There are so many definitions of fascism that it is a word that is very difficult to pin down with a hard and fast meaning. Couple that with the fact that it is often used as a ‘snarl’ word by the Left in order to shut down debate. A leftist screaming ‘fascist’ normally means that the leftist has lost the argument and can only snarl and end the argument.
However, there is one aspect of fascism that many people can agree on and that is the issue of freedom of speech. Fascist dictatorships and fascist governments such as those of Mussolini’s Italy, Hitler’s Germany and Franco’s Spain all had restrictions on speech and punishment for those who spoke or wrote in ways, or on subjects that the governing power disapproved of. Those who go out of their way to prevent public speech or to prevent the broader mass of people hearing a particular political view are behaving in a noticeably fascistic manner. Private speech in private settings is a different matter, I don’t have to tolerate Nazis or Communists or Islamists speaking their stuff in my home or on this blog, but public political speech is a different kettle of fish.
So in the clash between US presidential hopeful Donald Trump and the anti-Trump protesters who do you think is behaving in the most fascistic way? Donald Trump is not beyond criticism, just as any other person is not and should not be beyond criticism, but as far as I can ascertain Mr Trump has not stopped others from criticising him. Neither it should be said has Mr Trump used extreme violence or the threat of violence to prevent criticism nor physically impeded people from hearing anti-Trump opinions. There are many people who may not like Mr Trump’s politics or his demeanour but in a free society there is a need to hear different opinions, even those opinions that can fairly be described as ‘challenging’.
It’s now time to turn our attention to the anti-Trump protesters. Their behaviour has been very difficult to categorise as anything other than ‘fascistic’. They have blocked roads in order to prevent those wishing to attend Trump rallies from getting to venues. They have verbally and physically intimidated people entering and leaving Trump events. They have even taken it upon themselves to act as ‘representatives’ of the ‘people’s will’ and promised to ‘shut down’ Trump events. What do you thing that this sort of behaviour appears to be? It’s certainly not democratic nor is it respectful of the right to debate in public a multitude of different views. If you asked me as an independent outside observer to decide who is the fascist in this situation then going on the evidence I would be forced to choose the anti-Trump protesters to bear the shame of the ‘fascist’ label.
To get a flavour of what is happening on the ground with regards Donald Trump and those who oppose him take a look at this article from the website of the American conservative political commentator Lt Col Allan West dated 20th March 2016.
Lt Col West’s site quoting a pseudonymous writer called ‘The Analytical Economist’ said:
“Yesterday morning, anti-Trump protesters completely blocked off traffic in both directions ahead of a Trump campaign rally in Fountain Hills, Arizona. According to Tucson News Now, three protesters were arrested
For hours, the protesters – about two dozen in total – parked their cars in the middle of the road, unfurling banners reading “Dump Trump” and “Must Stop Trump,” and chanting “Trump is hate.” Traffic was backed up for miles, with drivers honking in fury.
Protesters were also chanting, “Donald Trump, shut it down, Phoenix is the people’s town.”
The road was eventually cleared and protesters marched down the highway to the rally site, weaving between Trump supporters who booed and jeered them.”
Read the rest of this piece via the link below and make sure you watch the video there showing what happened when one driver had had a belly-full of the arrogant social justice warriors of the anti-Trump crowd.
There is a lorry load of irony coming from the anti-Trump protesters, not just at the Phoenix, Arizona event that the article describes, but at other places where Trump has spoken. The anti-Trump crowd cannot see the hypocrisy of accusing Trump of fascistic views, whilst preventing people from hearing views that differ from their own. That is a behaviour that is in itself an action of a fascistic nature.
You may agree or disagree with Donald Trump but it’s plain to see that the only fascists I can find in this story are those opposed to Trump.
