How fascism accumulates power by testing people

[Starry Messenger]

https://storify.com/miniver/how-fascism-accumulates-power-by-testing-people

The thing about trump putting a literal goddamn nazi in a position of power, is that it is a test of his enemies and supporters.
5:00 PM - 14 Nov 2016

He wants Bannon not just because the dude is a nazi. But because it is an obedience test.
5:01 PM - 14 Nov 2016

More at the link...

[bettyellen]

1. The parallels to sociopathic assholes are stunning....

Thanks and big *hugs*

[Starry Messenger]

2. Hugs to you too. I missed you last week.

You're right, like the pattern of abuse.

[bettyellen]

3. I missed you too....

I lost a friend who has been (and is) involved in abusive relationships this week. It started when her boyfriend started trying to have angry conversations with me and stormed out because I kept smiling and held my ground.

Then she started saying snide little things- I felt like I was being tested, or explained to as to what my place was. She shared my FB info or last name with that jerk I never wanted to discuss politics with- so he could spam my page w Hillary hate. I don't think so. The insults continued till I could no longer go along with her fiction that they were innocent and light hearted.

She accused me of thinking I was "too good" and said "see where all that got you!" And why aren't we talking about "cops having to wear bullet proof vests" (cause they've been standard issue for thirty years) and the whole world is crazy, with bombs in garbage cans and .... clowns. And then I realized I WAS better than that crazy shit.

She regrets voting for Hillary because it didn't pan out. Because maybe she lost that argument with her man.
And I distrust her because she likely used my FB page to amuse that abusive bigoted piece of shit that cheats on her.

I think we've found out what a lot of us really are. She didn't ever have to think about how important some things are to me, but when I explained it to her- she did not care. So yeah, I feel like I have been tested.

[Starry Messenger]

8. This.

I think we've found out what a lot of us really are. She didn't ever have to think about how important some things are to me, but when I explained it to her- she did not care. So yeah, I feel like I have been tested.

[justhanginon]

4. I hadn't thought about it from that perspective but yes, it's a classic ploy.

And for this continuing nightmare called Trump, we gave up a chance to be governed by an honest, intelligent, literate and compassionate woman experienced in world affairs and respected around the world for her tact and diplomacy. And we now we have a moron with Nazi tendencies to run our country for the next four years.

[Mc Mike]

5. Spot on. He'll get nothing without a fight, as far as I'm concerned.

And he'll never get cooperation or acquiescence.

[guillaumeb]

6. How far can I push people?

Fascists do not start out by putting people in camps. They start by demonizing people, blaming them for the problems in a country. Similar to trump blaming Muslims and Mexicans.

[Grey Lemercier]

7. thank you!! I have been screaming this in RL and typing this on here

It's incrementalism writ large and potentially deadly at brute power projection level.

SO many are underestimating his menace. He and the Bannon side are grooming millions of previously "normie" (to steal an alt-right term) whites to a new found sense of racialist solidarity and power.

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