General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMichael Moore: ‘Trump inspires his side. It’s like Munich in 1932’. Why Trump really is a fascist.
Can you explain Donald Trump to a European?Im thinking how to put this Im sure youve noticed Americans are very alpha. Like, were number one! Were number one! Were the best! Trump is that on steroids. And its a tune that Americans like to listen to. Not all Americans, not the majority, but this isnt going to be an election about the majority. Its about whos going to vote. We have a country where we try very hard to get 50% of the people to vote. You have to remember, 80% of this country is either female, people of colour or young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. He has offended all three of these groups to such a large degree theres no way he could win a majority of women, blacks, Hispanics or young people. Thats off the table. But he can win if the other side stays home, and let me tell you something, nobody is going to be excited to get up that morning and vote for Hillary Clinton, even if you like her. She does not inspire that in people. Trump, on the other hand, inspires his side. Its like Munich in 1932.
Is it? Is it fascism?
It is fascism, of course it is. Absolutely. Yes. He wants to combine the power of capital with the power of the state and to use the other to drive a huge amount of fear into peoples hearts. Thats working well with the 19%, thats all thats left of white men in America over the age of 35. The countrys changing but they are not going to go quietly and thats why you see how big and how angry the whole thing is. I have told people to take it very seriously. Look, of course, hes a clown. Hes a performance artist. Hes a buffoon. Hes all these things.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/05/michael-moore-interview-where-to-invade-next-donald-trump
malthaussen
(17,066 posts)He might more reasonably have said that more people will be excited about voting for Mr Trump than will be excited about voting for Mrs Clinton.
I will agree, though, that among the "19%" he references, few will be excited about voting for Hillary. But in that 19% are those who probably will vote for her nonetheless, because they are more open to the "lesser of two evils" argument than those with less world-weariness.
-- Mal
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)Moore nailed it.
There is no excitement surrounding Hillary Clinton's campaign. She is a bland, establishment candidate, a female Mitt Romney with a (D) after her name, the prospective nominee only because it is her turn. She does not inspire. Even the historic "first woman president" means little because she has been front and center in the public eye for so long.
She may beat Trump in the polls but there is a definite difference between the two in the enthusiasm factor. Now, this may actually work in her favor. As Trump continues going off the deep end, a vanilla establishment candidate like Hillary Clinton may become more appealing to the great moderate middle.
Gene Debs
(582 posts)The2ndWheel
(7,947 posts)but inspiration can be similar to 1932 Munich. Only for one side though. Obviously not your own side, as nobody is the bad guy in the movie of their own life.
Sounds more like he wanted to shoehorn that Nazi part in there than anything else.
Igel
(35,197 posts)So a fascist is populist?
Tries to get one segment of the population turned against another?
Inspires violence and the threat of an uprising to take control over society and the country?
Bases his political appeal on his supporters' emotions and desires, feelings of being wronged and cheated out of their due?
Wants to get capital and governmental power united for political ends to right the social wrongs keeping his supporters down?
Gee. That describes Hitler. And Mussolini. And Mao. And Lenin. And Trump. And Chavez. And Sanders. Probably lots of other populist politicians left and right, up and down, too.
It's populist pablum, and any time you get a large popular movement you're very likely to get all these factors. It might be race and ethnicity, it might be class, it might be religion, it might be any other trait that is used for identification so help unite the group being appealed to.