Submitted by Mark Green
Fascism is a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, the violent suppression of the opposition and is typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
Bob Fulkerson’s definition: Fred Perry, Trump supporters, Paul Gosar, the Trump presidency and Mark Amodei.
Like Mr. Fulkerson, I, too, condemn fascism, and I, too, want to be the one to decide who is a fascist. My concern is that, outside of Amodei voting for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for House Speaker, there is no context of any kind or an explanation of what these people—and they are all people—did to make them fascists, according to Fulkerson.
Does anybody else see what’s wrong with Fulkerson’s article? What is the context for the “fake elector” pejorative? Pejoratives are the only descriptions used when speaking of the singularly conservative people in the article.
Well, the dynamic of “fake” electors goes back at least to 1876. We’re led to believe it is recent and novel and that it must be “bad” with “malicious intent.” How about voting against the certification of an election? We’re to believe this is the first and only time it’s been done and Republicans did it for “bad” reasons with “malicious intent.”
Did Democrats ever do this? Absolutely. Several times.
Using the philosophy behind this article, it would be legitimate for me to say fascism is Black Lives Matter for having views I disagree with. Stacey Abrams for refusing to concede in Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial race. Pro-Biden supporters for voting for Biden. Biden’s presidency for pressuring social media to cover up embarrassing episodes to the Biden family.
As you can see, we must all name, shame, and fight these things because they’re fascistic. That fixes everything, doesn’t it? End of discussion because of the thinking that should have come before the discussion ever took place. End of a discussion that never started because starting with name-calling ends up in a Monty Pythonesque debate of “is too,” “is not,” “is too,” etc.
Give me reasons, examples and explanations for “why,” and we can discuss possible solutions. As it stands now, I reject Mr. Fulkerson’s argument because of the ad hominem attacks at every turn, and half-truths are portrayed as the whole truth.
Opinions written as truths without facts are harmful and deleterious to the body politic. It is precisely the type of behavior the author says he finds objectionable. Nothing productive ever comes from that thinking, nor the actions he is implicitly or explicitly advocating.
Mark Green is a lifelong Reno resident, fourth-generation Nevadan, a former teacher and says he is fed up with divisive arguments passing themselves off as rational or educational.
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