tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532871.post8716491611903938650..comments2024-03-13T13:29:33.800-05:00Comments on SocraticGadfly: No, Trump is not a fascist; he's a disjunctive presidentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532871.post-72865349004659930112023-07-02T16:53:06.840-05:002023-07-02T16:53:06.840-05:00With more hindsight, the idea of American politica...With more hindsight, the idea of American political cycles is either now broken or else in the political science version of a frozen war. I still wouldn't call Trump a full fascist, but after Jan. 6, semi-fascist, or faux fascist, or fascist on the cheap? Yeah, that I would. I don't know, and don't really care a lot, if Robin's thought has emerged.Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532871.post-64911809094313675712019-05-17T11:12:56.192-05:002019-05-17T11:12:56.192-05:00First, the second point. I'm at least halfway...First, the second point. I'm at least halfway with you on the polarization issue, David.<br /><br />Second, teh big issue.<br /><br />Robin's idea is that Trump is not a fascist precisely because he fits in an established arc of types of presidencies. A disjunctive-type presidency isn't really compatible with stereotypical fascist actions. I suppose in some sort of theoretical outlier, you could have a fascist president lurking behind seemingly disjunctive activities, or you could have an inept fascist who winds up as a disjunctive president but I see those as really hypothetical.<br /><br />I don't see Trump as a non-inept fascist, and to some degree, I think inept fascist is a contradiction in terms. (Mussolini made the mistake of taking an unprepared Italy to war; in domestic policy from 1922-1938, he was actually pretty ept, so he doesn't fit the definition of inept fascist.)<br /><br />So, with all that explainer? Robin is showing how pretty much one can't be a fascist and be a disjunctive president, and then showing how Trump IS a disjunctive president.<br /><br />Personally, I've rejected the idea Trump was a fascist from the time he took office, and for two reasons.<br /><br />One is, like Robin but before seeing Trump as a presidential "type" within political science terms, I simply didn't see him as a fascist.<br /><br />Second, it was #TheResistance type who first called him a fascist as an epithet. A. They were wrong, and B. Even if they had been partially right, I wasn't playing their game.<br /><br />(I may boost this up to the body of the post.)Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532871.post-12089564109482467432019-05-17T10:39:22.062-05:002019-05-17T10:39:22.062-05:00Perhaps I'm missing something. Where's the...Perhaps I'm missing something. Where's the part where you explain how Trump is not a fascist?<br /><br />Also, I question Robin's diagnosis of the "increased polarization of the two mainstream parties." They make a lot of polarized-ish noises in public, which attracts attention from the media, but with the Democrats moving rightward about as quickly as the Republicans, it's hard to see the Dems hanging out by any pole—except maybe the one in the middle holding up the two-party tent.dbcgreentxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16208666292476679068noreply@blogger.com