ICYMI yesterday - I wrote about the MAGA government siding with the German Neo-Nazi Party. They share the same enemy: liberal democracy. What a moment in U.S. history. If democracy is to prevail, America needs to establish a robust anti-fascist consensus. Some thoughts from my new piece: - ThreadSky

thomaszimmer.bsky.social • 26 days ago

ICYMI yesterday - I wrote about the MAGA government siding with the German Neo-Nazi Party. They share the same enemy: liberal democracy. What a moment in U.S. history.

If democracy is to prevail, America needs to establish a robust anti-fascist consensus.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

Comments

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

The big question now is whether the government will ask the constitutional court to ban the AfD. I think it’s unlikely. The debate over how to handle the AfD is dominated by concerns over how “undemocratic” it would be to oppose them – rather than the duty to protect German democracy *from* the AfD.

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

Just like in the U.S., there is also an element of volkish ideology behind the reluctance of the democratic institutions to hold the extremists accountable. Both Trump and the AfD are often being treated as if their propaganda was true, as if they really represented the will of “the people.”

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

The Trumpist regime isn’t supporting the AfD out of opportunism. MAGA is siding with the AfD *because* it is a rightwing extremist party - *because* it is aiming to bring liberal democracy down in Germany. That is the shared goal; liberal democracy is the shared enemy.

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

This is a remarkable moment in U.S. history. The fact that a movement that openly embraces the party of German Neo-Nazis was able to first take over the Republican Party and then the U.S. government signals the complete dissolution of something we might call an anti-fascist consensus.

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

In post-1945 America, there was some mainstream agreement that Nazism was bad. This anti-fascist mainstream consensus was evidently never enough, in and of itself, to turn the nation from a racial caste system into a fully realized multiracial, pluralistic democracy.

thomaszimmer.bsky.social•26 days ago

But it did provide those who desired egalitarian pluralism with a strong argument they could deploy in their struggle against rightwing extremism – it helped police the boundaries of what was considered acceptable within mainstream politics.

pcollirigger.bsky.social•26 days ago

Further complicated by the fact that the rise of fascism was on messages (liberty, free speech, small government) that the fascist movement violates. It is government for the "me" and not for the "we."

jurismartins.bsky.social•26 days ago

Well, at least, the German public opinion is better for protecting democracy. After BfV designated the whole AfD as confirmed right-wing extremist, the poll found that 48% of respondents supported banning AfD, 37% — against, and 15% — undecided/unsure.
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article256061950/Umfrage-Fast-die-Haelfte-der-Deutschen-ist-fuer-ein-Verbot-der-AfD.html

irmagooddoggie.bsky.social•26 days ago

📌

pcollirigger.bsky.social•26 days ago

We have a HUGE educational burden facing us. At least half of our adult population has forgotten or lost appreciation for the multitude of blessings we all enjoy under a democracy. They are addicted to the message of a sadistic authoritarian and reversing that will not be easy.

kudiebee.bsky.social•26 days ago

That’s going to be really hard to do here with so many ignoramuses in this country firmly indoctrinated into thinking the D party is all communist, tax & spend woke libs who want to give away free $$$. And only the R party-the fascists-the only thing standing in the way of a communist takeover.

ljlawyers.bsky.social•26 days ago

The proper response to fascism:

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