It's not that difficult.

In Hillary Clinton we have a flawed, but able candidate for President of the United States.

In Donald Trump, we have a man who:

Bans news organizations from covering his events

Demonizes entire groups of Americans

Uses phrases like "America First".

Only fools still believe that Clinton = Trump.

Only fools believe that a traditional Democrat is just as bad as an avowed fascist.

I've written about the American right's drift towards fascism since the election of Barack Obama. But it's no longer a "drift". The GOP electorate has endorsed the kind of politician which American soldiers died to defeat 70 years ago. History isn't being repeated: it's being forgotten.

Donald Trump is all that has gone wrong with conservatism. It's the nativism, the know-nothingism, the utter disregard for facts and truth.

But he's not its progenitor. He's merely its apotheosis. He's its Il Duce, come around at last to give it voice.

We all mocked his debut on the primary stage, with his talk of Mexican rapists. But this is exactly what the GOP base wanted to hear.

And as we said, "Well, he's pulling 30% of 30%", we saw that that 30% grew to 70% or 80%. Whether the GOP base actually believed what he was selling, or was just glad to be done with the 16 dwarfs, is immaterial. It gave him its imprimatur. This is Trump's party now.

So we know what we face. We face an avowed fascist. (Yes, I know what "avowed" means, and Trump hasn't raised the straight armed salute. But his words speak eloquently.)

How do we react? Well, if you are of any sanity, you say "Never Trump", and rally for his only viable opposition.

But, there is a segment who choose neutrality.

This neutrality can consist of not voting. Or of voting for a 3rd party.

But make no mistake: You will not be absolved by being "neutral". There is no neutrality against evil.

Pacifism is a wonderful idea. But pacifism in the face of evil is acquiescence in that evil.

Mahatma Gandhi, whom I revere, urged nonviolent resistance to fascism. But the brutality of fascism does not succumb to nonviolence. Fascism does not succumb to anything except greater force.

We have a chance to stop it in its tracks, by the modality of our democratic system. To say that "both are the same" is to acquiesce to that fascism, to throw one's hands up and say that there is no difference, so why bother.

Neutrality is a choice. It's a choice to let evil win. It's a choice to let evil prosper. I hope that people who read this who are considering this choice read this with an open mind, and reconsider their decision. Trump's election will not usher in a socialist revolution; it will cut off all the progress we've made in the past 8 years. Is this a price to pay for the fact that the political revolution promised by Bernie Sanders didn't come to fruition?