Prepare to Fall to Fascism, 2025 and Beyond
The radical right-wing onslaught ranging from the Supreme Court majority to the Heritage Foundation to Christian Nationalism are uniting with Trump to burn the Constitution and you.
The first two links at the bottom of this column are vital for you to view. The first is David Terrell’s substack column “Flowering of the Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy”. It’s the clearest, most concise, quick-to-read summary of where the national drive for fascism is taking us. The second is a documentary Bad Faith, extensively explaining the evolution of Christian Nationalism in America, and the plan to use Trump to Christianize the nation.
Two Columns
A week following Donald Trump’s election in November 2016, I wrote and published a column entitled “Prepare to Fight Fascism, 2017 and Beyond”. The press and media were either blithely unaware or deeply afraid to call Trump a fascist at that time. I was not. I had seen his con-man actions for years in New York City where I worked as national news editor of a trade publication. I also paid close attention to his attacks on the press when campaigning, and his surrounding himself with right-wing politicians like Rudolph Guiliani.
When Trump was in office a couple of months later, while many folks seemed shocked by his actions, I wrote the column “Simplifying Trump and Seeing His Future” to show them what he was up to. I analyzed how he was attacking the press, and would attack Congress and the courts. I described how he had been trained by lawyer Roy Cohn who had made his name as a legal henchman for U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the ‘50s notorious “Red Scare” politician. Cohn legally represented Trump for years, pushing him to (1) never admit to anything negative; (2) propagandize (lie) every negative into a positive, and (3) whenever sued, counter-sue, which in politics means constantly counter-attack.
Anybody who paid attention to Trump’s presidential term, including his effort to overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden, should understand.
Bad Faith
As a journalist since the 1970s, I had seen and written about a lot of politics, ranging from the Nixon impeachment and resignation, the rise of Bill and Hillary Clinton, and each following president. It’s been clear to me for years that America is not a democracy, but an oligarchy, i.e., billionaire and corporate money rule.
What I had trouble understanding over the last seven years is how 40 per cent of the electorate continued to support Trump despite his crimes, efforts to destroy the Constitution including press freedom, and his adoration of dictators and abhorrence to democratically elected government heads.
I had been aware of the growing effort to create a theocracy in the United States. What I wasn’t aware of: the drive’s actual depth, organization, and culmination in supporting Trump.
The 2024 documentary Bad Faith clarified that for me.
The film opens with a definition of Christian Nationalism, noting it’s not a religion, but a political movement. The film then includes several revealing scenes from the January 6 attack on Congress, with the mob praying and brandishing crosses and other religious icons along with Trump hats and signs before and during their murderous attack.
The film then moves to trace the Christian Nationalist movement from its organized political beginnings from the ‘70s until today.
It noted that 38 per cent of the nation support a theocracy. And the interviews showed – despite all Trump had done and says – Christian nationalists support him for one thing: he will Christianize the nation, even if it means by force.
That clarified for me why Trump’s support has consistently stood around 40 per cent.
Polls seem to show it higher now following Joe Biden’s poor debate performance. Trump’s poor performance was the same ol’ same ol’, which doesn’t bother his core supporters.
Read Terrell, Watch Bad Faith
David Terrell and I were both young, hard-working newspaper reporters at the old Arkansas Democrat back in the ‘70s. I admired his writing then and do now. I’ve come to admire his honesty and humanity even more through the years. Click his column on the first link below, and read his no-holds-barred take on America’s culminating fascism.
Then click the link on Bad Faith when you’ve an hour and a half to study the danger your nation and Constitution are truly facing.
We the People…
I usually end my columns calling on readers, if they want to create change, to get organized (you can’t do it alone), get educated to the issue, and get active in working for change.
If you see from my column, Terrell’s, and the documentary how serious your challenge is, I hope you’ll move forward with faith and action, and help get out the vote which can save America from the fascist onslaught.
Flowering of the Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy (substack.com)
Watch Bad Faith (2024) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com)
My two columns “Prepare to Fight Fascism, 2017 and Beyond” and “Simplifying Trump and Seeing His Future” are the second and third columns in my book published by Parkhurst Brothers, Publishers: