There are too many parallels to fascism for us to overlook | Opinion

Melba Gandy | Your Turn

Are we seeing indications that the United States has entered a "pre-fascist" phase of national politics?

History tells us fascism doesn't simply suddenly appear. Its hold on a formerly free society is carefully planned and executed by (usually) a small group of people who will benefit from its institution. Conversion to fascism requires that some basic tools be applied.

A common tool used to manipulate the population into accepting fascism is that of dividing society into "tribes" of polar opposite beliefs. Another frequent tool is to create a common enemy by instilling fear of the created enemy into the population, combined with spreading the (false) belief that the manipulators are the only ones who can render the enemy powerless.

Rigging elections, as in the Brexit referendum, the last French presidential election, and the last North American presidential election, is another necessary tool. The objective of the manipulation is to exaggerate the internal national divisions, and raise fear to a level at which enough of the population will willingly accept leadership from the fascist manipulators to install them in positions of power.

Free people find it difficult to give up their liberty and civility, and have to be trained and coached to normalize things from which they are initially inclined to recoil. The tools for coaching include instilling a disbelief in truth as it is produced by the legitimate media; a distrust of government institutions, particularly the justice system; the use of false propaganda and spreading of lies that vulnerable subjects will believe.

When successfully implemented, the manipulative strategy and tactics are employed to arouse the population to fever pitch directed toward "war" with the created enemy(ies). In Europe in the '30s, the created enemies were Jews, Roma, communists, disabled people, and those who did not appear to be Aryan.

In North America today, the created enemies are immigrants and would-be immigrants from countries having non-European physical characteristics, the legitimate media, individuals within the U.S. Justice Department who work tirelessly to find truth related to compliance with U.S. laws, and anyone who opposes administration policies or who supports progressive, democratic policies.

Should the strategy work here in the United States, we will see that even well meaning people will eventually be willing to exchange their love of liberty for an even stronger belief that the manipulators can free them, regardless of the cost of that kind of freedom, from the fear.

It behooves us to note that Hitler did not win a majority to be voted into power, yet his manipulations — well served by Goebbels and his propaganda machine, and the large Gestapo camps run by Himmler to house limitless numbers of dissidents (think cages for babies) — took over a country and ran it into destruction against the wishes of the populace.

Hitler was successful in part due to major military support, earned because he rearmed them, expanded them, gave them the chance to fight and win early victories. (Did we really look into invading Venezuela?). Indeed, the army supplied the SS with key resources. Leading elements in the military who opposed Hitler were then removed in 1938.

I write this because I see too many parallels to overlook. Like those in the Germany of the '30s, I feel as if I am a voice in the wilderness, but I sincerely believe that U.S. voters need to pay attention to what is happening in our beloved country. If you, too, see governmental activities that concern you, speak out. Make your voice heard.

Above all, vote in November.

Melba Gandy worked in the Lyndon Johnson White House from 1966 to 1968; served in the U.S. Foreign Service in Pakistan 1968-1969, then established an emergency management policy consulting​ firm in Washington, D.C., from which she retired in 1999. She now lives in Talking Rock, Georgia.