Fascism Starts with Paramilitary Ties to Mainstream Political Parties. Growing links between U.S. politicians and extremists must be severed.
Donald Trump is out, but his style of politics remains. Even before the U.S. president was elected, observers debated whether his style should be called fascism. After recent remarks about Putin and Ukraine, it can be argued that it unequivocally should be and that the appropriateness of the term lies specifically in the growing union of right-wing party politics and paramilitary street violence.
This may seem counterintuitive; paramilitary groups in the United States have historically been anti-government. This has now changed, producing intensifying relationships between the Republican Party Leaders and the increasingly organized constellation of armed groups. While the Capitol insurrection marked the most recent round of violence, it would be a mistake to think things can’t get worse.
It comes down to a series of political processes set into motion by Republican Party officials and organizers, and it is propelled by a far-right media ecology that seeks to cultivate and exploit an increasingly radical ultraconservative base.
Three Key Mechanisms Driving This Change
Direct signaling: GOP politicians speak directly to 'paramilitary groups' and give them commands.
Permissive signaling: GOP politicians do not give specific instructions to paramilitary groups but indicate that right-wing paramilitary violence will go unpunished and the GOP will interfere in attempts to stop it from happening.
Organizational coordination: GOP politicians and government officials work with 'paramilitary groups', cooperating with them in performances that make it clear they are part of the same movement.
By approaching the union of paramilitary groups and right-party politics in its current shape as fascism, we are better able to appreciate its trajectory. Violent actors attack partisan rivals or engage in street fights and gain legitimacy from being part of a larger political coalition that includes Republican Party officials.
Meanwhile, party actors can facilitate political violence and attack democratic institutions. Together, they provide political goods to a constituency uninterested in democratic institutions and driven by resentment, cultural anxiety, and will to power.
U.S. Republicans Are Dangerously Close to Paramilitary Groups (foreignpolicy.com)