Zohran Mamdani says he still believes Trump a 'fascist' after meeting: Full interview - NBC News

[TexasTowelie]

In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani describes his “productive” Oval Office meeting with President Trump, during which the president offered warm praise — but says he still views Trump as a “fascist” and a “despot,” even as he plans to work with the White House.

[dutch777]

1. And...he is right! The list of bad adjectives one can add to the name Trump just gets longer and longer

[markodochartaigh]

2. Fascism. What does it mean?

We are so heavily propagandized here in the US that using most political terms is useless without context. Here is the definition from Umberto Eco, an authority on fascism. How many of the 14 points seem to be in line with Republicans' beliefs?

1. Cult of Tradition – A syncretic belief in ancient truths, rejecting modern interpretations.
2. Rejection of Modernism – Viewing the Enlightenment and rationalism as the root of moral decline.
3. Cult of Action for Action’s Sake – Valuing action over reflection, leading to anti-intellectualism.
4. Disagreement is Treason – Suppressing dissent and critical thinking as threats to unity.
5. Fear of Difference – Exploiting xenophobia and racism to unify the in-group against outsiders.
6. Appeal to a Frustrated Middle Class – Mobilizing those feeling economically or socially displaced.
7. Obsession with a Plot – Promoting conspiracy theories to justify aggression against perceived enemies.
8. Enemies are Both Too Strong and Too Weak – Portraying adversaries as simultaneously formidable and feeble.
9. Pacifism is Trafficking with the Enemy – Viewing life as perpetual warfare, dismissing peace efforts as betrayal.
10. Contempt for the Weak – Glorifying strength and dismissing compassion as weakness.
11. Everybody is Educated to Become a Hero – Promoting a cult of death and martyrdom.
12. Machismo – Elevating aggressive masculinity and denigrating non-conforming sexual behaviors.
13. Selective Populism – Claiming to represent the unified will of the people, dismissing individual rights.
14. Newspeak – Employing an impoverished vocabulary to limit critical thought.

[Bluetus]

3. That seems to be a sanitized, whitewashed, kinder and gentler translation of the 14 characteristics

Just for the record, here is the original list as stated by Lawrence Britt. While the two lists are parallel, I find the original list much easier to understand and recognize. And we are now running white-hot on almost all 14 items in this list, with the only possible exceptions being 5 and 14. 5 and 14 are major, major concerns, but maybe not at the white-hot stage. We are fully there on the other 12. We are in a de facto fascist state NOW, although it will be more obvious if Trump is able to consolidate this and formally suspend the Constitution and survive the next election cycle.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
4. Supremacy of the Military
5. Rampant Sexism
6. Controlled Mass Media
7. Obsession with National Security
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
9. Protection of Corporate Power
10. Suppression of Labor Power
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
14. Fraudulent Elections

[markodochartaigh]

4. Since Eco grew up under fascism in Italy

I doubt that he had any idea of whitewashing or sanitizing fascism when he wrote his essay containing those fourteen points in 1995.

Whether or not Britt was influenced by Eco when he (Britt) published his list in 2003 does seem up in the air.




Ur-Fascism - Wikipedia https://share.google/LJ3SBmic6VhcCouMq

https://danielmalmer.medium.com/the-long-complicated-history-of-the-14-defining-characteristics-of-fascism-e366412932f

[Bluetus]

5. I appreciate seeing the two in comparison.

They have many similarities. I just find the Britt version much more pointed. The Eco version seems more academic