Leftist Anarchy, Not Trumpian Fascism, Is the Real Threat to Democracy – American Spectator
At this moment, I am on assignment in Europe, a continent that, like America, seems more screwed-up with every visit. To escape the insanity that threatens to engulf us all, this morning I decided to work remotely from a small French town. Hammering away on my laptop, I sat down to enjoy a nice breakfast in a quaint little caf. The coffee was good. So were the bacon and eggs. Fearing I would miss a critical news event you know, like, say, the ransacking of a California university by students deeply concerned with the ideals of democracy I put in my earbuds and listened to BBC Radio.
This was a mistake.
The brief tranquility of my world was punctured and my coffee made bitter by an interview with a man who warned of a populist Trumpian fascism in Britain and America. Yes, a new Hitler, he said, threatened the free world. This is a frequent refrain. Ashley Judd shouted it on the Washington Mall. Social media is bristling with the same. And pundits both here and in America love to say it. That narrative, however dear to the Left it may be, is ignorant and bears no semblance to the modern geopolitical reality in the Western world.
A little political primer for the uninitiated:
Strictly speaking, fascism sees the clash of civilizations as a war between races of people. It is about the blood. Private property and capitalism are permitted, but it is for purposes designated by the state. Fascism is an extreme expression of the Right. Hitlers Germany, Mussolinis Italy, and Francos Spain were all fascist regimes.
They killed millions of people.
Strictly speaking, socialism sees the clash of civilizations as a war between classes of people. It is about impersonal economic forces. Private property is not recognized, capitalism is a great evil, and the state owns the means of production. Socialisms highest stage of development is called communism. (It has never been achieved, but that is a discussion for another time.) Socialism is an extreme expression of the Left. Stalins Soviet Union, Maos China, and Kim Jong-uns North Korea were/are all socialist states.
They killed millions of people.
Fascism and socialism are historicist theories. That is, in these systems, history is governed by predetermined laws; not man and certainly not God. Indeed, both have a great antipathy for God and seek to substitute the state and its pantheon of leaders for authentic worship. After all, salvation, they believe, is found in the state alone.
Fascism enjoys no mainstream support in Britain or America. This has not deterred opponents of Donald Trump from calling him and his supporters fascists and Nazis. I did not vote for Trump I damn sure didnt vote for Hillary but I must defend the man on this point. To use such labels is outrageous and utterly fails to understand what those words mean. And to use them in this context is to lose all credibility.
As far as I can tell, Trump is a typical Western capitalist and pragmatist. To date, his political policies stand in the mainstream of American presidential tradition in a way that Obamas did not. There is nothing particularly radical or fascist about strict immigration requirements, the protection of U.S. interests and sovereignty, or a wariness of an oppressive, violent socio-political structure like Islam whose core principles are antithetical to Western ideals. Moreover, Trump is no ideologue as Obama and Bernie Sanders certainly are.
No, it is not fascism that threatens the West; it is an anarchy fueled by leftist ideology incubated in our universities, promoted by a willing media, and regurgitated by Hollywood. Furthermore, in trying to redefine what constitutes Americas political center, the Left has sought to give the impression that they embody it.
Dont fall for it.
You must bear in mind the kinds of behaviors these people want to mainstream: not only the killing of unborn children, but the celebration of it in the manner of an ISIS execution video; gay marriage and its transgender corollary; the full embrace of Islam, the greatest global threat to free peoples since Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany (i.e., authentic fascists); and now, as if this were not enough, some on the Left are suggesting the overthrow of the government.
Im not talking about the ubiquitous suggestion that the Electoral College be abolished. The comment to which I refer comes from former Obama Administration policy advisor Rosa Brooks. In an article for Foreign Policy titled 3 Ways to Get Rid of President Trump Before 2020, Brooks, who repeatedly questions Trumps sanity, suggests a military coup. This was not the stuff of clever political satire. She meant it. Whats next? Suggesting that someone blow up the White House? (Oh, wait. Scratch that.)
This kind of talk, which has become commonplace in recent weeks, is alarming and dangerous whether it comes from the Left or the Right. It is the kind of talk that erodes the Rule of Law and encourages the civil unrest we witnessed at Berkeley in recent days. But neither this talk nor the anarchy in our streets is the result of fascism, Trumpian or otherwise. Ferguson and Dallas occurred on Obamas watch and were not funded with money from the Koch Brothers or Chick-fil-A. No, these are all manifestations of the political Left.
Is our democracy imperiled? Undoubtedly. Look Left.
See more here:
Leftist Anarchy, Not Trumpian Fascism, Is the Real Threat to Democracy - American Spectator
- John Roberts has badly weakened our democracy. Will he ever stand up to Trump? | Steven Greenhouse - The Guardian - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Rep. Gomez Introduces the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act - U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (.gov) - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- South Koreas Fractured Democracy: One Year After Martial Law - The Diplomat Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy & Transition with President Bernardo Arvalo of Guatemala - Washington Office on Latin America | WOLA - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Is Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza & West Bank: Sari Bashi - Democracy Now! - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Maureen Edobor Appears on Law and Democracy Podcast - Washington and Lee University - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Why we shouldn't give up on representative democracy just yet - European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Guarding Democracy from Within: The EUs Struggle Against Internal Democratic Backsliding - Stanford University - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Opinion: The AIPAC Backlash Isnt About Foreign Influence or Democracy - Washington Jewish Week - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- School boards are bastions of democracy, and libraries face funding cuts - WPR - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy in action today with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, certifying Novembers election results. Thank you to everyone who participated in our... - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy Works: Fixing the information ecosystem starts with us - WPSU - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Cecilia Vicua: Democracy allowed a teenager like me to be free. When that was removed, it was like the end of the world - The Irish Times - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Making Noise in the Cold for Democracy! - HillRag - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- The Five Elections That Will Be Pivotal for Global Politics and Democracy in 2026 - World Politics Review - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Amazon employees warn company's AI 'will do staggering damage to democracy, our jobs, and the earth - Fortune - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- The EUs Road to Censorship The Democracy Shield - Hungarian Conservative - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- EDITORIAL: Governor should sign bills that support democracy - The Daily Gazette - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- DEM Party urges Ankara to open dialogue channel with Kurdish leaders and allow Ilham Ahmed to attend Istanbul democracy and peace conference -... - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- What Democracy Really Means: Plato and Mill Still Have Something to Say - vocal.media - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- My guide to populist-proofing your democracy before its too late | Timothy Garton Ash - The Guardian - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Can democracy survive without reading? - WBUR - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- We shouldnt expect democracy to last for ever - The Times - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy - Hoover Institution - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- The small fights for democracy are the epics of our time - Alabama Reflector - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Celebrating the Inter-American Democratic Charter: Advancing Democracy and Prosperity in the Americas - International IDEA - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Policy Violence: ICE Raids & Shredding of Social Safety Net Are Linked, Says Bishop William Barber - Democracy Now! - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Eugenia Mitchelstein on whether public skepticism of the press could actually be good for democracy. - Columbia Journalism Review - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Democracy Looks Pretty Ordinary And Thats What Makes it Extraordinary - Seed World - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Ending Violence Against Women: Strengthening Democracy Is Part of the Solution - International IDEA - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy Week 45: Trump Gets Away With Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election Again - Zeteo - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Stacey Abrams on writing, AI and democracy - Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- The Epstein Class: Anand Giridharadas on the Elite Network Around the Sexual Predator - Democracy Now! - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- This Week at Democracy Docket: Trumps Texas Gerrymander Blocked, and the GOP Calls ICE on Signature Gatherers - Democracy Docket - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Musings on the state of our democracy - Great Bend Tribune - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Memo to the Secretary of State: In the upcoming Honduran elections, democracy and US interests are at stake - Atlantic Council - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Governments and stakeholders reaffirm environmental democracy as cornerstone for tackling the triple planetary crisis - UNECE - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- The Guardian view on the peers lobbying scandal: Lords reform is a vital step for restoring trust in democracy | Editorial - The Guardian - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- From revolution to democracy - Plymouth Review - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- AI in Journalism and Democracy: Can We Rely on It? - Impakter - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Divided We Fall: Antisemitism and Democracy in Crisis with Moment Institute Fellows - Moment Magazine - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Democracy at the Microphone: A conversation with journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro - Massachusetts Daily Collegian - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Human Rights and Democracy - Netherlands and you - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Democracy Is in Trouble. This Region Is Turning to Its People. - The New York Times - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Americans like democracy, but dont believe it or US institutions are working well, poll finds - AP News - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Democracy in Peril: Chairwoman Salazar Highlights Urgent Threats to Honduras Elections - House.gov - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- This is how democracy should work, hope to see this in India: Shashi Tharoor lauds Trump-Mamdani meet - Deccan Herald - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- The democracy we want, and the one we see - Civic Nebraska - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- How Has War Shaped American Democracy? - American Academy of Arts and Sciences - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Rebuilding Democracy in the Age of Brain Rot - The Fulcrum - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Exclusive: Cleta Mitchell, Activists Scheme to Bring Back One-Day Elections - Democracy Docket - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- McKenzie: Identities that make room for others strengthen our democracy - Dallas News - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Trump's Clemency for Giuliani et al Is Another Effort to Whitewash History and Damage Democracy - The Fulcrum - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- House Votes to Claw Back Provision Allowing Senators to Sue over Jan. 6 Investigations - Democracy Now! - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Letter: Democracy survives only when we refuse to be silent - Anchorage Daily News - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Demonizing Netanyahu wont save democracy, only listening to the voters will - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- The greatest threat to democracy is the fear of the future, said Raya Nazaryan at the Parliamentary Forum on Democracy in Brussels - European Newsroom - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- From DMs to Democracy: Gen Zs New Blueprint for Civic Action - The Fulcrum - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy Week 44: Trump Defends MBS, Berates Women Journalists, and Accuses Dems of Sedition 'Punishable by DEATH' - Zeteo | Substack - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- CDC Website Altered to Promote False Claim That Vaccines Cause Autism - Democracy Now! - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- California Democrats are the threat to democracy they fear - Orange County Register - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- Americans like democracy, but dont believe it or US institutions are working well, poll finds - Racine County Eye - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- A victory not just for the press but for democracy | Opinion - The Seattle Times - November 23rd, 2025 [November 23rd, 2025]
- The State of Democracy 2025: Fake news, lack of accountability, extremism and corruption seen as top threats to democracy across Europe and the US -... - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Ken Burns The American Revolution explores the beginnings of the nations democracy - PBS - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Polls of western countries find deep dissatisfaction with democracy - The Guardian - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Delhis pollution is a crisis of democracy as much as public health, citizens say - France 24 - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Democracy in action: A civil tongue helps to get things done at the local level | OPINION - Cape Cod Times - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- This Week at Democracy Docket: The GOP Wants One-Day Elections, and Setbacks for Trumps Gerrymander Scheme - Democracy Docket - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- In Conversation With Ken Burns: Americas Story of Revolution, Liberty, and Democracy - The Pew Charitable Trusts - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- The American Revolution and the Story of Democracy - The Pew Charitable Trusts - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Dems Are Right: Trump Is Undermining Democracy. So Is Their Partys Right Wing. - Truthout - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Ultra-rich media owners are tightening their grip on democracy. Its time to wrest our power back | Robert Reich - The Guardian - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Longings that bind us: Recognition, art, democracy, and the search for home - PBS - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Gunboat Diplomacy: U.S. War in Latin America Feared as Hegseth Launches Operation Southern Spear - Democracy Now! - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Why Nations Thrive: Qualities Explaining the Health and Survival of Democracy - Arizona PBS - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Bringing Education and Democracy Together - Civic Media Radio - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Experts Map Irans Path from Dictatorship to Democracy in Transition Strategy Panel - National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Jan. 6 lead investigator says apathy is the real threat to democracy in new book - New Hampshire Public Radio - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]
- Ken Burns explores the beginnings of the nation's democracy - THIRTEEN - New York Public Media - November 16th, 2025 [November 16th, 2025]