Orange Is The New Fascist
In the famous words of DJ Khaled, congratulations, you played yourself. “President” Trump is officially ushering in what historians will no doubt look back on as one of the biggest stains on US history. That’s not even factoring in how Trump will boast an asterisk next to his name, forever challenging the legitimacy of his presidency, the fact that he lost the popular vote by 2.9 million (something he frequently lies about) and is deeply unpopular. But this isn’t about how big a loser “President” Trump is, it’s about how he’s undermining the US Constitution before your very eyes, ushering in a new age of authoritarian government.
It is pure hypocrisy on the side of Republicans who now stand by and meekly watch as “President” Trump signs executive order after executive order. This is what they said about President Obama:
Those are just three examples. There are countless videos and articles of Republican politicians and voters alike decrying the use of Obama’s executive orders, which by the way, weren’t used to strip millions of healthcare or ban Muslims from entering the country. (Side note: Democrats, I’m gonna need you to get a little more vocal when it comes to opposing and obstructing Trump. See Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand if you’re looking to follow someone’s lead.) Hell, even Trump’s VICE PRESIDENT Mike Pence was against a Muslim ban:
Pence is right, the Muslim ban — which in a weird twist, is not the most alarming executive order signed by “President” Trump last week — is most certainly unconstitutional. “It violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from preferring or disfavoring any religion.” Trump doesn’t want Muslims — refugees or not, entering the country but welcomes Christian refugees? Okay then.
But look a little closer at the Muslim ban and you start to see how little sense it really makes if it’s being done in the name of national security. Notably, “President” Trump’s ban conveniently omits countries in which he has business ties but also the countries targeted have missed the mark, bigly:
Trump claims to be motivated by the horrific September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, but the countries of which the 19 aircraft hijackers were citizens are not on the list — most came from Saudi Arabia and the rest from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon.
Also absurdly absent are Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan — all of them hotbeds of terror. In excluding them, Trump is grovelling to their leaders, not making a gesture to their people.
In the 40 years to 2015, not a single American was killed on US soil by citizens from any of the seven countries targeted — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — according to research by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute.
Even as protests mounted at airports across America, “President” Trump lied:
President Donald Trump claimed his ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries was “not a Muslim ban” and said it’s “working out very nicely” despite chaos and confusion as officials struggle to implement his order.
Perhaps the most alarming executive order “President” Trump signed last week allowed for the reshuffling of the National Security Council. In doing so, Trump has reduced the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs to attending the council on an as needed basis while Steve Bannon — a Goldman Sachs executive and the former head of a white supremacist “news” site — regularly attends a meeting about NATIONAL SECURITY. Please let this sink in:
With “President” Trump’s words and actions in mind, reflect on this, The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
4. Supremacy of the Military
5. Rampant Sexism
6. Controlled Mass Media
7. Obsession with National Security
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
9. Corporate Power is Protected
10. Labor Power is Suppressed
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
14. Fraudulent Elections
Jamil Smith reached this conclusion well over a year ago. Yes, Donald Trump is a fascist. It’s time to dispense with the false notion that he’s anything but.
