US Authoritarianism

They explain all these away as not that bad, or not what they want. Some examples:

Are you a cunt who gives a shit about whether dudes want to bang dudes or dress like chicks?

Conservative: No, I am for traditional gender roles and family values

Do you wish to oppress brown or black people, like on purpose, in an exertive manner?

Conservative: No, I just think that people should stay with their own kind.

Are you trying to subjugate women?

Conservative: No, I am for traditional gender roles and family values

Do you long for a country in which the rule of law is taken directly from fairy tales?

Conservatives: The US is a christian nation which means our laws should be based on the Bible

They're going to weasel out of it, not just to stop discussion but also because it makes them feel bad that this is the outcome of their politics.

It's hard because, yes you are right, but when can you start calling somone a fascist? Do you have have to wait for them to actually start rounding you up and putting you in prison, or can you point it out early in order to avoid the complete fascist takeover?

I guess my point is that, once a group is actually fully fascist, you will no longer be allowed to call them that.

People don't recognise fascism when it's in front of their faces.

• Huge military budget

• weaponized, authoritarian police force with little oversight.

• Nationalist habits like pledging allegiance regularly when young and national anthems when together.

• a strong belief that they are the best nation on earth, often backed with religious certainly.

It isn't, he's just trying to pull mainstream conservatives in to defend him. The far right has been very successful at getting normal conservatives to cover for them over the last 50 years. The actual ideas of fiscal and social conservatism are only partially aligned with fascism. The far bigger problem with regards to sliding into fascism is America's pro corporate stance.

Sure, it's theoretically possible, but I've never met a conservative anywhere who actually wants to conserve what they have today. In practice, they all want to go back to the past, and most prefer some kind of fictional 1960s past.

Eh, depends on what you mean by "conservative" and "progressive".

Authoritarianism is the defining characteristic of the right. The right consolidates wealth and power. The left is egalitarian, and is focused on ensuring that wealth and power is shared more evenly. There is no such thing as "auth left".

If you use "conservative" as a synonym for the right and progressive as a synonym for the left, then there is no such thing as "auth progressive" - you are just using incorrect terminology to talk about different flavors of rightism.

Now if you mean "conservative" as "resistant to change" and "progressive" as "advocates of change" then that's a completely different thing... but the language is STILL messy, because many who call themselves "conservative" are actually advocates of change in favor or more authoritarianism while those who call themselves "progressive" are also advocates of change, but generally in a leftward anti-authoritarian direction... which once again leads us to "auth progressive" being a contradiction.