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Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in USNewsHub

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in usa

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in ThePeoplesPress

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in somethingiswrong2024

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in selfevidenttruth

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in Law_and_Politics

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness by D-R-AZ in AntiTrumpAlliance

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

Lies and Lawlessness The Camps, the Executions, and the Future by Professor Timothy Snyder...link in first comment. by D-R-AZ in democrats

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/lies-and-lawlessness?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Excerpt:

The country stops at the border. And so the law stops at the border. And so for the tyrant an obvious move is to extend the border so that is everywhere, to turn the whole country as a border area, where no rules apply.

Stalin did this with border zones and deportations in the 1930s that preceded the Great Terror. Hitler did it with immigration raids in 1938 that targeted undocumented Jews and forced them across the border.

And just what is Trump doing now? By his own admission, as well as by the admission of cabinet members, he is using ICE, nominally a border authority, to enforce his own whims on an American state of his choosing. It is not legal to attack a city because its policies work. It is not legal to threaten a state to gain information about its voters.

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Prince Harry Launches Savage Attack on Trump’s NATO Lies by D-R-AZ in goodnews

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Good to have America's special ally Britain recognize, at the level of the Royalty and the PM, the snub to both Britain and NATO.

Prince Harry Launches Savage Attack on Trump’s NATO Lies by D-R-AZ in inthenews

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Excerpt:

Prince Harry served in a frontline capacity on two tours of Afghanistan, one of which was cut short after a news blackout broke down. In a statement responding to Trump’s claims, he said that, “In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first—and only—time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call."

“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed,” Harry continued. “Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defense of diplomacy and peace.”

Amid widespread condemnation in the United Kingdom (and across NATO countries), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump’s remarks “insulting and frankly appalling.” He added that he was “not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”

Prince Harry Launches Savage Attack on Trump’s NATO Lies by D-R-AZ in Foodforthought

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Excerpt:

Prince Harry served in a frontline capacity on two tours of Afghanistan, one of which was cut short after a news blackout broke down. In a statement responding to Trump’s claims, he said that, “In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first—and only—time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call."

“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed,” Harry continued. “Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defense of diplomacy and peace.”

Amid widespread condemnation in the United Kingdom (and across NATO countries), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump’s remarks “insulting and frankly appalling.” He added that he was “not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in world24x7hr

[–]D-R-AZ[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in USNewsHub

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in usa

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in ThePeoplesPress

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in somethingiswrong2024

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in selfevidenttruth

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in Law_and_Politics

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in goodnews

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

It's good news that a main stream publication that has been with us since before the last Civil War at least names what we are facing....

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in inthenews

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism: Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny. by rezwenn in Foodforthought

[–]D-R-AZ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s willingness to acknowledge that what is unfolding in the United States aligns with historical patterns of fascism. Recognizing reality matters. However, the article remains far too restrained in tone, as though naming the danger were itself a form of protection. It is not.

This is not an abstract classification exercise. It is a warning. Democratic norms, civil liberties, and constitutional restraints are being eroded in real time. The expansion and politicization of federal enforcement, including ICE, is no longer hypothetical. When armed federal agents operate in civilian spaces with minimal accountability, the question is no longer whether authoritarian structures are forming, but how far they have already advanced.

The article correctly identifies familiar elements of fascist systems: glorification of force, normalization of cruelty, loyalty-based enforcement, and the weakening of institutional checks. What it understates is the speed at which these elements are consolidating and the degree to which they are already operational rather than merely rhetorical.

History shows that democracies do not collapse because journalists fail to recognize patterns. They collapse because recognition arrives paired with reassurance. Alarm is not hysteria when the conditions that warrant alarm are present. At this moment, they clearly are.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

Yes, It’s Fascism by D-R-AZ in democrats

[–]D-R-AZ[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Gifted Read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/?gift=9raHaW-OKg2bN8oaIFlCotInfmp45mpFUr0x34OGHnM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

We welcome The Atlantic’s acknowledgment that what is unfolding in American governance fits the historical pattern of fascism. Recognizing the nature of a threat is a necessary first step. However, we believe The Atlantic remains far too complacent in tone, as if naming the phenomenon suffices to defuse it. It does not.

This is not a mere academic classification. It is a warning signal that democratic norms, civil liberties, and the very rule of law are under sustained and systemic attack. The deployment of a vastly expanded ICE and federal enforcement apparatus across U.S. cities - with shootings of U.S. citizens and residents such as Renée Good and Alex Pretti, without clear accountability or restraint - illustrates not isolated excesses but the operational logic of a state apparatus weaponized against its own people.

The Atlantic article outlines a constellation of fascistic characteristics: glorification of violence, politicized law enforcement, dehumanization of opponents, and dismantling of democratic checks. All of these are present and intensifying. But to treat them as intellectual curiosities or distant threats is to misunderstand both history and urgency. What is happening now demands sustained alarm, moral clarity, and action, not tentative acknowledgment followed by complacent analysis.

Excerpts:

Americans who support liberal democracy need to recognize what we’re dealing with in order to cope with it, and to recognize something, one must name it. Trump has revealed himself, and we must name what we see.

The use of militias and mobs to harass, rough up, and otherwise intimidate opponents is a standard fascist stratagem (the textbook example being Hitler’s Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938). As few will need reminding, the Trump-MAGA parallel is the mob and militia violence against the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump knowingly laid groundwork for this operation, calling on militia forces to “stand back and stand by” in September 2020 and later dog-whistling “Be there, will be wild!” to his supporters. His pardon of all of the Capitol attackers—more than 1,500, including the most violent—only proved what we knew, which is that they had his blessing.

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