It is seemly all around us and we should be shocked by its pure animosity. It’s hard to listen to any news cast on radio or television where you don’t hear someone calling Trump a fascist and comparing him to Hitler. Some even call for marching in the streets and most know what that leads to. Is this the level that losers sink to or is this a dangerous radical fringe?

Looking up the definition of “Fascism” I found that it was described as a form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Since it is in two parts lets break them down.

Authoritarianism: is a form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms. Individual freedoms are subordinate to the state and there is no constitutional accountability under an authoritarian regime. Trump’s proposals show that he wants a more limited government and strong constitutional guidance which supports States Rights. And lastly our government has three branches of equal power not one so there is accountability.

Nationalism: is a belief that citizenship in a state should be limited to one ethnic, cultural, religious, or identity group. Unfortunately, that doesn’t fit America’s model since we are a very diverse group. Our national identity stems from our Founding Fathers and our historical development with changes brought about by our changing demographics. Trump does want to prohibit some Muslim groups from entering our country who want to destroy our way of life. That does seem like a pretty good idea. He also calls out to “Make America Great Again” which most people who have been here for a while might agree with so it seems he is a semi-nationalist but certainly not radical.

So he does meet some of the criteria for being a nationalist, but he is limited by the other three branches of government which limit his authority. Of course he could try to bypass those limits by using “Executive Orders” but our last President tried that and has had some setbacks by the Supreme Court yet he keeps trying.

Also some claim that he is far right because he opposes extreme liberalism and the anarchism which we have seen in the streets too often. He also proposes some protection for our jobs at home. Yes, he is a strong leader but so was George Washing, Jefferson and Lincoln and maybe that is just what we need instead of the political correct liberals we have had.

The comparisons to Hitler are especially worrisome. But let’s consider how the two men came to power. Hitler tried to seize power by force and finally was appointed, and he spent more than a decade calling for violence against entire peoples and nations. Trump does not speak of building an empire beyond America’s shores. Trump played by the rules and was dually elected by our constitutional system.

Hitler and the Nazis blamed minority groups for policy failures and the weak economy. Trump has not blamed minorities for taking away jobs or a weak economy; he has blamed illegals for taking jobs which almost any logic would confirm. The weak economy he blames on the current administration’s policies and job killing regulations which he challenged in the election and then the people spoke.

The hate speech is illogical and without bases so we must stand up against it. These people are calling for civil disobedience which is just a smoke screen for anarchy and a real threat to our society and way of life. We have a right to free speech but not to yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater and not to incite violence in the streets. We must use our right to free speech to challenge these people at every opportunity.