It all started out as an innocent experiment. The year was 1967, and California high school teacher Ron Jones wanted to demonstrate to his history class how the German populace could willingly participate in the fascist regime of the Nazi party. So he organized an experiment, called the Third Wave, in which he had his class participate in a series of harsh simulations modeled after the Nazi movement. "Strength through discipline, strength through community, strength through action, strength through pride,” became the class motto. Over the course of the week, the experiment grew into a cult-like following, attracting hundreds of students from around the school, and occasionally erupting in violence and bullying. Mr. Jones then had the followers of the movement attend a “rally” at which a Third Wave presidential candidate would be announced. Instead of a candidate, he presented them with a blank television screen. There was no candidate; the students had all fallen prey to the fascist simulation. They sat in various states of shock. Mr. Jones had demonstrated the ease with which authoritarian rulers can come to power.
Flash forward almost sixty years later. America is in the midst of a great turmoil. Only this time, it’s not an experiment. It’s election season. We are up to our necks in the mud that’s been slung by each candidate towards the other. And for one candidate, there has emerged a massive cult following eerily similar to the Third Wave. Who is this candidate? You guessed it: Donald J. Trump.
You’ve heard it all by now. Trump this, Trump that, “Make America Great Again,” “Make Donald Drumpf Again.” Well, the pro- and anti-Trump rhetoric is bound to continue at least until November, now that he has essentially secured the Republican nomination. But there also remains a greater ambiguity regarding Trump’s ideology. Is he conservative? Liberal in disguise? Populist?
Try Fascist. Trump has attracted a massive following is less than a year, a mixed crowd that feels disenfranchised and disregarded by Washington politicians. Trump taps into their deep-seated prejudices and fuels their fears about their “failing” country. All of this is accomplished through excessive pomp and circumstance, heavily polarized rallies, xenophobic and racist rhetoric, and a strong emphasis on nationalism. So how does this mirror fascist rhetoric?
Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt studied the fascist regimes of Hitler in Nazi Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Francisco Franco in Italy, and multiple Latin American countries. He developed a comprehensive list of 14 key characteristics of fascism. Among them are powerful nationalism, military supremacy, obsession with national security, protection of corporate interests, rampant sexism, targeting of scapegoats, and censorship. Trump has tallied at least one offense on every one of these counts. Here is a brief sampling:
Powerful nationalism: This is easily cited in his slogan “Make America Great Again.” America is not on the brink of collapse, as Trump wants to make voters think. By issuing this rallying cry, he unites his supporters behind a fascist-esque brand of hyper-nationalism. Also, he makes a point of having creepy displays of national pride at his rallies—like these young girls dancing at a rally in Pensacola, Florida.
Military Supremacy: He has advocated killing the family members of terrorists—a blatant war crime. You know who else advocated war crimes? Fascists.
Obsession with National Security: His open denouncement of Muslims—and desire to ban them from America—shows his bigoted, skewed view on how to keep America “safe.” When interviewed on the Today Show as to how he would treat terror suspects, Trump said "waterboarding would be fine, and if they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding." And none of us can forget his obsession with "The Wall," a proposed plan to have Mexico pay for a wall that will keep Mexican immigrants out of America.
Protection of Corporate Interests: He proposed a 45% tariff on foreign imports in order to protect American business; never mind the fact that this would destroy free trade agreements and hurt consumers.
Rampant sexism: He accused Hillary Clinton of playing “the woman card.” Really, Donald?! He called Fox News anchor Megan Kelley a “bimbo”. He told another female journalist that she “wouldn’t have [her] job if [she] weren’t beautiful.” And the list goes on and on.
Targeting of Scapegoats: He has targeted Muslims, Hispanics, and more generally, all non-white immigrants as the source of America’s problems. In his eyes, Mexicans are "rapists" and Muslims are "terrorists." These attacks aren’t only false, racist accusations; they have the ability to evolve into dangerous witch-hunts if Trump is elected president. Democracy stands in the way of a Holocaust replica, but do we even want to risk heading down a path that could jeopardize human lives?
Censorship: No, Trump has not seized control of American media (not yet, at least). But the frequent removal of protesters from his rallies shows his clear intolerance of dissenting opinions. Similar to Hitler and Mussolini, Trump wants a nation willing to play by his rules, and no one else’s.
In addition, his constantly shifting strategy could very easily accommodate other tenets of fascism throughout election season.
This does not mean Trump will be the next Hitler or Mussolini. As previously stated, democracy stands in the way. However, if he expedites the trend of expanding executive authority, then he will have more influence than any previous president and the ability to slant the national government towards his frightening policy goals.
Like the high school students who followed Ron Jones’ Third Wave experiment back in 1967, followers flock towards Donald Trump’s promises of renewal and national power. Both of these situations represent vulnerable, disillusioned populations herding towards charismatic authorities. Both of these situations present people who throw caution to the wind to support volatile personas. But Trump is not an experiment. Trump is a reality. His fascist policies could become America’s reality.
Is that a wave we’re willing to ride?
