Shootin' it Striaght - Fascist Fascination

Fascist Fascination 

 Those who oppose a conservative viewpoint have fallen madly in love with labeling all things “Nazi.” They toss around “fascism” as if it’s a catch-all for anything they dislike. The glaring problem with those comparisons is the absence of a Mussolini, Hitler, or Saddam in power to actually meet the definition of those philosophies. A defining element of such systems is an unwavering dictator leading the charge. By definition, and by historical example, dictatorships are not fond of free speech.  They universally oppose a free people being armed with virtually any weaponry of their choosing because it's gives the pawns power.

 Although some may disagree, we remain free to speak our minds. We are not regulated or legally punished for spouting nonsense. I’ve seen the Jimmy Kimmel example brought up repeatedly by those claiming he was “canceled” for opposing Trump. Please don’t fall into that simplistic trap. Late-night shows in general are dying. Streaming has gutted their audiences, and as profits shrink, networks find it far easier to cut ties over controversy. That’s not Nazis, it’s dollars. Executives don’t care about Kimmel’s viewpoints; they care about ratings.

 For perspective, the biggest musical star in the world right now is Morgan Wallen. He was caught on camera shouting a racial slur as a white man, and never lost a dime. Why? Because he makes the big executives piles of money. Did his race or political beliefs factor into the decision? No more than Snoop Dogg’s did when he was given a family-oriented game show after decades of glorifying drugs, crime, and even profiting from a murder trial. That skipping several chapters I assure you. 

 Still unconvinced? Previous year’s Super Bowl halftime show, arguably the biggest media event of the year, featured a performer who built an entire record around bashing Trump. Yet despite lyrics about murdering his wife, disparaging his mother, and degrading women, he was chosen to star in the world’s largest entertainment stage. Hardly evidence of a Nazi regime at it's finest. Kimmel himself has portrayed racism in a way that would get one of us disowned. 

 Do the majority of Americans lean one way or another politically? Certainly, election results show as much. But fascism can only exist when a powerful government entity is large enough to enforce its will. Personally, I’d prefer the government stay out of most aspects of daily life. Yet one party, in particular, continually pushes for programs and mandates to be embedded into everyday living. If we were truly modeling Nazi Germany, we’d be doing a poor job.

 Hitler eliminated all opposition parties, centralized government control over nearly every aspect of German life, disarmed his citizens, and launched a campaign of racial and ethnic extermination that murdered millions. Last I checked, our government is still divided into three branches, our leadership is diverse, and while one side may clamor for gun control coincidentally daily, that alone hardly equals Nazi rule.

 With all our admitted flaws, we are still a long way from Nazi Germany, so far, in fact, that even true neo-Nazis would likely laugh at the comparison when measured against the facts.