaunted French liberty and equality and solidarity at great peril.

In the 20th Century, Europe was devasted by two wars fueled by nationalism and leading to the slaughter of 100 million; and while I do not support NATO or the current EU leadership, I think it is important to understand why so many Europeans fear the resurgence of the nationalistic spirit which destroyed Europe twice in such a short time.

And let us be clear, there are two kinds of nationalism, one justified, the other the fuel of war. Liberation nationalism fuels the desire of people to throw off oppressive foreign control; ultranationalism seeks to expel the "outsiders" and uses patriotism as a justification for both repression at home and wars abroad. That is what history has taught us, and I don't think Le Pen is out of the historical pattern, despite her softer image, a calculated decision to enable the far right to take over one of the most successful social democracies in all history.

I may be wrong, but sadly, I rarely am. Go back and read my articles on how the peace initiative with Russia was fake and would not last, how Trump would not deliver his populist promises because he was a global oligarch, how his claims to be the enemy of neo-conservativism was a lie because his advisors were all seasoned neo-cons, how his promise to bring the jobs home from abroad was a lie because 95% of his force was in slave labor nations, how his claim to help the working class (his average supporter makes $96K a year) was propaganda, snake oil. I wish I had been wrong but I have a very active bullshit detector, and I sensed it in Trump and I sense it in his soulmate Le Pen.

Update/May 1:

On the same day, Le Pen's National Front leader has "quit" over a row involving his support for Holocaust denial, a claim he, of course, denies. But he is gone.

At the same time, Paul Gorka, associated with a Hungarian Nazi group, has been fired by Trump.

In both cases, these far right fascists were chosen, then when their sordid Nazi associations (all denied, OF COURSE) were exposed, expelled, to be able to present a friendly face of fascism as Americanism and French Pride.

Co-incidence or signs of the same right wing strategy to establish a friendly fascism, expelling those who are accepted in leadership positions until they are exposed.

Gorka's job was to aid the fight against terrorism. The Nazis came to power with violence, threats, and the promise to fight against terrorism (for them, Jewish/Bolshevik, for today's anti-terrorists, Muslims).

The smell from the cesspool of far right politics, when it hits the public nose, is then blown away as a signal that exposure of fascist ties will not be tolerated!

(Article changed on May 1, 2017 at 13:34)

(Article changed on May 1, 2017 at 17:14)

Authors Bio:

retired, working radical egalitarian/libertarian socialist old school independent, vegan, survivor