Trump's rhetoric is increasingly mirroring Nazi talking points, and nobody is paying attention, an expert on extremism warns

shish_mish@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.world – 792 points –
Trump's rhetoric is increasingly mirroring Nazi talking points, and nobody is paying attention, an expert on extremism warns
businessinsider.com
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I think instead of saying "nobody is paying attention" it would be better to say that this kind of rhetoric makes him unfit to serve in any capacity.

His attempted insurrection has disqualified him from holding any elected office. He should not be on the ballot in any State. The only news that we should be reading about Trump is what a sad loser he really is and, in my opinion, has always been.

The only news we should be reading is about him being behind bars, but unfortunately it seems he'll die before that ever happens

I'd be fine with that, too. If his crimes and unethical behavior don't catch up to him, maybe the "hamberders" will...

The only news that we should be reading about Trump is what a sad loser he really is and, in my opinion, has always been.

You and his dad have something in common.

His dad had a large part in creating him, and not just physically.

Imagine if your father gave you money for everything but zero love and compassion?

Dad begat a son who is even worse than dad ever was.

By "nobody is paying attention" do they mean it's been plastered all over the news?

Yeah people are paying attention they love it. And the rest of us are paying attention and are disgusted.

The only people not paying attention are the Republican voters who don't care who the candidate is and just vote Red no matter what.

People are paying attention, but most people aren't taking it anywhere near seriously enough. It's the equivalent of seing an armed nuclear warhead and thinking pistol.

Many are taking it seriously, hence why there are so many posts about it here on lemmy and Reddit and other left leaning social medias. The problem is that his followers like his nazi rhetoric.

The nazi on The Boys was right “people like what I have to say, they just don’t like the word nazi”, although many Americans don’t even have that problem sadly…

What does taking it seriously enough look like?

I'm not sure exactly, but treating him as just another politician like the media is? That ain't it.

He's a cult leader at the head of a fascist uprising in the most powerful country in the world and most journalists are acting like it's pretty much business as usual.

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People are paying attention. Problem is, 35-40% of the country likes fascist talking points and would be fine with a dictator, as long as it's their guy.

I've been saying it since 2015 so if you haven't noticed, that's on you.

It’s so crazy how obvious it was in 2015 too.

It had me wondering one day after hearing the umpteenth Trump supporter sing his praises… Do you think an appreciable number of people like you saw the same obvious things about Mussolini and Hitler before their rises? Do we have some advantage now having seen these people before in the last 100 years? Do we have more casual access to information and history, so it’s more obvious to us now?

Or is it this: They, like us, had simply not done enough to prevent their rise? Is it really “on you” or is it on all of us?

I had history classes on both the rise of fascism and propaganda so it was definitely fresh in my mind while watching it happen. Many places don't teach these things though so it's not surprising to me really. I don't really see how there's anything we can do to prevent stupid people from being exploited, except through education. Can't teach someone who isn't willing to learn though.

Everyone is paying attention. His opponents are horrified, and his fanbase is eating it up.

What do you want to have happen? SPLC to declare the RNC a hate group? Because that's never going to happen...

Remember when the GOP collectively lost its mind when they were called deplorable.

The conservatives I worked with delighted in it. They called themselves deplorables for years. When someone tells you they are evil, believe them.

four of them were stung by the truth, the rest didn't even know what the word meant.

Remember how brutally lame the insult "basket of deplorables" was though? Like, a basket? lol

People are paying attention, unfortunately a lot of them like that he's increasingly Nazi

“Nobody is paying attention”

Meanwhile every article you read and every political meme depicts him as a Nazi. No, I think we are well aware of what he is, dude.

You know that interview with Kanye and Alex Jones where Yedolf starts saying a bunch of Nazi shit and Alex tries to coach him on how to dogwhistle it, but Mr Western Cultural Supremacy just starts saying it louder?

It's like that. Everyone with a clue beforehand knew what was up, but now even the people with no clue at all can't honestly deny it, not even the most generously slack-jawed "centrist."

Of course, they still will, because they're not honest, and that's what some people just can't wrap their heads around:

Conservatives aren't honest, and do not operate on principles of good faith. There are still those who will deny his Nazi rhetoric is Nazi rhetoric, but they're just lying.

Enforcing the status of America as a hegemon has required the export of fascism since the 50s. The way it's commodified is very similar to how "anti-capitalism" is commodified, it's not the thing that causes fascism it's like a cultural manifestation of this.

That's why he does it too, "nobody is paying attention" when it's the biggest thing helping to define his political brand.

I think they're confusing "not paying attention" with "not doing anything." If the fear is genuine why isn't there a popular front against Trump? People talk online as though they're very concerned but you don't really see anything happening to mount a resistance. Are people signing up to campaign for the Democrats over this, or are they just posting memes about it? Is it that nothing can be done and people feel completely powerless? Maybe everyone is just dug in at this point and we just have to watch this happen. In any case it's pathetic to constantly hear how worried everyone is about fascist Trump while nothing is done about it. It's like everyone is just reacting to politics happening and have no political agency of their own.

"what he is"... A former president? Because he sure as fuck isn't a Nazi

"...and nobody is paying attention..."

This is something we read and hear about every single day. Not sure how much more attention we could give it.

The expert sounds like they are hoping that there are some adults within earshot that may suddenly wake up and rein him in.

It don't work like that in the really-real world unless it's extrajudicial.

It’s probably outrage bait to drive clicks.

But to be fair, this is a warning that needs to be heard far and wide, so it’s difficult for me to complain.

Literally everyone is paying attention. Half of the population just loves Nazi rhetoric though because it makes them feel like winners, when in reality, they're a bunch of cousin fuckers with IQs under 95. They don't understand what the Republican party stands for traditionally, they don't understand the religion they promote, they don't understand how their own electoral system works (FPTP w/ EC), and they don't know a damn thing about history.

Ironic to mention IQs when making an anti-Nazi statement

They don't understand what the Republican party stands for traditionally

Freedom. Unlike the Democrats that originally stood for slavery

We're all paying attention, the problem is that those who vehemently support him just literally don't care and will vote for him anyway. He wasn't wrong when he made the comment that he could shoot somebody in the middle of the street and get away with it. He literally orchestrated and attempted coups and got people killed because he threw a temper tantrum and couldn't stand the thought of not getting his way.

Reality is scarier.

Trump's rhetoric is increasingly mirroring Nazi talking points, making him popular among Americans.

I marvel that Putin plays with fire like this. Yeah, sure, a Nazi America would make Russia so much safer...

We are, we can't jail or execute him. We have to wait and see if our justice system does it's job.

Which is to say, did he and the GOP damage it enough in the previous years to enable fascism to take control.

Don't worry, it won't.

As usual, centrists and news orgs who don't want to call out the fascism Nazi parade for what it is don't want to ostracize the potential Republicans who don't think they're Nazis by voting in Nazis.

Nobody's paying attention!!! Well, they are and you hear it loud and clear everywhere.

Democrats are horrified and disgusted, ready to fight tooth and nail. While Republicans are goose stepping their way through the Capital smearing shit on the walls trying to overthrow elections.

Gotta pretend like there's still good people voting in Nazis that might change their mind though! Not that they're voting in greasy BO old man shit smelling fascist dictators because they want fascist dictators.

And right on time! MiGrAnT CaRaVaNs are being peddled again.

Media putting on kids gloves for conservatives? Say it ain't so

Nazi has been so overused that people aren't listening to the word now that there is a valid thing to apply it too. They assume it's the same overblown rhetoric.

You're not wrong. I remember how Bush, McCain, Romney, Obama, Clinton, and others were called Nazis at different points. While it was never really taken seriously then (as it shouldn't have been), the term has become virtually meaningless. Where the term was reserved for the worst-of-the-worst, for years, it was invoked at the slightest disagreement. Now that there's a literal Nazi-adjacent person running and getting called out for it, it falls flat.

People were subjected to straight fascism from 2020 through 2022 and did nothing. They'll put up with anything

Trump kept the book of Hitler's speeches by his bed, his cousin would click his heels and greet Donald Trump with a heil Hitler. He got angry that US generals didn't treat him like the furher. None of this surprises me.

It's not that people aren't paying attention, it's that the people who have to most power to do anything about it won't because they're either in his pocket already, or fearful of stirring up another insurrection

And the second group are wishfully thinking if they believe another attempt isn’t going to happen at all. Even if the fucker strokes out tomorrow I think a good hunk of the country would believe he was actually assassinated and make him a martyr.

I am nearly convinced there will be an even bigger attack on the government by far-right reactionaries no matter what the results of the next election are. Biden or another dem wins and it's obviously stolen, insurrection time, or Trump wins and traitors are stalling his progress, purging time.

You ain’t alone, I’m waiting on that shoe to drop, although I would expect it to be an attack on infrastructure.

Trump isn't the only one. You have this trend all over the world. People know that it's looking like Nazi. But,

The government's inaction on foreseeable issues stemmed from a reliance on neoliberal principles, holding onto the notion that capitalism's magic would resolve all problems—a perspective maintained for the past three decades.

Trump and others are the solution that they didn't try. Plot twist, it won't change, Nazi were capitalist. But, it's like choosing between the worst and the really bad.

Nobody in his sect is paying attention. The rest of the world is looking at this with anxiety.

"Nobody" as in the world at large isn't paying enough attention to the clown? He still gets plenty of coverage in the US! For his followers the more international attention Trump gets, the better, it doesn't matter what kind it is.

This article would be more appropriate for the politics community, since it is an opinion article from the interview of Peter Simi regarding Trump.

I would not consider this as news.

Yeah that's why newspapers refused to carry editorials, reader letters, and opinion pieces in general, because no one cares what the popular reactions to events are.

Newspapers can publish more than news... There's also flyers for the local supermarket chain in there as well... Chicken being on sale this weekend isn't particularly news either. Oh and also comics... Are the comics news too?

This is the best summary I could come up with:


In recent weeks, Donald Trump has doubled and even tripled down on the charged rhetoric that critics have lamented sounds like it's coming from the mouth of an authoritarian leader as opposed to a candidate for president of a democracy.

On December 6, when asked if he'd abuse his power as retribution against his political foes, the former president told Fox News host Sean Hannity that, should he be re-elected in 2024, he'll only be a dictator "on day one."

On December 17, Trump declared immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country," a statement that drew ire from the Biden White House, which said the comments "parroted Adolf Hitler."

Peter Simi, a professor of sociology at Chapman University, has studied extremist groups and violence for 25 years and has co-authored two books about white supremacy in America.

Simi spoke to Business Insider to explain why, even as Trump's rhetoric becomes increasingly extreme and highlights themes of fascism and authoritarianism, the former president's violent speeches aren't demanding the world's attention like they used to.

They maintain their support for him and it's hard, at this point, to see what it would take to change that for the core base of true believers who are unwavering and fully committed in his camp.


The original article contains 1,656 words, the summary contains 211 words. Saved 87%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

Him and Netanyahu should form some sort of axis alliance.

I've posted this before.

Back in 2016, just after the election, there was a panel of the creative teams behind all the top political TV shows. Veep, House of Cards, Scandal, etc. Every writer and producer said the same thing; if they had put on a character that said he liked soldiers who didn't get captured, the advertisers and networks would have demanded that the character be treated as a pariah by every voter. Trump's been deplorable since day one.

He doesn't deserve my attention. Not once in his miserable life has he ever said anything worth listening to.

I get that he's a bigot, a narcissist, an authoritarian, a fascist, a gaping asshole. I don't need daily reminders of that fact.

Authoritarians get their power from people who stand on the sidelines. Maybe you aren't standing on the sidelines, but the constant deluge of worse and worse news is part of the strategy to burn you out and stay home when the election/revolution (depending on how things are going) starts.

That's quite a leap. There's a difference between checking out and understanding that Trump has nothing interesting to say.

If you spend a few nights reading the Wikipedia page for NSDAP and delve futher into research, I feel like you'd change your mind. We need to get vocal before we allow this to happen again. We need to express our anger towards anyone that wants what happened to happen again.

New Yorkers from the 80s were SCREAMING from the rooftops about what a pieces of shit the whole fucking family are. Probably before that but I'm not old enough to remember. If you haven't been paying attention its on you shitbird journalists for not actually writing the truth.

does not help when there are people not allowed to vote and the only other option is to vote biden who immediately went back on campaign promises such as firing staffers who were cannabis users

same person who ran with obama and chained someone to a chair for the sole reason she wanted the same rights as everyone else who was running for president and the same biden who is touting economic wins with a federal minimum wage of $7.25

this has been a problem before trump entered the stage and no trump did not make matters better

maybe the citizens should be allowed to hear from all the candidates and maybe who gets to be on the ballot should a federal issue and stop going state by state in a "united states" of america on every issue

Is this the same Biden that just pardoned a bunch of cannabis users from serving their sentences?

And the same Biden who on 1 Jan 24, nearly half the US states will have their federal min wage raised?

Look, there's plenty to criticize Biden for, mostly ALL of his Middle East actions (not just Gaza-Israel), but let's not pretend he's all bad and hasn't tried to help his own people domestically.

only what 22 states are getting minimum wage raised

why quarter ass or less everything could have pardoned more but we need the legal slave labor

That's why I said "nearly half" bruh. We have 50 states in the US and a few territories.

And yes, he didn't pardon enough people. I will agree with you on that all day. But how many cannabis users did Trump or even Obama pardon from their sentences?

He's making an attempt despite having a gridlock Congress, and I do commend him for that. That's why I said "nearly half" bruh. We have 50 states in the US and a few territories.

And yes, he didn't pardon enough people. I will agree with you on that all day. But how many cannabis users did Trump or even Obama pardon from their sentences?

He's making an attempt despite having a gridlock Congress, and I do commend him for that.

Edit: I will concede federal minimum wage remaining stagnant at $7.25 does suck though. Biden can't force one state to raise minimum wage over another. You got me there, that was a state-loving-their-constituents thing, not a Biden thing.

geez, where are the reeducation camps when you need them

now i've noticed that there aren't a lot of actual morons here, which is nice, but nevertheless i feel compelled to add:

Yes, I'm on the left, and yes, here, I have advocated the same fascist behaviour I am decrying. This is called fighting fire with fire. The right does it all the time, why would you think I couldn't?

Maybe sit the next round out, my guy. No one is asking you about your tankie beliefs, and we don't want to hear them.

I think that's exactly what's happened with Trump, is that deviance has been defined down in the sense that there's so much focus on, it's almost like an overload of sorts. The result is, you just don't see it — it's almost like he's kind of normalizing this on some level. Even as outrageous as he can be, it's been very difficult, I think, for people to maintain a consistent vigilance and see the threat that he represents because it's kind of overwhelming, really, in many respects.

Precisely why this article shouldn't exist. This article is normalising the behaviour. Reporton what he does, not what he says.

We should ignore Nazi rhetoric? No thanks.

I don't think that's what they're saying, I think they're pointing out that Trump says so much and has so much said about him that what he actually does ends up getting swept under all the other news.

Sure those in the know can keep track but the average person is just seeing the headlines as they come - and this article is part of the very same problem that it is pointing out

That's not what I said.

You can acknowledge the behaviour without reporting on every utterance (which is what he wants).

You said "report what he does not what he says" which is pretty cut and dried. Maybe you meant something different but you didn't say something different

I think the articles a out him smelling bad or having a piss fetish are stupid articles that don't need to get any attention. When he paraphrases Hitler? That's pretty relevant

I personally believe his stink is completely unrelated to his love of being urinated upon.

You can report on the behaviour without breathlessly trotting out every sentence.

The actual story is that Trump is using nazi phrases to stoke furore, generate headlines, and galvanise his base. It's so tiresome that it's working so well.

It's been working for the last six+ years too, even my grandma in conservative land has called him a nazi since he first ran. If anyone isn't paying attention to his Nazi rhetoric now it's because they got bored of it.