Via Unsplash
“When government becomes dysfunctional, because of runaway spending, unsustainable debt, a war gone wrong, or other crises, people often clamor for a strong man to restore order.”– Cato Institute.
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | White working men are the Make America Great Again (MAGA) base. Their earnings have not risen as fast as inflation… and they feel powerless.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the S&P was at 3,748. It is now at 5,751. That is a tremendous rise. Joe Biden has helped many retirees with savings. Maybe that is why he is doing so well with seniors. But things are not as good for young folks. And that is what worries me regarding this election, which will determine if we remain a democracy.
My maternal grandparents, hard-working and highly religious people, were penniless immigrants. Their parents, brothers, and sisters remained in Italy when Mussolini came to power. I always wondered how his leading government could take place.
Mussolini recalled the environment that led him to seize power: “We saw passing before our eyes the dreadful panorama of chaos and of evil forces which had broken into a gallop, tragic beyond words to one who loved his country.” Wow, that wording sounds very familiar…and current.
In 1922, Mussolini led his base of fascist followers, who wanted to make Italy great again, and marched on the elected government in Rome. “The one constant throughout the ordeal was that nobody seemed entirely sure what the end goals of the Fascists were, much like the contradictory and unclear nature of their ideology.”
Prior to 1922, squads of right-wing followers of Mussolini frequently attacked his enemies. Often, the police would just stand by. So, he easily cowered the Italian government into thinking that his Blackshirt Militia, funded by wealthy Italians (sound familiar?), would attack if they did not peacefully cede power. Mussolini took power without a shot, which is exactly what Trump wanted to do on January 6, 2021, when his minions followed his instructions and marched on our Capitol to overthrow an election.
But the 1922 situation did not happen overnight. The key is understanding how Mussolini achieved his goal. And that begins with fascist theory and the Cato Institute quote above.
If the population believes that the nation is in great deterioration, it will long for a strong man to correct the situation. Said fascist theoretician Mario Palmeri: “The state must be a social, political, economic, moral and religious organism built as a pyramid, and at the top is the national hero, the greatest man of his time.” Sound familiar, MAGA supporters?
The libertarian Cato Institute goes on to list a few of the items related to a fascist state, including appealing to “capitalist cronies”; appointing these cronies (“If a constitution makes it difficult for a strong man to appoint his cronies to high positions, he should disregard the constitution and appoint them anyway”), and subverting human rights to further “national greatness.” This sounds most familiar regarding many of the Project 2025 recommendations I detailed in earlier columns.
I can agree with Trump on some policy areas, such as the Middle East. However, Trump’s dictatorial tendencies, his autocratic ways, and him teetering on the edge of being alert, are my greater concerns.
But, if you want to keep our democracy free, vote for Kamala Harris.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Follow Us