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By Doug Greene
The rise of Donald Trump and his odious brand of right-wing populism has
been one of the hallmarks of 2016’s election season. Certainly, Trump is
an odious person who hates women, calls Mexicans rapists and criminals,
and (not so subtly) courts support from white supremacists. He openly
invites his followers, who seem to be coming out of the woodwork, to
commit violence. Across the liberal and left spectrum, there has been
debate on what Trump represents: Clown? Demagogue? Populist? Fascist?
The question is not simply academic. On Saturday, March 11, 2016,
protesters in Chicago, many of whom support the social democrat Bernie
Sanders shut down a planned Trump rally. In response, Donald Trump has
threatened Sanders’ supporters with violence. If Trump is a fascist,
does that mean socialists and communists should support Bernie Sanders
as part of a united front, and by extension, the Democratic Party? For
many leftists, support for the Democrats, could potentially mean
subordinating mass actions and independent initiatives into the safe and
demobilizing channels for the “friendly face” of the US Empire. Already,
the historical analogies are out about the danger of the hour about the
need to fight fascism, in the form of Trump and the GOP, above
everything: Popular Front and“Unite to Defeat the ultra-right!” (a
favorite mantra of the CPUSA) which all leads to another round of
“lesser evilism.” Leftists who refuse to support the Democrats against
Trump and the GOP are branded as purists and sectarians.
full: http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=12509
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