Trumpwatch

The former president fits the fascist mold

Comparing immigrants to the blood-thirsty movie villain Hannibal Lecter, Donald Trump has declared that they will “poison the blood” of the American people. He says that as president of the United States, he would use a massive force, including members of the military, to arrest millions of these undocumented residents — most of whom peacefully contribute to our society — hold them in sprawling camps, and force them out of the country. Among those ejected would be tens of thousands of Afghans granted asylum when the Taliban seized control of their country.  

For years Trump has spread the false claims that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes than others and that foreign governments are emptying jails and mental hospitals and sending those released to the United States. Neither claim is true, nevertheless, he has made the undocumented scapegoats for his followers to fear and loathe, creating the kind of “enemy within” presented by authoritarian leaders who then pose as saviors. His plan to arrest millions, corral them in camps, and force them out would have disastrous effects on the labor markets (these workers are essential to the food supply) and end America’s status as a world haven for both the oppressed and the poor.

Trump double-downed on his effort to create “others” for his followers to hate when, in an echo of Nazi Germany, he described his opponents as “vermin” whom he would “root out.” (I know, in today’s politics, tying someone to the Nazis is considered out-of-bounds. But in Trump’s case, we have a singular, power-mad cult leader who fits the description so fully it must be said.)

As he creates categories of scapegoats, Trump checks one of the fourteen hallmarks of fascism identified by philosopher Umberto Ecco, who lived through dictator Benito Mussolini’s reign.  It is number five on Ecco’s list: “Fear of difference” which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners or immigrants.