How the Republican party legitimized fascism

I admit I am something of a history nerd. I have always viewed the maxim that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, a truism. Current events, as they pertain to the Republican party, have only served to reinforce my view. In the case of the Republican party, the lesson in question involves the dangers of giving safe harbor to the advocates of fascism. Political parties have always attracted fringe elements of society. And it would be disingenuous to suggest that the presence of those who embody the worst of our nation's impulses is only found amongst Republican party officials. The ideological views of Southern Democrats in the south who for generations embraced the worst aspects of racism proved that neither of America's established political party has a monopoly on morality.

The extent to which the Republican party has increasingly courted fringe elements of America's far-right voting population has now become a matter of national and domestic security. For several years law enforcement has identified domestic terrorism as representing a far greater threat than international terrorism. Even before the sickening events of January sixth, noted analysts within the intelligence community were already concerned about the possibility of violent attacks by white supremacy groups. That Donald Trump found himself enrolled as an icon for nationalism and fascism was not a coincidence. His elevation to that of a poster-boy for groups such as the Klan and other domestic hate groups did not happen by chance. Trump's meteoric rise reflected not only the influence of media outlets that promulgated his lies but by the tacit permission of party officials who refused to condemn their party's nominee's rhetoric or his actions.

From the beginning of the Trump 2020 campaign, it was clear that the former reality show host was happy to entertain the support of America’s most perverse, xenophobic, and racist supports. Like Hitler and Mussolini, he faithfully executed the Fascist playbook. During his rallies, he blamed immigrants for the loss of jobs in much the same way he Hitler blamed polish workers and Jewish investors for the economic tribulations of Germany in the ’30s. When his supports attacked peaceful protestors, he offered to cover their legal expenses. Before long Trump found himself endorsed by a former and current member of the KKK. Tellingly the more Trump sought to shock and provoke his supporters, the more GOP officials retreated into silence, effectively sanctioning Trump’s worst offenses.

Even now the stark loss of political courage within America's political system and the willingness of the Republican party to enable fascism is not difficult to spot. The election of xenophobic officeholders like Marjorie Taylor Smith represents a fundamental assault on America's core values. That Republican party officials chose not to seek an alternate candidate when her Democratic opponent dropped out of the 2020 Congressional race points to a pathological pattern of compartmentalization. The willingness of Senate Republicans to rationalize their choices suggests a belief a dangerous and erroneous view of fascism, namely that in the face of a greater threat, political violence is both justified and necessary. Germany's fascist used the specter of communism to justify the indefensible. The mob who attacked the nation’s Capital justified on the grounds of a bogus and debunked conspiracy theory.

Failure to hold Trump accountable for his actions will do more than discredit the party's political brand. If Republicans in both houses refuse to hold Trump accountable for his role in the events that occurred on January the sixth, they will have effectively capitulated to the practitioners of fascism. As the victim of Hitter’s regime learned, the price of enabling fascism is paid in blood and suffering. If we learned anything from the horrific events of January the sixth, it is surely this.