Donald Trump is Not A Fascist (A Leftist Perspective)

[@randommaddlhat7358]

Ok, so if I got it right, you are arguing, that MAGA is fascist (for its followers are perceiving it a mass movement empowering them) but not its actual founder. Well, that's an interesting take, considering that Trump in fact changes his mind like his underwear, yet arguing between neoliberal, racist and christan-fundamentalist ideology MOST OF THE TIME but not coherently. On the other hand though, one can hardly deny, that this video has aged a little as some developments could not have been on the narrator's horizon in 2021: Especially refering to MAGA's narrative, that the next presidency is an all or nothing game, Trump's vast decline in any respect for his opponents, e.g. calling them vermin in 2023 or speaking of immigrants as "poison" to the American "blood" in the same year, which is actually classical fascist rhetoric, and obviously Trump's late interference with Project 2025 which was not known in 2021 and the Heritage Foundation's serious call for a coup d'état, violent if necessary. As I see it, even though Trump may not be ideologically convinced by that mashup of christian right-wing-extremism and racism, he is explicitly convinced that he owns the movement and that he deserves the degree of power as well as the right to retaliate against opponents. There will therefore be little doubt, that he pulls every possible string to let all the actual fascist movements inthronize him as the first American monarch. He has already shown, that in his narcissistic opportunism, he shows no remorse in executing a policy of cruelty, injustice and favoritism for the WASPs. Regarding a shift in view of actually well-reputated experts on fascim, like Robert Paxton or Federico Finchelstein, who also distanced Trump from fascism for most of his first presidency and then changed their mind, I say that the latest developments propose enough evidence to call Trump a fascist, even though the principle of a powerful social group may personally turn him off.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@randommaddlhat7358 exactly, and I completely agree. I also think his near brush with death has a good chance of solidifying some actual fascist principles from out of the ambivalent morass that I think constitutes most of his thoughts, which is a very bad thing. Still, the conditions that caused trump were endemic in American society before the alt-right ever happened, and when trump is gone, as he someday will be, we can’t pretend he was a one-off aberration, or he will simply reincarnate.

[@TheJohnnee]

It's all an act. He's riling up the cult members he attracted so they will cause trouble to keep him in office and his name and face plastered everywhere. Look at how he flip-flopped on abortion, which party the economy is better under, and how he'll go from "I won't name my favorite book of the Bible or talk about my Christianity because it's personal" to "My reelection will be a Christian victory, God is appointing me".

[@TripleThreatTriad]

@@themorbidzoo I agree with the both of you, but I would like to point out that barring an emphasis on trumps as the ultimate American rather than an outright Facist, as long as he "plays the part one" it is entirely meaningless if he is actually a Facist.

[@TripleThreatTriad]

Ayayay, Fascist, not Facist*

[@zitools]

i'm curious if anyone on this thread actually has talked to a Trump supporter. MAGA is NOT fascist. Nationalist? Sure. If you want to redefine fascist by dropping the 'ethno' in front of the ultra-nationalist then you might have a point, but then is that really fascism? MAGA is more a populist movement (that happened to inhabit and restructure the Republican party) that places its citizens (yes that includes non-white, non-christian immigrants from the 3rd world, like my family) and the country first. It exists because of the anti-DC sentiment this country had since Dubya that got even worse during Obama. (another candidate that spoke of being anti-DC. what a disappointment) and, yes, I'm a Trumptard. Only because in 2016 I seriously thought he only ran in the primaries for free publicity for whatever TV show he was going to be in or for staying relevant or whatever. I was told by the news that he was saying some wild stuff about Mexicans. So I watched his escalator speech hoping to giggle my ass off. Turns out he was quoted outta context. Not gonna lie, I was disappointed a little. Then I listened to a few of his campaign rally speeches...he was giving a more hopeful message than anyone else. I did not expect him to win, but he did. Thankfully. I felt bad for Hillary (even though she has irritated me for decades), thinking that I wouldn't have gotten outta bed for a week if I lost to character like Trump. Then Hillary proceeded to blame everyone but herself. So I checked out the man who help to make a crass narcissist like Trump, president. Steve Bannon was also claimed to be a white supremacist by the news. I watched a few of his interviews and the man is intelligent and a patriot. Again, the news substituted 'american' with 'whites', all while omitting every reasonable point he made. I can guarantee you that if Hillary had hired him, she wouldve won. Politicians will say anything to win an election. In an alternate universe, she and Bannon would have created the MAGA movement and it still wouldn't be fascist. What did happen under Trump was the insane Covid lockdown policies. Not fascist, but definitely more authoritarian for my liking. It also gave an excuse to balloon the debt because of stimulus money. Some of the blame falls squarely on my guy, Trump. All I know is that if I were a multi-millionaire that went through 10% of what the media and DoJ did to trump over the last 8 years, i wouldn't even have been in the running to then get a chunk of my ear blown off in an attempted assassination. Maybe you might want to reconsider what Trump thinks of the country? It's more than the MAGA movement.

[@jschmidty2332]

Here from Part 2. Y'all are tripping, this video aged great.

[@frausteiner8615]

The best way to explain Trump's relationship to fascism is that he's not a fascist because he doesn't have a coherent political philosophy, but he often does fascism as a way to gain power.

[@themorbidzoo]

💯

[@Anna-xh6fk]

@@themorbidzoousing fascism “as a way to gain power” makes one fascistic tho

[@slevinchannel7589]

Very well said: Perfeclty encapsulates how cllueelesss this youtuber and you are. Fascism was alwaayys a powergrab and didnt need a 'cohrent anyhting'. Hitler would literally clall himself Hippie-Socialist-Mister-Niceguy' if it gave him power. So you debunk fascism by not knowing s-it about basic defintions of fascism, ahhhh, i see

[@isaacdalziel5772]

@@Anna-xh6fk Yeah, that is kind of the fundamental tenet of fascism.

[@Daniel-Star]

@@Anna-xh6fk not exactly if he had his way Trump would run a fascist totalitarian government, because that's what the base wants, he doesn't care about the fascism if there was a huge group of communists backing him he would use their rhetoric to gain power. to him the power is the point, anyone who follows him as leader will be a true fascist though. It is a bit of a distinction without a difference. The only real difference is Trump with throw all the fascist rhetoric away if it protects him or gains him power.

[@LeoFieTv]

Honestly "Trump is not a fascist, he's just an American." is probably the most savage take I've ever seen on him. Good work, Zoo!

[@jeffreydenenberg7101]

while i dont disagree with anything you said, i also dont really see a functional difference between him believing in fascism, and him doing fascism because its what people will cheer for. in either case he will do a fascism, or someone will convince him to do a fascism, and it will be very bad.

[@xthatghomiex2939]

I think you missed the point of the video

[@blank4227]

true but we're all just monkeys on a rock at the end of the day. none of this matters.

[@chazellison2855]

I think the real function in identifying the difference here is clarifying that trump is a symptom of a larger issue, rather than someone who brings about said larger issue. A lot of liberals, moderates, and even some conservatives have it in their heads that trump showed up, caused all the problems, and once he’s gone everything is back to normal and things will be fine. That’s not the case. Going back to “business as usual” won’t fix anything because “business as usual” IS the issue. “Business as usual” is how all of these problems were created, they’re a function of the system, not a bug or an unfortunate byproduct. “Business as usual” CREATED trump and the environment he used to come into power, and will more than likely continue to create more, worse trumps in the future. That’s the point of the video, he’s not a fascist in the sense that he’s this new, unique evil, he’s just the natural culmination of the current system we live in, and any fascist elements are already present in a system that rewards those elements and is laying the groundwork for more.

[@riynu7774]

@@xthatghomiex2939 i don't think he did, he expanded on the idea. i think you missed the point of the comment.

[@blank4227]

@@chazellison2855 cool! Hope our country gets stronger and better. Trump is just the beginning

[@parthasarathipanda4571]

Damn...Homelander from 'The Boys' was like that wasn't he? He was annoyed by Stormfront's fascism when it didn't suit him....

[@Franiac32]

Actually yeah good point. Homelander isn't really a fascist either, because he also just cares about himself and nothing else.

[@richardvlasek2445]

homelander is just a personification of the united states of america he is a selfish, arrogant, cruel, traumatized freak that'll do anything that allows him to keep his spot as the #1 unchecked top dog because the only thing he cares about is making himself feel better

[@JordanJumpin]

Good point I guess that makes the intentional parallels of him and trump are even clearer. He is a selfish egomaniac who uses fascism as a tool to give himself more influence

[@grayfox6930]

Exactly. As homelander said " I'm the master race, that the whole fucking point".

[@Syuvinya]

And Homelander is partially a parody of trump

[@crackiechan4432]

Although I don't agree with everything you said, I appreciate a well thought out and articulate argument.

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks for the watch!

[@anthonyrosique7965]

We have to celebrate to art of discussion! I love to see people thinking for themselves!

[@AnonymousGamerDB]

Ur not suppose to agree with everything anyone says. I'm sure u disagree with things ur parents said. But after that disagreement u won't resort to name calling because ur views are different. That's what we need to move towards. Screw being tolerant let's agree to disagree

[@nb0616]

Like you said, fascism comes from the Italian word "group" or better translated "groupism". Nazi Germany was considered a fasicist by history, but it was actually more accurate to call them corporate fascists.... which, ironically, is often synonymous with corperations themselves. The working class people in Nazi Germany were duped by pandering to nationalist ideas. They thought they would see a favorable redistribution of wealth. Ironically, much like other corporate themes, the wealthy, elite, and high standing party members were the ones who would get these "benefits". So, much like ideas we see in the US (*cough* trickle down economics), "fascism" is alive and well in the US. Consider this, Hitler's "National Socialism" was said to be achieved when rich and poor Hitler Youth became comrades in a sense of military unity... but the rich would remain rich and the poor would remain poor. It was a scam... just like our socio-economic structure (for lack of a better word is). I'm not a communist by any means... but our social safety net system is a joke.

[@lexblack013]

As I'm finding is typical of your work, this made some outstanding points I had never considered and really made me think. I'm looking forward to whatever you share with us next. Keep being awesome!

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks!!

[@Rushmanyyz]

@@Jonathan-yr3so There's literally nothing useful that anyone could garner from your comment. Useless.

[@rollinginthedeep6900]

I really agree with your take. I've always seen Trump as self serving, and his more reasonable supporters (not hardcore insurrectionists) just project onto him ideas they want represented, but he really doesn't actually stand for (cuz he only stands for himself). He's charismatic and demands attention, which cannot be said for any president we've had in recent memory (charismatic maybe, but not so entertaining and attention grabbing). His presidency is like when influencers go viral and all of a sudden people expect them to take their same political stance and speak for them just cuz they have a platform. And much like influencers, Trump knew exactly what to say to garner and maintain influence. But the root of the problem seems to be there was a void in American politics for someone to represent beliefs that favor business, law and order, and prioritizing America's needs over its involvement in other countries. And there is decay in the democratic party/establishment where high powered people use their proximity to leadership to line their own pockets. And the republican party is weak and overly traditional. Trump put his finger right on this pulse, pointed at all the right problems, and offered no real solutions. It's just too bad. His presidency really showed the cracks in American society, but the corporations and greedy politicians had been cooking up the collapse for much longer.

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

Yeah, agreed Specially in the sense that he isn't in any way the root of the problem

[@wyguy1212]

Yup donny t is a symptom capitalist neoliberalism is the virus

[@devononair]

No, but he is a figurehead. The problem with not being worried about Trump is that behind him lurks a dark shadow of fascism. Taylor-Greene and DeSantis are two examples of absolute would-be fascists. DeSantis is rapidly becoming the dictator of Florida, banning books, stifling leftist discourse, trying to track transgender citizens, trying to take over private organisations etc. America should be working as if Trump were a fascist, because that his where the Republican party is heading.

[@HowToPnP]

To be fair: the definition of "Communism" used by Americans (or "popularized by Americans") is nonsensical as well. There is no definition for "Communism" that could include the USSR, North Korea, Vietnam AND the ideological basis Marx put down in his books. In fact, all "communist" countries and their practices are antithetical to the ideas Mark was proposing.

[@themorbidzoo]

Also correct! :)

[@TheCarrShow]

That's because the Communism you're referring to exists only as a fantasy on paper. When it's applied in real life, you get USSR, North Korea, Vietnam, etc. To be fair, however, the fantasy version is equally nonsensical.

[@devononair]

Perhaps political systems are too large to be easily defined. China currently defines itself as "Chinese communism with capitalist elements." I don't think labelling those countries as communist is nonsensical. It's pretty useful. Those countries are fundamentally different to many other countries and similar enough to each other that the term "communist" is useful. Sweden, the UK and Belgium are all constituional monarchies but are not all the same, and each one changes from Government to Government.

[@justchillin1087]

Most communists would agree that the USSR was working towards the common goal of complete worker’s ownership of the means of production. This is why left-leaning people distinguish between marxism and marxism-leninism. The USSR WAS mostly socialist. I agree with NK and vietnam tho.

[@christianmccauley7340]

If the audience he cultivates is fascist, and the ultimate conclusion of his behavior and policy is fascist, then I’m still comfortable calling him a fascist even though I recognize that his actual held ideological positions aren’t fascist necessarily

[@timothyhicks3643]

+

[@ahobimo732]

Donald Trump: too narcissistic to be fascist. Sounds about right.

[@theodoresweger4948]

What makes them mutually exclusive.

[@shindarene6900]

@@theodoresweger4948 Fascist leaders have to care about their people at least a minimal amount, like in the "you're my toy only, and I can and should do whatever I want to you" kinda way. But Trump couldn't give less than a minimal shit.

[@flooterer]

@@shindarene6900 "your like Hitler, but even Hitler cared about Germany or something"

[@Drennis]

@@shindarene6900bruh he has a clear base that he panders to nonstop

[@thesneakymemedealer5071]

fascism is the glorification of the state above all else. trump would sell america out for 15 cents if he could

[@fredantonovich5420]

Preach! The desire to equate Trump with Fascism is suspiciously convenient for those who might wish to externalize the threat he poses. The truth, of course, is that Trump is the personification of American capitalism and its attendant cultural rot. Fantastic video. Sharp and nuanced reasoning as usual. (I especially enjoyed the hyena comparison.) Happy to see you continue to create videos and expand beyond film topics as well.

[@themorbidzoo]

Oof, exactly, couldn't have said it better myself (and I tried). Thank you thank you!

[@bombomos]

But Trump made peace with North Korea. Something no one has been about to do for 70 years. And Biden has let 2 wars start under his watch. Where's the peace?

[@dragons_red]

To be fair, ALL cultures have rot. It's a matter of wether the underlying morality of the culture can attend to it to keep it from undermining that which is good.

[@hamwise881]

Yeah, how do you feel now?

[@SeasideDetective2]

Democracy is perfectly capable of being xenophobic and militaristic, as we have seen many times in the past.

[@spectrobit5554]

I'm glad KZbin recommended me your "The Thing" video. Always nice to find a very diverse, high quality channel.

[@themorbidzoo]

Thank you :)

[@TripleThreatTriad]

If you want more like this I have similar, imo or similar if not better quality videos

[@TripleThreatTriad]

thats not to diss this one, got quite a lot of respect for it

[@LotsaJunk]

I think a lot of the issue with the Trump fascism debate is that the question people are asking isn't necessarily the question they're actually asking. "Is Trump a fascist" is something that beckons a political scienceish debate, whereas I think a lot of the time the question people are really trying to ask is more so "should we be 'worried' about ihm? is he gonna be repressive?" and the answer that one is probably going to be different from the fascism one because you don't really need to be a fascist to be repressive. Trump isn't really a fascist, he's a rightie populist type, but htat doesn't make him not dangerous. It's just that he isn't really "the worst", because the worst of the American spectrum are neo nazi terrorists who don't really have any prominent political figures besides maybe like Nick Fuentes? It's weird. Political science is weird.

[@VulpineCortex]

There's DeSantis, who was relevant. His administration is still full of crypto-nazis and republicans tried to make him president. Trump while not ideologically fascist, does support the same policies though in a somewhat less reliable manner, hence he's a fascist in practice. The distinction is meaningless in the overwhelming majority of discussions.

[@spinningninja2]

I've just started binging your channel and I gotta say I'm instantly hooked. Your content is incredibly engaging and you provide very well researched and nuanced takes that I haven't really encountered before!

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks so much 😊

[@dragons_red]

I think the important thing to focus on here is the over reliance on labels. Today, people are throwing labels at each other and not discussing actual issues/ideas/problems. With that they are often misusing these labels or making them mean whatever they want them to mean.

[@Puppies-z9h]

I couldn't agree more.

[@ookami5329]

There's a brilliant video by Ryan Chapman which does a good job of defining Fascism. He does this by relying on primary sources instead of the typical "Hitler did X therefore X = fascism"

[@TheForeignersNetwork]

Yeah but like Nazi ideology is fascism "par excellence," so like... If the Nazi party did it, then it was probably fascism, or contributed in some way to the development of fascist ideology

[@supermaximglitchy1]

Veganism is fascis Protecting animals is fascist Marriage at older age is fascist Suicide is fascist That’s the logic

[@theDoomedstar]

Holy balls, literally just the other day, I was explaining what I thought about Trump and why he's not a fascist, and I said something to the effect of blah blah blah, he's not a fascist, "He's a capitalist. He's American." It was spooky hearing you say almost those exact words back at me.

[@brnfrmjts05]

I watched part 2 the other day. You make some really great points.

[@Astrakkun]

Great video! Here’s one for the algorithm ♥️

[@themorbidzoo]

Mama algorithm appreciates your contribution

[@lompeluiten]

Thank you for this video. I always knew there was something wrong with how people talked about facism, but now i do.

[@bobrze]

6:15 north korea is not even close to being communist

[@chipsdad5861]

My concern is the strategies that Trump used and is using to stay in power follows a very similar time line to Germany in the 30s. Violence, coup attempts, brown shirts, book burning, attacking the media, attacking OTHERS, Democrats, BLM protesters, Mexicans at the border. Even concentration camps. Trump has recently advocated for "Relocation of the homeless." If Trump is not facist it is very difficult to distinguish Trump's retoric from Facist Retoric.

[@themorbidzoo]

It is very difficult to distinguish, but the difference is there, and is important to recognize in crafting a response. King cobras and Indian cobras are superficially similar but if you get bit by one and use the antivenin of the other you’ll still die

[@chipsdad5861]

@@themorbidzoo Both snakes will kill you though. A cobra named Donald or Adolf is still a cobra that hates everyone am I correct?

[@themorbidzoo]

@@chipsdad5861 absolutely, that’s just not really the point of this video

[@chipsdad5861]

@@themorbidzoo I think Trump and Putin are using Hitler as a playbook. Not being quite as vicious but wanting to achieve the same goals. Set aside the constitution, create concentration camps and commit unspeakable crimes.

[@Henrik_Holst]

I think the main difference lies in that Hitler, Mussolini and Kim Jong-un does those kinds of policies because they believe that they will make the world a better place while Trump simply talks about these policies because he have heard that people who like him likes those ideas and he wants those likes so bad, so bad.

[@marlowedunnflom8561]

I just found your channel today and I’m in love😭😭🙌this video especially was perfect at articulating and expanding upon something I’ve always felt about Trump. Specifically that his ‘movement’ has become something I don’t think he ever intended it to become nor really understands in its entirety; many of his supporters that have bolstered the MAGA movement are the real threat to the stability of the USA, not him.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Very well said: Perfeclty encapsulates how cllueelesss this youtuber and you are. Fascism was alwaayys a powergrab and didnt need a 'cohrent anyhting'.

[@br1na332]

@@slevinchannel7589 You seem to be copypastaing this around and trying to argue with people rather than discuss the point. Genuine question: Do you think anyone here, Mariana, or any of the comments are trying to either downplay the dangers of fascism or authoritarian egoists like Trump? Because that's the energy your approach is giving, and this is absolutely not the case. In many ways people like Trump and Putin, with the Conservatives in the UK being a conglomerated missing link since Thatcher, are more dangerous than you common house or garden fascist as they don't play by the fash rules and they don't have an ideological structure to formulate a defence against, they are pure ego and violent whimsy. They court classic fash for sure, as mentioned in rge video, but they are a new evolution, beyond the classic fash and alt-right, so approaching them as fash won't work. Noone is saying they are not awful and terrifying, and in a colloquial manner they absolutely are fashy fucks, but this video and the comments are talking more specifically about Trump and authoritarian egoists like him. (I get intense and hyperfixated. I'm not trying to fight or be rude to you. I'm just trying to encapsulate my impression of what's going on here)

[@DarkCyberElf]

0:55 - In what universe do you live where North Korea isn't fascist LOL

[@shindarene6900]

It isn't? It's authoritarian and, unlike Mainland China, communist through and through. But not fascist. There's no outsider threatening their glory, because nothing outside exists to them. They have nothing to reclaim or revolutionise, they just keep going. The current state has always been the same to them. So yeah, according to Morbid's definition, not fascist.

[@cskelly3783]

Because she isn’t dumb like you and understands that bad countries don’t always equal facist… North Korea is arguably the most isolationist nation in the entire world, impossible to escape and hard to enter. A contradictory idea to Nazi Germany and Italy which were very expansionist. They don’t make claims that the Korean race have a superiority over others. Characterized by their hatred of South Korea and its people, which are Korean. The politcal ideology of North Korea is Juche… A weird, far removed ideology with some aspects of Marxism-Leninism. Meant to confuse and distract foreign observers for the purposes of disinformation and counterintelligence, and to brainwash kids into thinking Kim Il Sung was a great thinker. To compare Kim Jong Un would be like comparing Stalin or Chairman Mao to facism. Authoritarian? Yes… Horribly mistreats and kill citizens? Yes… Militaristic? Yeah… Still not facism.

[@jinxed7915]

...this one, this universe right here

[@efreetheawesome]

Went hunting for this comment. That INSTANTLY set me off.

[@richardvlasek2445]

north korea isn't fascist unless your definition of fascism is just a personalistic nationalist dictatorship

[@oliversherman2414]

Even if Trump himself isn't fascist, many of his supporters certainly seem to be. And he says some things to cater to those people

[@changingpeopleslivesmoon2993]

He only says does stuff for there support

[@oliversherman2414]

@@changingpeopleslivesmoon2993 yeah

[@JahNgomba-ir2zi]

What is fascism ?

[@canonator176tech7]

He doesn't, hope this helps

[@oliversherman2414]

@@JahNgomba-ir2zi "Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterised by a dictatorial leader, centralised autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. Opposed to anarchism, democracy, pluralism, liberalism, socialism, and Marxism, fascism is placed on the far-right wing of the traditional left-right political spectrum." - Wikipedia

[@LeoTheComm]

Nice job! We certainly need more of us that can put aside our personal biases in order to see things objectively.

[@Existential8Ball]

Describing why someone is a fascist gives us insight into their potential future actions, but it doesn’t remove the title. Trump is shiftless and ego-driven, but ultimately a fascist and the leader of a fascist movement. It’s the same with other ideologies. Let’s use democratic politicians. They may be ego driven, but their speech acts and behavior fits within a general democratic ideology. They’ll push and support general democratic policies. The way they achieve power is democratic. Their drive may be ego-centric and will determine future outcomes, but they are still democratic. It’s the same with Trump. As the saying goes “walks like a mallard, talks like a mallard, this duck is killing my democracy.”

[@numbdigger9552]

The problem with your logic is that Trump by definition is not a fascist. He might talk and act exactly like a fascist, but he doesn't believe in those ideals, thus he isn't one, even if in practise it doesn't make a difference.

[@Existential8Ball]

Nah he is. Ego, entitlement, and victimhood is at the core of fascism and its entry into it. You don't need to be a hard lined, ideologically consistent fascist to be a fascist. If you interrogate your average small d democratic citizen, you'll be pressed to find an epistemologically grounded lover of democracy. But we still call these people democrats. @@numbdigger9552

[@rollinginthedeep6900]

But is protecting democracy all that important, when the democratic politicians are only protecting it in order to maintain the ways they benefit from the status quo? The democrats are in the pocket of corporations as much as the republicans are, they just use different public stances to justify their existence. Neither party actually cares about American people. Trump just capitalized on that apathy.

[@mikewilliams6025]

This is a completely insane take.

[@Existential8Ball]

Imagine a man that's seemingly a hardcore Green Bay Packers fan. He wears all the gear. He knows all the chants. He discourses about the team and its history. He goes to all the tailgates. He attends every game. He's embedded into the social structures of Football. You ask him why he's a super fan. "Oh I just love the atmosphere and the people are nice. My attachments are self-satisfaction" Is he a Packers fan? Short answer: Yes. Disagreeing would be an exercise of insanity. Long answer: It's ambiguous and ultimately arbitrary. Potentially, no if we are next to a perfectly spherical cow in a vacuum. He absolutely is when contextualized in the social structures around us. Especially if he's the CEO of the team!

[@enormouslittlethings6893]

I came here after watching your vid about The Thing and based on the title of this video, I did not expect to agree with you. Well done.

[@aschroeders]

Brilliant like all of your essays. Thank you for the inspiration. One question though: Don't you think that one integral part of fascism is also the hollow man at the top?

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks for the watch :) always a symbolic man at the top, but I don’t think he’s hollow. The classic fascist Mussolini Hitler Franco triad were all pretty serious guys. I think we’re inclined to assume fascists are empty figureheads because fascism itself is so dumb, but those movements do rely on decisive leadership. Trump’s position in that regard is pretty tenuous, and I’m disturbed by what looks like a lot of genuine fascist politicians now throwing in their hat for true leader in his place.

[@thehumanity3324]

Do you mean by "serious guys" that they were taken seriously, or that they took themselves seriously? Because if its the former, Hitler was famously described by german journalists and academics at the time as extremely unserious in his performances. Like he takes them seriously, but no one in germany talks like that, and so it looked extremely unserious. He was dismissed by some partly for this very reason. I think your own view of how dumb Trumps rhetoric/performances are, is clouding these historical comparisons. Just because we think Trump sounds stupid now doesnt mean figures of the past were taken more seriously.

[@sortof3337]

omg love this. yes so true. as someone from outside america we can see that trumpism is the americanism.

[@themorbidzoo]

Yes, I get the feeling that non-Americans see us a little more completely. Like watching a teenager make a fool of himself and thinking "oh honey" to yourself. Thanks for the watch!

[@sortof3337]

@@themorbidzoo I think the abundance of gun is what makes it tragic tbh. i am literally never going to america.

[@samueledison4676]

It's hilarious to watch people that have literal thousands of years of history of actual fascist, totalitarian, despotic goverments try and mock the United States lmao

[@radschele1815]

​@@themorbidzooa teenager who has way too much power. Sorry, but it's not like watching a teenager, but the bully who sometimes helps a person, when they're down.

[@sheenawarecki92]

I bet he also lies awake at night thinking about mcdonalds 🤔! I'm really digging your channel so far! You deserve so many more followers!

[@stungunnotapplicable1953]

We were all told that Donald Trump is what perfection looks like. We were told by society that we should strive to be like what he is, that he represents success. He did everything that society said was the right thing to do to get ahead. He followed it to its logical extreme. He was praised for every move he made -- up until he entered the political arena, at least. And people expect that everyone can just be told to hate him for being the very thing that's been glorified for so long up until now. There is no principle behind the push to hate him by most of the voices out there. He's inconvenient for those who built their empires because he's turned upon them, but they can't denounce what he symbolizes properly because it's the very same thing all of them built their empires upon, and to demolish that in principle would bring them down as well. That's why they can't identify the problem, because they know damn good and well that they're making bank off that problem. "Why are you afraid? Isn't this what you asked for?" It's like werewolves pointing towards someone that's been cast out of their pack, trying to convince the human world that he's a vampire and needs to be staked through the heart. They could end him, but they're scared to reveal the truth and hand out silver bullets, lest the people also find out that they're werewolves too, and take them all down.

[@chimedemon]

While I agree with some of your points, especially the fact that Trump represents what capital letter Capitalism is and how in its core it triumphs when narcissistic people are given even more fuel, I’d still say Trump is a fascist. He may not be exactly like Hitler, he’s definitely doing things mostly just for himself, but the actions he takes create visceral reactions from others, INSPIRE others to do harm. Fascism is created from him. He also has said and done some extremely fascist things like keeping and enhancing the concentration camps for immigrants, creating a crappy wall destroying sacred despite not being given permission to do so, and attempting to incite a coup. He’s just a different flavor of fascism. His actions and causes may not be because he himself believes in them personally but believes the outcome will be for him personally, but he’s still a fascist. Maybe the point of this was to say that he as a person is not exactly a fascist but he wears a mask of fascism, but doesn’t that make it still a form of fascism? Is the reaction and active incitement OF that reaction still somewhat part of it?

[@themorbidzoo]

Yeah, these are all interesting points. Sincere trump loyalists are almost uniformly sincere fascists, and he encourages them, so the extent to which that makes him fascist is important to parse. I would say that while he’s definitely a vehicle for fascism, and has for sure legitimized the ideology, his lack of belief in the actual cause changes how we should react to him in subtle but crucial ways. Every fascist thing he tried was half assed and poorly executed, and under a real fascist, which is now a possibility in no small part because of him, things can be much much worse. Trump is too light a standard for what constitutes fascism IMO, and I worry that the term is becoming too attached to his personal mannerisms and boorishness instead of a specific idea and agenda spreading throughout the Republican Party. We should consider his movement fascist, absolutely, but he himself absorbs a lot of blame for something bigger and more threatening, allowing our nascent American fascism to grow faster.

[@JS-wp4gs]

@@themorbidzoo 'Sincere trump loyalists are almost uniformly sincere fascists, and he encourages them, so the extent to which that makes him fascist is important to parse' If you believe a word of what you just said you're truly stupider than a bag of rocks. You don't know who or what trump is (hint: he's a new york democrat who knows how to read people and is playing both sides against each other as a political tactic) and you very clearly do not know what fascism is. You're talking like one of those ignorant twitter headcases that accuse everything and everyone they don't like of being nazis. You aren't nearly as smart as you think you are But go ahead and keep slandering and persecuting people like that and see how that ends for you. That is exactly how you end up creating actual fascists and justifying their beliefs. You'd think people have figured this out by now - keep persecuting people accusing them of being extremists and you will eventually create extremists. Just like the fools who belittle others for their race and act surprised when they turn into racists who want nothing to do with them

[@Steve-yn3cs]

Okay. This makes WAAAAY more sense. Great Video. ❤

[@playedtoomuch5259]

irregardless if he personally is a fascist or not, he still uses similar means to get into power and to shore up supporters

[@evanrutledge-sz4yo]

Fair enough but Trump, himself, isn’t a fascist. Donald Trump to me is a salesman, an ego driven one at that. He has no ideological backbone, as his ideology is whatever it needs to be in order to garner to approval and admiration of his followers. He’s a snake oil salesman borderline cult leader.

[@noahwen-li]

You are my new favorite youtube channel. Eloquent and articulate, you have a great voice and your videos are well put together. Your analysis on women and monsters (my two absolute favorite topics for analysis) are amazing and this video has put into words something I have been thinking for YEARS. Bless you and your channel and I hope to see more quality content from you for years :)

[@themorbidzoo]

Thank you so much!! I so appreciate the kindness and am so happy you're here!

[@HupertBupkin]

This video REQUIRES an update.

[@themorbidzoo]

This year 👍🏼

[@HupertBupkin]

@@themorbidzoo AMAZING! Thank you. What you’re doing is important and a man like him needs to be properly characterized so viewers can understand his nature and the disaster he poses to our country. It is that serious. Please don’t go lightly on this guy. Honesty is never kind to evil. This isn’t me saying that you haven’t been honest and thorough. I’m just saying that an update is needed, as you clearly understand.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@HupertBupkin thanks 🤙🏼 my basic thesis for this update is that properly characterizing trump’s fascism or lack thereof is the difference between having one trump right now or having a trump every 60 some-odd years forever and ever

[@HupertBupkin]

@@themorbidzoo That’s a fascinating angle, I look forward to it. I don’t know how far you’re gonna go into the historical precendence (vis a vis European fascism) but with talk of “staging areas”, “vermin”, it’s very important to at least tacitly acknowledge this. But nevertheless, I’m thrilled to hear your take. I’m a journalist myself, so I have a deep appreciation for your voice. Again, with what’s going on, it’s so essential we speak on things.

[@uhoh3258]

I love ur content n ur personality but that thesis needs a little work

[@chipsdad5861]

Trump has advocated for setting aside the constitution. That was also done in Germany in the 30s.

[@xHiNoTorix]

Well banning guns is also against the constitution. Sometimes holding onto old constitutions does more bad than good.

[@chipsdad5861]

@@xHiNoTorix There are more guns in America than people. There is more than one mass shooting a day. You are by far the most Trump supporter I have encountered. WTF.

[@chipsdad5861]

@@xHiNoTorix I assume you are a Russian comrade trying to put some lipstick on the pig Donald Trump

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

Based

[@applesandgrapesfordinner4626]

​@@xHiNoTorixControl doesn't mean gun ban. It just means guns don't have to go in the hands of homicidal people. It can't go away 100%, but you can reduce the chances of gun violence.

[@DimioFlamingo]

Gotta say I already love the non monster content, great work!

[@diegogutierrez7247]

I don't know, I think this is still pretty on brand.

[@DimioFlamingo]

@@diegogutierrez7247 haha yeah fair

[@themorbidzoo]

Thank you thank you!

[@alexk7046]

appreciated the sober take on a talking point that is spiraling out of control came here after your excellent video on The Thing

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks :)

[@alex-sv8ru]

"Should fascism come to power, it will ride over your skulls and spines like a terrific tank." - Leon Trotsky

[@adamnicholes1002]

How many times did Trump threaten martial law? Which would give the military the green light to forcibly lock us in our houses, let only one of us outside at a time (no more than your front porch) and kill anyone thought to be brandishing a weapon. On top of that it would kill any and all prisoners (from max security to county jails). While yes, America needs to be reigned in. Trump was the pivot point

[@beyondz55]

@@adamnicholes1002 so with afghanistan biden just armed and created a terrorist taliban state with 80 billion dollars of us taxpayer funded weapons and left behind americans and afghan allies to be slaughtered by the extremists. Oh he was phone with the afghan president telling him to downplay the threat right before it went down. Oh so much more. Turns out they love their Chinese communist allies and want a global dictatorship. Found the fascists.

[@Krylatiy]

Funny hearing it from people who helped in building the system as scary as fascism, and then the said system first chased you from the country and then ensured that you got an ice axe lodged into your skull. Ironic even.

[@RichardDuncan-ju1xk]

So, like communism then.

[@jamiecameron4564]

​@@Krylatiycomments like this massively misrepresent the soviet union and effectively apologise for the horrors of fascism as a result. False equivalence BS

[@Puppies-z9h]

I just came across this in my quest to better understand fascism and the various perspectives people have about Trump and fascism. This was an interesting listen, thank you.

[@ruisantos8070]

I disagree with your assessment. If all his actions are fascist then he is a fascist. Motive is irrelevant even if I agree with you that the reason he is a fascist is because of his ultra-selfishness.

[@danielcantiego9374]

Fuuuuuuuuu cking Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. THIS VIDEO IS 3 FUCKIMG YEARS OLD!!! I thought it was uploaded recently . Dang. You truly have talent with your script, Zoo

[@RoyGBiv-lc8tv]

This video earned you a subscriber. Keep it up. Great research btw.

[@themorbidzoo]

Hooray, I'm glad you're sticking around!

[@rorysimpson8716]

I'm a fan, but I think I have my first minor quibble. I hope can be forgiven because the nature of this video is mostly definitional and not functional. In my view, Trump is too empty to be anything, but he is buoyed up and animated by fascists in such a way that he functionally is one. In some counterfactual alternate timeline (if you go for that MWI stuff) where the populist agitators were far left agrarian anarco-syndicalists, he would ride them to the top and be every bit as hollow and self serving as he is now, but confessing a different faith.

[@themorbidzoo]

💯

[@MatlockMoto]

You mentioned instances of President Trump saying or doing racist things but gave no examples. Can you give an example of something he said or did that was racist since he announced his candidacy for the Presidency in 2015?

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Freaking awesome! I like everything about your work. Being a kind of involuntary Facism expert by birth, I was puzzled by him until I figured it out (I think) - he has a massive personality disorder, he is not an idilogical zealot (at least not for Facism). Because as you say, he talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk. All he does he does to further his extremely narcicisstic goals. Greetings from Germany

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks so much 😁

[@deansibinski6190]

I wouldn't call wisecrack's assessment totally unfair mostly because it has always been contexts, not dictionaries or authorities, determine the meaning of words and political terms. Words thrown around as pejoratives absolutely lose their original meaning and take on the use of those who wield them. But you're right that we should be careful about where we put our ='s

[@thomasmiremont7072]

I found your channel via an iceberg and what a video for the first I watch, really good one

[@WatcherPrime]

"All exist within the State, nothing competes with the State, nothing exists beyond the State." Behold, a very simple set of pillars to know what evil looks like in government.

[@blixer8384]

It's actually debatable whether or not the ideology of North Korea is Communist, because North Korea subscribes to an ideology called Juche which is derived from the Marxist-Leninist tendency of Communism but deviates a lot from Marxist-Leninism. For starters the Kim family have utterly replaced Marx, Lenin, as the founding fathers of Communism; and national struggle has supplanted class struggle as the defining conflict. Much in the way National struggle supplanted class struggle in the National/Fascist-Syndalist movement in Italy that gave birth to modern day Nationalism. Additionally the Kim family themselves do not view the Juche movement as merely just another Communist or Marxist-Leninist tendency. They regarded Juche as distinct from the Communism of Russia and Marx and some critics have gone so far as to say that Juche is not communist at all; but is instead an Ultra-Nationalist if not Fascist Ideology with a Centrally Planned economy. And of course plenty of Anarchists and Communist reject the notion that a centrally planned economy can be considered a communist economy because the workers don't control the means of production the party controls the means of production through the state and that can only be considered Communist if you actually believe the party is controlled by the people.

[@laserwolf65]

Fascism's definition: “Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.”

[@xHiNoTorix]

Funnily enough, that's also the definition of communism.

[@sPACEmANtYLERSPACE]

@@xHiNoTorixnot really, no. Communism believes in internationalism, spreading the revolution. Fascism believes their state is above all else. Stalin’s Soviet Union was barley communism.

[@boyznthewoodz770]

“Many fascists see room for other races in the identity of their movement” for now.

[@wone21r]

Where does this sit in the context of "guilt by association"? In some circles I frequent, the attitude held by many is that to not attack fascism is to accept it. To use your example, Donald Trump may no be a fascist, but the people around him are, so therefore he may as well be. I don't actually agree with the take I've just described, but it then becomes difficult to know what to do with it. When it comes to politics, I hold myself and those sharing my alignment to a high standard, because I believe that wild hyperbole, blanket statements, and the creation of an "other" (a caricature badguy, dehumanising those different to you) is not the way forward and does no good for our position. In other words, I don't like the playbook of the right, and especially don't like that playbook being used by the left. So I engage, but then find it to be an impossible conversation to have, because all it takes is someone to throw out a "giving ground", "sympathiser", or similar and there's no recovery from there. Or is the lesson here that the internet isn't real life, and that attempting to discuss complex, dynamic and volatile topics such as this with people you don't know is a fruitless endeavour? Great video btw. Found your channel this weekend, and everything I've seen has been brilliant. Thanks for your work!

[@justine-x7c]

“Donald trump is not a fascist. He just plays one on TV” fire. Absolutely fire

[@1fareast14]

Yes, he plays one on TV, and more of them ran his cabinet. The question of personal motivation and sincerity may not be that relevant, and plenty of the tentpole fascists were also egomaniac salesmen.

[@TomisaLami]

Holy shit I think you might be like the smartest person I’ve ever like encountered like ever and I’m not trying to be hyperbolic, I mean that sincerely this was so brilliant you’ve totally changed my mind, and it seemed almost effortless. I came into this video, expecting to like be grudgingly have to admit a few things, but still end the video with like my original mindset but no, you have completely convinced me with just the most like accessible and understandable arguments and examples it’s truly refreshing to come across your content and I wish I would’ve known about it long ago.

[@RikerLovesWorf]

If you think this was a smart take then you must be stupid as hell yourself

[@AvantOnline]

That of course isn’t to say he’s not far-right. The movement vs the man.

[@themorbidzoo]

Certainly

[@JS-wp4gs]

@@themorbidzoo If you think trump is 'far right' you need your head examined. He spent his entire life as a new york democrat and has done nothing that even remotely implies being 'far right'

[@amberhide04]

@@JS-wp4gs democrats are already right wing so it isn't much of a jump

[@cristobocarrin1746]

"We call him a fascist because we tend to identify new things by the names of things which we already know". That's... that's very insightful!

[@slevinchannel7589]

No, its not. Some-More-News has covered Trump objectively being a Fascisttt

[@ff-pj3de]

Was Mussolini convinced of his ideology? I must admit, I didn't study him in close detail, and it's been a while, but from what I remember, he gives me a similar vibe to trump. How he was perceived, celebrated, seeing himself as another kind of Ceasar, by the way that he studied newspapers and stories, appeared in public and organised his daughter's wedding at saint joseph church in Rome. Self-importance was a significant part of Mussolini, similar to Trump. Not sure whether the belief is really relevant either.

[@KittyHatProductions]

"He just plays one on TV..." XD I love it. Man, what an interesting video. You make a good point missy 👍

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@KittyHatProductions]

@@themorbidzoo Fo show 🤙

[@brooklybeli6970]

"Fascism is the open terroristic dictatorship of finance capital" is a good definition that applies to all cases well

[@commie563]

He is not fascist, but he will be one to get what he wants.

[@RATZGobbler]

The endgame of Reaganomics. A man so incompatible with reality that it’s easier to just let him run the show into the ground than actually explain why it will fail.

[@caim3465]

Ironically, Soviet command economy had similar problems. Horseshoe theory?

[@TripleThreatTriad]

@@caim3465 cue a disingenuously dismissive "history repeats itself" from the more casual viewer

[@FlashGordon5272]

I just stumbled onto your channel randomly via the algorithm, but I'm glad that I did! I was skeptical of the video title, but you make a lot of very convincing points! I love that last line, "[He]'s not a fascist, he just plays one on TV" is brilliant and hit the nail right on the head. He has no real belief or convictions of a glorious time we must go back to, only to himself.

[@sebastiangreene6372]

If you want to understand what fascism is you must read Leon Trotsky's "Fascism: What it is and how to Fight it". In the class analysis of fascism, it is a mass movement of the petty bourgeoisie (small business owners and middle class) who are demoralized after the working class fails to take power. They turn to a strong man to promise to raise their living standards but who actually seek to crush the working class in retreat. Fascists are often funded by the big bourgeoisie, they are their attack dogs. This is different then other types of dictatorships such as a military dictatorship which arises out of the upper ranks of the ruling class such as in the military or government. If Trump succeeded in his coup plan we would not of had fascism, but instead a personalist dictatorship which would certainly be fascistic but it would not be fascism.

[@themorbidzoo]

Nice

[@samueledison4676]

"Coup plan" Lmao

[@JS-wp4gs]

Trotsky was an idiot, fascism barely even existed yet when he was alive and he didn't have an understanding of communism either which is why he got stupid about things and ended up the way he did and anybody who thinks there was any kind of 'coup attempt' let alone a trump led one is an idiot. Full stop. Shows you how stupid the average american truly is and how easily to accept media propaganda

[@b4rbarbar]

Today, on the eve of the 2024 election, I wonder what your reaction was to General Kelly openly describing Trump as fascist... Great vid, as always!

[@jgamer997]

After seeing Project 2025 tho... just praying for the sake of our youth that Harris wins.

[@andyleach3625]

After seeing videos from the Middle East from the last year, I’m hoping either Oliver Chase or Jill Stein wins.

[@josephwindle7177]

Interesting take. I'll have to think about this some more.

[@anthonyz1164]

The fact that this is a two year old video isn’t lost on me but I’m still going to post it in the case that someone else sees this, if not the creator. I appreciate the sincerity you clearly had in approaching this topic, however, I think you’re argument here is a little problematic. If all that separates a fascist leader from a non fascist leader is their commitment to the actual ideas behind their fascism then now suddenly all fascist leaders are in question. I think it would be ridiculous for us to say that if we found out tomorrow that Hitler and Mussolini didn’t actually believe what they believed but instead just pretended to as a way to achieve power that they could no longer truly be called fascists. It’s ridiculous because what’s in their head is not relevant to the actual consequences of their political actions, which based of off your own definition, Trump’s actions truly do appear to be fascist in nature. This video was even posted after Jan 6th which is just further proof of my point.

[@ivrxr8693]

I think you are somewhat misconstruing what she is saying, which is fair because she doesn’t do the best job at articulating what she means exactly, which is why she is planning on remaking this vid. From what I can gather, she is trying to say that calling Trump a fascist implies that he is something seperate from the America we know and not the inevitable result of the intersection of neoliberal capitalism and our ideological mess of a government. To call Trump a fascist is like calling Watergate the cause of Presidential overreach. These two things are just symptoms of larger problems that need to be addressed as larger problems.

[@lucyferos205]

​@@ivrxr8693What, and other fascist leaders weren't products of their culture and political circumstances?

[@ivrxr8693]

@@lucyferos205 you are correct, but there is a small but very significant distinction here. Someone like H*tler (I don’t want this comment deleted) was a product of German society and of a collapsing German liberal capitalism, but he wanted to ultimately destroy that society and replace it with a fascist one, because capitalism to a true fascist is only useful for so long. Donald Trump, however, has no intention or desire of destroying our liberal capitalist society because that’s the thing he likes. That’s the thing that put him into power and put all his friends into power. Fascism grows out of liberal capitalism but the relationship is parasitic. As hierarchical and biased as our society is, it is still theoretically possible for a person on the bottom to get to the top. That’s the appeal for neoliberals. A true fascist would dislike that and want to replace it with a not wholly different system but one with no social mobility whatsoever. Trump is not a fascist. He’s a neoliberal capitalist idiot who surrounds himself with fascists to keep himself at the top.

[@thehumanity3324]

​@@ivrxr8693Why are fascism and america necessarily distinct by implication?

[@ivrxr8693]

@@thehumanity3324 because America is not by nature fascistic despite the efforts of Reagan and his successors. Neoliberalism tends toward fascism, and Trump is the epitome of Neoliberalism, but it is not fascist in and of itself Neoliberal capitalism allows for the possibility of social mobility, such as one black business outdoing white businesses in the free market, because capitalists value or at least claim to value things such as intelligence and business savviness in the pursuit of wealth. In Neoliberalism, wealth is the marker of value to society, and that is something you can theoretically change. Fascists value things like race, gender, and place of origin, things you can’t change. So their ultimate goals and the ultimate goals of pure neoliberals are incompatible. But fascists are smart and can manipulate the hierarchy of wealth to become similar to the hierarchy of essential qualities to make it look fair to neoliberals when the truth is much different. Also America has a core belief that (in theory) the people should have a hand in how they are governed, while fascists believe precisely the opposite. But our systems are easily co-optable by fascism, as seen by Reagan and his successors. Fascism’s ultimate goal is to create a system that is fundamentally different from the one America is. Now I’m not saying that America’s systems are good, just that they’re not quite fascist.

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

Great video. Great logic, editing, script, presentation, explanation. This video should gain a lot more views. I see people in the comments saying using fascism for gain is not much different than fascist. I don't know about that, so I asked a friend who has less media influence of his opinions. He said, politicians don't do what they say. Donald Trump's using fascism as a means is dangerous, but not as dangerous as him believing in it. So there is a significance in him not being a true fascist.

[@incredibleblaan9983]

JJ think about the use of fascism by people like him, and others in the past, just as a business model to reach their goals/ power and wealth on other peoples costs and lifes. That is why the longer they "act like a fascist", the more likely they will turn themselves into one. And of course doesn´t stand being narcistic in contradiction to being fasicst. In fact the opposit is more likely the case. For people like you or me, it will make no difference in the end of the day, if Trump believes in it or not, because the results will be the same for society. Thats why the whole vid is pointless...

[@incredibleblaan9983]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4m3e4GvlLSloKc

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

@@incredibleblaan9983 I had no intention of underestimating the danger. And I had no intention of precisely evaluating the difference in their impacts. I'm just saying that I used to equate them. But now I think they are not exactly the same, because there is a significant difference, which has no directly implication for the severity of the outcomes. That's the thought provoking process I got from the video. And I don't have to see Donald Trump as a real fascist even though sometimes he's worse.

[@incredibleblaan9983]

@@JJ-ds2get-her "I'm just saying that I used to equate them."

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

@@incredibleblaan9983 I think I've watched that video before. I'm a big fan of him. i think his team makes great videos (great presentation). But sometimes I can spot that they are trying to dumb down their content a little or sensationalize it a little or flaming it a little just to compete on KZbin, which is a valid strategy to at least get the message to as many people as possible, as majority of the audience are emotion monsters. But I think his video is packaged too well. And I'm more into deeper analysis or thinking. But regardless, I'll probably watch that video again since I like him a lot. Thanks for sharing.

[@Kodaemon]

Recent youtube subscriber, "North Korea is not fascist" is where you start to lose me.

[@Kodaemon]

It absolutely, ABSOLUTELY is.

[@nihilism2004]

@@Kodaemon Even worse than fascist some might say

[@excalibur2772]

The left is weird about North Korea just because they hate the US more and it panders to be "communist"

[@Ma1q444]

No it isn’t it’s communist

[@nonchi5113]

I never subscribed so fast before

[@timk6181]

In a nutshell, Hitler wouldn't have shilled for NFTs

[@mattbeatgoeson]

This is a brilliant video.

[@sparki9085]

How is north korea not facist??

[@jeongbun2386]

This has less to do with the topic but I really like the way you talk and the editing 😀

[@kelwdavicuddui5677]

I disagree with most of this video, except yeah he has an ego problem. lol . However you made it clear it's your perspective so I commend you anyway and gave a like.

[@michaelwilliams-owolabi8365]

this was really eye-opening. great video and well researched!

[@mrfigaloopierre9610]

Because of project 2025, this aged quite poorly

[@JahNgomba-ir2zi]

Do you know what fascism is ?

[@a_capitalist]

Ahh yes, a lobbying group that has existed and Trump had no idea about, he had the amount of information on P25 as Walz has on Iraq

[@mrfigaloopierre9610]

@@JahNgomba-ir2zi Yes, obviously

[@mrfigaloopierre9610]

@@a_capitalist Trump almost certainly knows about it, many of project 2025's writers and collaborators are in his administration.

[@JahNgomba-ir2zi]

@@mrfigaloopierre9610 explain it then

[@Xelpherpolis]

TLDR "I mean say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, at least it's an _ethos._ "

[@onetomeplz5825]

This aged poorly

[@Getitgoingyt]

For sure

[@caesaremrichfam5057]

Yeah, in the sense that the left doesn’t vet what they say, and they live in echo chambers where the radicalize themselves, and that this very fact is what lead to an assassination attempt on the former president. The left is evil. They control all the media and corporations, and apparently it’s coming out that they (the Kamala Harris campaign) is paying influencers behind the scenes to badmouth Trump and promote Kamala. It’s creepy how much of a stranglehold they have over the information that is easily accessible for masses to see, masses of people who only read headlines and don’t have the time to question why the news has snuck premises in their headlines and articles.

[@lordoftherakatanempire6072]

Hardly. The man wants the power of an autocrat and the validation of his ego. He's playing along with the fascist movement around him because they can give him both of those things if he wins the election and lets them implement Project 2025.

[@ArtemisSmith]

He is the hardest working comedian in the game

[@johnnychunders864]

Yes he is.

[@bocchithean-cap3404]

I wish

[@1monki]

Perhaps he isn't, but it doesn't really matter because he's willing to believe anything politically if he thinks it's necessary. And he'll act accordingly. It doesn't matter if his heart is really in it or not

[@Grf1556]

Saying Trump isn’t a fascist because he doesn’t believe in fascism is like saying Tom isn’t a murderer because Tom didn’t believe he killed Mike, even thought Tom was found at the scene covered in Mike’s blood and holding the murder weapon, and Tom had been talking about how murder can benefit him personally for years.

[@IrishCarney]

Trump isn't a neoliberal. Practically the only serious policy issue he's been consistent in advocating since the 1980s has been protectionism, which is such a big deal that actual neoliberals like David Frum broke with the Republican Party over it. Seriously, Frum goes on and on about Trump's hostility to free trade as his biggest issue with him.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@IrishCarney sure, he advocates protectionism publicly while manufacturing all his trump brand products in china lol this is not terribly nonstandard for the spirit of American globalist principles and their neoliberal excuses. “Good economics is when I succeed and you do whatever it is you do, who gives a sh**.” Trump is just honest about principles actually not mattering in economic policy, or really any policy, at all.

[@GundalfForHire]

I'm not exactly fully worked through this in my head yet, but I think fascism is a lot easier to define if you focus on the economic element. That is to say, a reactionary (not revolutionary) force against individual/worker power propelled by corporate entities and private interests seeking to stomp out notions of changing the status quo. Doesn't take long to look at historical fascism and see the privatization of previously public industries, and the more or less state sponsored monopolies, to see why capitalists would endorse fascism. You can vouch for free market capitalism, but as we're seeing right now, it's gonna trend towards monopolies, and those monopolies have the power to run the state. And if you consider lobbyists and the amount of money politicians have to take just to get ELECTED... well, I'm not saying the US is fascist, but maybe a little, from an economic perspective. Maybe a lot. Like I said, I'm still working through it. I mean, if you look at the Nazi party, what exactly did their 'revolution' depose when they kept all the corporate bodies intact, gave them more power and privileges, and focused on conservative, traditional social values? It's reactionary by definition. Reacting to Marxism, in which social conservatives and capitalists team up against socialist popularity.

[@ShariEricson]

CALL HIM WHATEVER, HE'S DANGEROUS AND DOESN'T CARE FOR ANYONE, BUT SELF! !!!!!!!!

[@griffin09]

Holy... holy fuck. I found this channel through the video on The Thing. This channel is amazing! Are there any other platforms or websites you write content on? Your shit is really good!

[@themorbidzoo]

Ah, thanks!!! I was writing theatrical reviews for hidefninja last year, but then the world fell apart, whoops. Thanks for being here, I've got a new video up this week!

[@kevinhengehold4387]

I've wondered a bit about the line between conservatism and fascism. people point at Karl Shmitt's friend/enemy distinction, and you look at Wilhoit's law, "Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.", and I wonder: what's the difference? I really like your content, but this video feels like a distinction without a difference - trump's not a fascist, but he is courting fascists, and bringing them into his inner circle, and "make america great again" is palingenetic ultranationalism distilled, and the things he does hit 10 of the Umberto Eco's 14 points easily - maybe more, but HE's not a fascist, he's just doing fascist shit. I think people are what they do. If he stops doing fascist shit, he'll stop being a fascist, but for now that's not the case.

[@christianmccauley7340]

Well, yes. Of course. Trump isn’t ideologically a fascist, he’s simply an opportunist. And like so many opportunists before him, appealing to fascism is a pretty great trick. While his ideological position might not be inherently fascist, he’s still a fascist, because the outcome regardless of his intentions is the same.

[@yourneighbourino424]

He isn’t ideologically a fascist, but he is embracing fascism and using fascist tactics, because his support base are fascists and proto-fascists, I agree he is mostly just a narcissist and a populist, but embracing fascism whether you’re a fascist or not doesn’t make it much better

[@AmberMyers-ek2bp]

Nice explanation. Extreme narcissism rather than extreme ideological belief. The problem is that he has no problem encouraging and fueling fascist ideology for his own benefit.

[@chrispytheBlindSocialist]

Got here from part 2 which I will watch in a moment. I don't disagree, but I wonder what the goal is here. I'll go watch part 2 now to see if I get answers.