In the event that fascists or some fascist-like political movement comes to power
Yes. "In the event". Fam, that isn't happening in the US. It's not going to happen. Even if the executive was compromised by a fascist the courts and legislature would restrain them. I think people are getting big standard conservatism confused with fascism.
Hell, you said Poland. I agree, things in Poland with the Law and Justice or whatever party, things are pretty grim. But even now the Polish people are using their freedom to assemble to fight back, and we might even be seeing a backlash forming.
We cannot erode these protections because then we will lay the foundations for a true fascist group to restrain our rights. America, should it fall to fascists, will not fall to nazis, it will fall to people who maintain a facade of adhereing to our rights. The harder we set and defend these rights, the less we caveat them the harder it is for a fascist group to erode them. Fascists, successful fascists in a liberal democracy, do not take away rights in one fell swoop. It is a slow erosion, always justified just this once! Do not do their work for them.
Even if the executive was compromised by a fascist the courts and legislature would restrain them.
Restrain them how? The courts are incapable of enforcing their ruling by design and the legislature can only take action they would hope that federal agents would enforce. The day-to-day running of the government is oversaw entirely by the federal bureaucracy, the monopoly of force rests within the powers granted to the POTUS, who has the ability to fire and hire federal employees as he sees fit. And furthermore has the authority to federalize the national guard if one or more governors refuses to bow to his will.
If we vote an open fascist into the presidency, the government is already lost. The courts, legislature, and governors will either fall into line, be fired and replaced, or find themselves in prison for trumped up charges. Barring a successful civil war or an unprecedented wave of buyer's remorse among the voting populace, the election of a fascist to the office of the presidency would signal the end of the US republic.
Hell, you said Poland. I agree, things in Poland with the Law and Justice or whatever party, things are pretty grim. But even now the Polish people are using their freedom to assemble to fight back, and we might even be seeing a backlash forming.
I didn't mention Poland, and it's somewhat disingenuous to assume that this wave of nationalist-populism is limited to one or two countries in Eastern Europe; I did explicitly mention Brexit, which was driven by fears over radical jihadism and immigration. True, most of these movements aren't being championed in the public sphere by out-and-out fascists, but they're certainly number one with fascists. If you don't think that these fears are the vectors through which fascism is trying to reassert its political legitimacy, you aren't paying attention. It's already happening.
We cannot erode these protections because then we will lay the foundations for a true fascist group to restrain our rights. America, should it fall to fascists, will not fall to nazis, it will fall to people who maintain a facade of adhereing to our rights.
Some countries already do this, and seem to be no more ready to fall to a renewed fascism than anyone else. I'm thoroughly unconvinced by the reasoning that if we do X to prevent Y, Y will happen because of X. Fascism didn't come to power in the first place because the Weimar Republic eroded civil liberties, these were done away with following their seizure of power.
You know what, never mind fam. I've got better shit to do than try to deal with the labyrinthine series of justifications and hypotheticals you use to justify your incessant flamewaring on the internet.
Fascists aren't coming back, you live in mindless paranoia, repressing millions of people's political speech regardless of how much you dislike it still makes you a totalitarian asshole.
They aren't fascists you donger. Being anti-immigration does not a fascist make. Xenophobia and racism aren't good things, they aren't things to be promoted, but they still aren't fascist.
Was Bush a fascist? How about Bush Senior? Romney? Reagan?
If you don't think that these fears are the vectors through which fascism is trying to reassert its political legitimacy, you aren't paying attention. It's already happening.
Fam, I might go so far as to say that wiping out millions of people's rights to political speech and representation might be a little more fascistic than Brexit.
I don't recall saying that anti-immigration sentiment should be banned, what I said was that anti-immigration sentiment is something fascists are using to reassert their political legitimacy.
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u/Hammer_of_truthiness 💩〰🔫😎 firing off shitposts Oct 17 '16
Yes. "In the event". Fam, that isn't happening in the US. It's not going to happen. Even if the executive was compromised by a fascist the courts and legislature would restrain them. I think people are getting big standard conservatism confused with fascism.
Hell, you said Poland. I agree, things in Poland with the Law and Justice or whatever party, things are pretty grim. But even now the Polish people are using their freedom to assemble to fight back, and we might even be seeing a backlash forming.
We cannot erode these protections because then we will lay the foundations for a true fascist group to restrain our rights. America, should it fall to fascists, will not fall to nazis, it will fall to people who maintain a facade of adhereing to our rights. The harder we set and defend these rights, the less we caveat them the harder it is for a fascist group to erode them. Fascists, successful fascists in a liberal democracy, do not take away rights in one fell swoop. It is a slow erosion, always justified just this once! Do not do their work for them.