What the greatest generation knew about fascism which the US has forgotten, to its peril

Based on the US military’s 1945 assessment of fascism, sent to the troops in Europe

There’s finally begun to be serious talk around the vision for America that Mr Trump is ushering in, not by himself — not by a long shot !— but surrounded by competing interest groups, and Far Right ideologues and operatives who have gathered beneath his banner. The MAGAs have for now renounced the title of “fascism”, which they surmise (and this at least is a mininal positive) is still as yet not going to be accepted as a positive thing.

Nevertheless, their responses to former employees, and military generals, using the F-word illustrates one of the characteristic features of fascist politics: attacking anyone who criticises them, ad hominem (they are “disgruntled”, “radical Left”, etc.), rather than responding to the criticism.

So, decorated, retired Generals who worked with number 45 are “radical leftists”. And now we have the sublime culture — sorry, we meant “Western civilization” !— of leading MAGAs calling Kamala Harris a “c-word”, by which these insolent bros are playing on “communist” (which she is not) and the most crass obscenity describing female genitalia.

Until not too long ago, let us remark — since memory is under attack — there was a difference between what people perceived as “strength” and “freedom of expression” and teaching even…