this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
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I thought this was always obvious. His whole appeal was 'he says it like it is' and 'he's brave enough to say what we're all thinking'.
That's why scandals didn't affect him, he never pretended to be virtuous like most of the other Republicans do.
A third of people in any society have authoritarian tendencies and will vote for the strong man 'that will set everything straight', and it's always a failure of mainstream politicians that allows these people to get into power (either by not motivating the other 70% to vote for their project, being too divided, or by going into a coalition with that party).
Details are confusing. These people like "I'll fix all your problems" with no actual substance, and then when their problems are not solved, they like hearing "it's the ~~Jews~~ Immigrants fault".
Solutions are not even desired by these people, just a scapegoat for all their woes.
Yeah, it's not about solutions. It's about punishing the 'other'. Deflecting from the actual source of everyone's economical backsliding (the billionaires skimming money off every part of economic activity).
So how do we turn these people against the billionaires?
MAGA is popular for the same reason other nationalist, fascist movements have risen over the course of modern history: as a response to Capitalist decay. MAGA isn't popular for genetic reasons, intellectual inferiority, or other reasons like that, but as a common class interest. All of the descriptors in the OP are consequences of the driving factor of class interests, not the drivers themselves.
Fascism is most often represented as an alliance between the Petite Bourgeoisie and Bourgeoisie proper, driven by the Petite Bourgeoisie, as monopolization of Capital results in competition becoming more and more difficult, and the Petite Bourgeoisie faces Proletarianization. To prevent the Petite Bourgeoisie from joining the Proletariat in solidarity, the Bourgeoisie proper turns their hatred against the Proletariat and Lumpenproletariat.
What does this all mean, in practical, American terms? Small business owners, landlords, ie the "middle class," is shrinking in power, so the Small Business Owners are aligning with billionaires like Musk and Bezos against immigrants, workers, unhoused peopled, gender/sexual minorities, women, ethnic minorities, and more.
How do we fix this? Grow the Petite Bourgeoisie and restore their position? Absolutely not! That's when fascism is established. Trying to "turn the clock back to the good old days" results in dramatic reductions in worker rights and a solidification of power.
What we need to do is establish Socialism. A victory of the Proletariat, a folding of the large monopolist syndicates into the public sector so they can be centrally planned for the public good, rather than privately planned for profit, is the way forward. This is the way to escape fascism's rise. This is the way to defeat MAGA.
I recommend reading the book Blackshirts and Reds, fascism's irrationality has rational, material origins, that can be understood and defeated, and it isn't in the "marketplace of ideas."
Jesus Christ stop spamming the same regurgitated Marxist post everywhere. At least reformulate your "socialism is the solve to everything!" post in a couple ways, or just only post it once per thread.
This seems extremely naive to me. I'm not saying there's nothing there, but it seems to exist outside of the harsher aspects of reality.
e.g. Russia turned socialist, but look at it now, and China too, but look at it now, and even the USA was turning toward socialist tendencies, but look at it now. The Power of the People only works if people will expend effort, but since people are lazy (most) and greedy (even moar-er), the wolves will run the henhouse and turn the people into slaves. We should rise up... but we'd rather take a nap.
Man, I desperately hope that I'm wrong. And I freely admit that my vision is clouded by the storm of shit that surrounds me. But even so, what good does thinking in such terms do? Either the conservatives and therefore Project 2025 fascism is going to win this next election, or else we wait 2 years until the midterm elections and see how that goes, then try the presidency all over again two more years after that. This Russian Roulette goes on and on... and on and on... and on and on... and on and on... and... well, until either they win or someone gets tired of it and takes democracy away on the other side as well. It does no good to think 100 years ahead, when we are about to lose our democracy in 2 months to 4 years from today.
That's definitely a great analysis, thanks!
No problem! I encourage reading the book I linked if you want to understand the materialist basis for fascism and Communism historically, fascism's irrationality is born from rational class interests, and in knowing what causes fascism we can know how to stop it.
He really is an accurate representative for his base: the worst scum sucking garbage alive.