Well former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has dropped the F-bomb.

“The modern Republican Party is hurtling towards fascism” says the headline of his article in the Independent (April 13).

The lead-in to a litany of charges is the two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the state house, then were restored to their seats pending a special election, “but the damage to democracy cannot be easily undone.”

There follow a number of claims which are factual, but omit crucial details, i.e. lies of omission.

“Their putative offense was to protest against Tennessee’s failure to enact stronger gun controls after a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville left three nine-year-old students and three adults dead.”

Reich fails to mention that they were protesting with a bullhorn and leading a large group of noisy protesters preventing the legislature from conducting any business.

Already spin meisters are working overtime to assure everyone this has no resemblance to Jan. 6 at all.

“And the two who were expelled last week are Black people, while a third legislator who demonstrated in the same manner but was not expelled is white.”

The lady in question reportedly escaped expulsion because she wasn’t using a bullhorn. That wasn’t mentioned either.

He follows by viewing with alarm recent events in Wisconsin, ominous reference to the Civil War, hints of election shenanigans, and throws in Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump is not singularly responsible for this dangerous trend, but he has legitimized and encouraged the ends-justify-the-means viciousness now pushing the GOP toward becoming the American fascist party.”

It is breathtaking how quickly Reich can plead for the importance of democratic means to resolve our differences and completely gloss over the legitimate interest the legislature has in keeping order in the house.

Reich leveled charges of gerrymandering, which is certainly something that should concern us, while totally ignoring the unconstitutional changes in electoral procedures by fiat during the COVID emergency.

And the ease with which he throws the charge of “fascism” without ever defining it, other than a brief reference to “authoritarian” is alarming.

So let me say this right up front. When you call someone a “fascist” or a “Nazi” they have every right to assume you mean to do them serious harm.

And how do I know that?

Because that’s the way I feel about Nazis and fascists.

I’ve been to Auschwitz, and in Nazi racial pseudo-science my children are “half-Slav untermenschen unworthy of life.” If someone in my neighborhood hung out a swastika banner you’d better believe I’d have contingency plans ready to deal with them.

Because I’ve actually studied the history and meaning of the term fascism rather than just using it as a vile insult, I’m uneasily aware we might be closer to it than we’re ready to admit. But it is not localized in either party.

The doctrine of fascism calls for the merger of state and corporate power, a national greatness ideology, and a cult of youth.

The first is enthusiastically embraced by the left and only tepidly condemned by the right, but is pragmatically accepted by both because that’s where the donor class lives.

National greatness sounds a lot like MAGA, though these days the left is more open to foreign military adventurism while much of the right seems to have returned to traditional right-wing isolationism.

And the cult of youth is definitely found on the left where it is held that any attempt to forcibly restrain young people from rioting, looting, and arson is… fascism.

So Secretary Reich before you get too free with that insult, look in the mirror.

— Steve Browne is a former reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent