Today I did it. I tried one last time to get through to him. He’s a Jew. I showed him a verse from the bible (Leviticus 19:33) that says to relate to a foreigner like one of your own, as we were foreigners in egypt. He doesn’t care, tried to make up semantics about why It doesn’t mean that.
I showed him pictures of the Everglades Concentration Camp and how they’re selling merchandise, and how this is what the Nazis started with. He called me a hysterical lefty and told me “you must be the most pleasant person in the room and know everything”.
I blocked him after that. It crushes me to block one of the pillars of my life from my childhood, but I can’t associate with a fucking hypocrite or a fucking nazi supporter. He’s 60, when they cut medicare for him, I hope my sister is ready to go bankrupt paying for his medical care, because he voted for this, not me.
The thing is, and I know this is just semantics, but these MAGA folks are not “conservatives” in the least. They are reactionaries.
I don’t see much “conserving” going on.
The actual, real conservatives these days are (love ‘em or hate ‘em) the centrist, status quo, moderate, neoliberal institutional Democrats, and the former Republicans (such as Liz Cheney and the Lincoln Project folks) who have joined them. They’re the ones attempting (albeit fecklessly) to conserve and preserve institutions (flawed though they may be), decorum, rule of law, the Constitution, things like that.
These MAGA types are actual Fascists, even though they balk when you call them that.
Here’s what Fascism is: a populist movement constructed around a palingenetic myth, with a vision of a glorious future, with the nation (and leader) at the center of this glorious rebirth. Palingenetic is a fancy word for “rebirth.” So a palingenetic myth is a compelling (to many) story about rebirthing and renewal.
So it goes something like this: “In the Past, We were once Great! The envy of the world!!! Everything was awesome! Alas, we have fallen. We are no longer Great, because of Them (immigrants, Jews, gays, progressives, Muslims, Communists, whomever blame sticks to). But We (the real ones) can be Great again! We can recover what was stolen from Us! The Nation takes primacy over the individual, and “law” is only valid so long as it’s not an impediment to Greatness. Rally around the Dear Leader, then, join the Movement, and let’s rebuilt/rebirth our Greatness together! Let’s kick some ass and be great AGAIN!!!”
That is Fascism, and that is what MAGA is.
When I watched Triumph of the Will many years ago, what I saw is being repeated, with American modifications and flavors, by MAGA today. Same shit, different day.
It is not “conservative” at all. That term is just a cover.
People are angry, and many people find the Fascist palingenetic myth to be compelling. Neolib Democrats have failed us, so rebellion against the status quo is at some level understandable.
We on the Left of center aren’t offering a compelling story or uniting vision of the future. We’re too busy nitpicking and policing language, virtue signaling, and woke scolding people. Calling someone “unhoused” vs. “homeless” does nothing to create a house for someone. Putting pronouns on our Twitter profiles does nothing to ensure fair and equal treatment under the law. Capitalizing the word Black does nothing to reverse systemic injustice. So yeah, we don’t have anything to offer as an alternative to either Fascism or status quo corporatism other than word policing. No wonder they hate us. I hate us too.
Tbh America has been three ballhairs short of a facist theocracy for the entirety of my 47 year life and probably a lot longer. You’re just finally seeing it from the inside
You are absolutely right. MAGA are not conservatives but even your run-of-the-mill Republican from 20 years ago was hardly a conservative. Save for a very few folks like David Brooks, George Will, or the late Alan Greenspan (not sure any would consider themselves Republicans), efficiency has only been a guise.
I chose to use that term just because it encompasses the largest tent of people who would be just fine to continue all this just to a lesser tone and without Trump. They have been chomping at the bit to reinterpret the constitution by way of appointing “letter of the law” judges since well before Liz’s father’s time. Speaking of whom, there’s no way Dick could be considered a defender of the constitution.
I do believe we, on the left, have something to offer. Community, quality of life, working together and lifting each other up. All basically euphemisms for socialism which, unfortunately, has been vigorously stigmatized. Just like being kind and caring about other people is stigmatized as “woke”. Fear of this demagoguery and trying to appeal to center Republicans is what’s made us this unappealing mess. We really just need to embrace the word socialism and say fuck the people who will lable us communists.
Your example of MAGA brand fascism is spot on! May have to quote that. Don’t think I could write it any better.