Is Fascism Coming to America? | Opinion

Warnings about fascism have become quite fashionable. The concern that if former President Donald Trump wins in November America will descend into fascism pervades many leading publications, resides atop numerous bestseller lists, and sits on the tip of many prominent tongues.

Yale University professor and author of the bestseller How Fascism Works, Jason Stanley, recently put it this way: "We have a classic fascist situation in this country right now. Trump is a fascist leader who intends to overthrow the country and democracy—and he's very good at it." Leading commentator and former United States Labor Secretary Robert Reich likewise asserted there are "alarming parallels between Nazism and MAGAism" and concluded that "Donald Trump is a fascist."

There's a problem with these and other ominous warnings about fascism. They're fundamentally confused.

Fascism is a specific form of political system. It has a variety of definitions, but most agree it contains these three elements: extreme nationalism, a dictatorial strongman, and violent suppression of the opposition. Merriam Webster defines it as follows: "a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition."

Adolf Hitler was a fascist strongman in Germany. Benito Mussolini was in Italy. Francisco Franco in Spain. They were dictators who broadly controlled their governments, and did so through fear and force. Oh, and they murdered huge numbers of innocent people along the way.

If Trump wins in November, we'll have big problems. His me-first brand of executive mismanagement will likely generate intense international discord and severe domestic dysfunction. There will be plenty of things to worry about.

But fascism isn't one of them.

For starters, Trump wouldn't control the entire government. He'd want to; but federal, state, and local officials throughout the country—legislative, judicial, and executive alike—wouldn't conspire with Trump to achieve a nationwide fascist MAGA regime. His hardcore supporters (well below half the country) would rally around him, to be sure. And this could be damaging in numerous ways. But that's a far cry from fascist dictatorship.

Trump, moreover, wouldn't murder huge numbers of innocent people like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, and other fascists did. Mass executions at the hands of Trump's underlings aren't in America's future.

For a country to become fascist its people must fall in line (through consent, fear, or force), and on a large scale, submit to the ruling strongman. The American people have strengths and weaknesses. Among the strengths—We're spunky. We're fighters. Well over 100 million of us (including many in government) don't like Trump. Many of us strongly dislike him. That isn't changing. If he wins in November, the resistance to his presidency will—once again—be fierce.

Ironically, many of those warning about fascism are the very sort of vigorous critics who prosper in our free and open (non-fascist) press, and who will help make sure this prediction never comes true.

This isn't to say, of course, that another Trump presidency wouldn't have certain elements of fascism. It surely would. Trump would likely continue to say disturbing things reminiscent of actual fascist dictators. He'd continue to cater to white nationalists. He'd continue to denigrate immigrants. He'd continue to rage against elites. He'd also try—once again—to evade and undermine America's democratic institutions, including the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power. He might even succeed in some instances. (Which party controlled the House and the Senate would materially impact the extent of his success.)

But having some of the necessary elements of fascism and not others is, well, decidedly not fascism. Trump is not, will not be—cannot be—a murderous dictator. And that is, above all, the central ingredient in true fascism.

As those who criticize Trump's incendiary rhetoric are quick to point out—words matter. And using the same label for a murderous, fascist tyrant (like Hitler) and an incompetent, sloppy propagandist (like Trump) makes no sense. They simply do not belong in the same category.

It's good to be on the lookout for big risks that have a low probability of happening. Every once in a while they actually do happen. There's a difference, however, between a risk and a fantasy. And it's counterproductive to fundamentally mischaracterize the threat Trump poses. It leaves people off balance and unprepared. It plays into his hands.

Alexander Hamilton described long ago what the America polity would look like if Trump wins in November. It wouldn't be fascist; it would be nebulous, unstable, and confused: "The truth unquestionably is, that the only path to a subversion of the republican system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehensions, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring on civil commotion."

The tumult of another Trump presidency would be dangerous. But it only makes things worse to assert fascism is on America's doorstep. It isn't. And the doomsayers should take a deep breath and stop saying otherwise.

William Cooper is the author of How America Works ... And Why It Doesn't.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.