@Sand - I think we need to be careful with our words, but not afraid to use them accurately. IF, that is, we are willing to conduct legit conversation, engage in nuanced and contextual discussion so stating "we see some similarities between A and B" does not connote "A and B are the same thing" or "A is just being B"
That said, and perhaps to illuminate your point, when people were calling out Bush as "a Nazi" or the entire Republican party for any number of things, that sets a stage whereby the term itself is misappropriated, loses it's impact, and, eventually, becomes somewhat of a joke along the lines of "oh, guess we are going to call them Nazi's, now!"
However, when you have as many parallels in the actions and tactics taken by this admin and some of its supporters (including, um... actual Nazis, self proclaimed white supremacists, and when you have those groups and their leadership repeatedly calling out how Trump is fullfilling their wishes!) to similar tactics employed at say an fairly early stage of what become one of history's greatest and most extreme examples of a slippery slope, I think it is our RESPONSIBILITY to be honest and call them out as such.
Just do so in a way where we are not proclaiming Trump et al to "be" Nazis, nor to "be" fascists" but it's just as disingenuine to suggest they are not following many of the same tactics.
Now, if you prefer to use Venezuela, Philippines or other "more recent" examples, go ahead - but that doesn't lessen the comparisons to an example that, imo, has more parallels to our society (one of the world's great economies, a nation that represents the pinnacle of higher thought, learning, and an integrated society etc).
The reality is before last year, I never thought we were under any real threat of "following the footsteps of Germany" - but as the son of a Holocaust Survivor, I was always cognizant that Naziism happened not just as a result of fascism, but fascism that took root in arguably the MOST learned and culturally/academically/institutionally rich societies. So when people would say 5 years ago "Nazi Germany could NEVER happen here!" my contention would be that our society would be "just" the place such a horrific event could occur, only because the examples like Venezuela or Philliphines dont match the parrallels between our society and that of Germany's.
Now, I'd use that as an example, but in my heart, never thought we would ever be at any actual risk. Not in my lifetime.. but I also knew EVENTUALLY of course we'd be succeptible, as all cultures are.
However, when SEEING the employment of gaslighting, hyper nationalism, increased racism, bigotry, anti-semitism and hatefully inspired anti-immigrant sentiment, along with efforts to undercut the press and even the concept of truth (I could go on, it's the bulleted list I wrote)... well, suddenly I realized, MAYBE this IS how that long slippery slope works.
I KNOW we are not "immune" from falling into that darkness (just as the Germans, with all their rich history and educated populace, were not). I KNOW we are seeing the SAME tactics employed. That tells me it's time not to hide from scary truths, but to speak up and HOPE the situation is not nearly as bad as it could be, or even as it seems. But I'll be damned to be the boiled frog who only recognizes the slow creep of proven tactics of authoritarianism and fascism when it is already too late.
You may call that alarmist. I call it well founded vigilance.
Roadkill
