Thanks for sharing the article. I agree with the beginning and end, but find the author's reasoning skills in the middle to be lacking...
Neoliberlaism is indeed the chief enemy facing the world. (Stuart Hall wrote a good book on the ideology and origins of Neoliberlism if you are interested.) As the author states, neoliberalism began in the late 70s and has continued since then, with a dramatic upturn after 9/11. This covers the presidencies of Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, and Obama. Trump, on the other hand, has been in power for less than two years. And, unlike his predecessors, he has faced unremitting hostility from congress and the press. If he was part of the same neoliberal order, then wouldn't the establishment and its mouthpiece (the media) embrace him? How does directing public hostility against Trump strengthen the same order which has been in place since the late 70s? The author never addresses this question, probably because the obvious answer it that Trump's policies go against neoliberalism. Trump, and other populist movements around the globe, are an attempt to reclaim democracy from the neoliberal order.
The author mentions several systemic problems facing America - 2.5 million in jail, 47% of children under five living in low income families, the opioid crisis, the lack of drinking water in Flint, Michigan. Is Trump the cause of these problems? No, they all started and grew exponentially under previous presidents. The author almost admits this, but still decides to blame Trump at the end:
"Fascism in the United States has arrived slowly by subversion from within. Its roots have been on display for decades and emerged most visibly with President George W. Bush’s and then President Barack Obama’s war on terror. Bush, in particular, embraced unapologetically a raw display of power that sanctioned torture, domestic spying, secret prisons, kill lists, laws sanctioning indefinite detention, warrantless searches and war crimes. Obama did little to correct these legal illegalities and Trump has only breathed new life into them."
Actually, Obama did nothing to counter these crimes. Despite running on a progressive platform, once in office (for eight years!) he continued domestic surveillance, prosecuted whistle blowers,and expanded America's imperial reach. Doesn't that make Obama more of a tyrant than Trump?
An intellectually honest appraisal of Trump would look at the effects of his policies, and then compare those policies to those of previous presidents. The author does not do that. Instead, the author either blames Trump for the crimes of his predecessors, or simply highlights Trump's rhetoric over his actions. In this manner, the author is able to make Trump a "fascist". But juxtaposing Trump's words with a recount of Nazi atrocities is not enough to "prove" that Trump is of the same fascist cloth. Nor does it show that America is about to open the gas chambers.
Hitler had the backing of the German establishment; Trump does not. Hitler had paramilitary thugs (the SS) tied to his organization and under his payroll; Trump does not. Once in power, Hitler had the state and media firmly under his control; Trump clearly does not. Hitler unambiguously promoted a race-based ideology; Trump has repeatedly disavowed racism.
"Trump = Hitler" is a strawman argument. It's only purpose is to stifle debate, to lead to the very loss of critical thought that the author allegedly bemoans.
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