47: USA's fall into Fascism

[stevil]

This thread is to document the steps USA is falling through in it's journey towards Fascism

But first, what is Fascism?
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized 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.

• Rumeysa Ozturk - on a valid F-1 student visa taken by police and shipped away, not charged with anything, but now missing for writing a opinion piece in local school newspaper.
• Yunseo Chung - a legal permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. since she was 7, participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Immigration agents visited residences looking for her.
• Mahmoud Khalil - a lawful permanent resident taken by ICE.
• 238 Venezuelans deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador - A whole heap of people have been deported without any due process under accusations of the Trump regime that they were dangerous gang members.
• Everyone is Welcome here - Teacher being forced to take down here "Everyone is welcome here" posters in classroom
• Trump signs order declaring only president and AG can interpret US law for executive branch
• Donald Trump Calls Student Protests 'illegal,' Threatens to Imprison Those Who Participate
• Calling National Emergencies to give the President more power
• Republican Congress refusing to vote on whether the National Emergencies are (still) valid.
• Overuse of Executive Orders. in 60 days so far Trump has issued 107 EOs, in four years, Biden issued 162
• Trump signs Executive Orders instructing DOJ to go after people who criticised him

 

[stevil]

Detention of Mahmoud Khalil - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist and lead negotiator for the encampment in the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupations, was taken from his New York City apartment building by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 8, 2025. The agents were acting on orders from the State Department to revoke Khalil's student visa. When the agents were informed that Khalil is a lawful permanent resident, they said this status would be revoked instead. He was transported to LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, Louisiana. On March 10, a U.S. district judge ordered that the Trump administration not deport Khalil pending judicial review of the arrest.

 

[stevil]

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5213841-judge-blocks-columbia-student-deportation/

Yunseo Chung -
The student, Yunseo Chung, is a legal permanent resident and junior who has participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the school. The Trump administration is arguing that her presence in the United States hinders the administration’s foreign policy agenda of halting the spread of antisemitism.

Administration officials, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, cited the same rationale in explaining the arrest this month of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate of the university and permanent resident who is being held in Louisiana.

 

[stevil]

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/29/us/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-university-arrest-saturday/index.html

Rumeysa Ozturk -

International student on a valid F-1 student visa, taken by police without due process. No charges have been filed against Ozturk, her attorney told CNN. Ozturk’s visa was revoked on March 21 but she was not notified until she received a notice to appear from ICE after her arrest. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested without evidence she was involved in disruptive student protests over Israel’s war in Gaza. Essentially it looks like Chung has been abducted by the police because she wrote and op ed piece in her school's news paper that the authorities (the Trump regime) didn't like.

 

[stevil]

Everyone is Welcome here.

 

[Vambram]

The USA is not going to even start falling towards fascism anytime soon. It is NOT happening at all.

 

[NBB]

I don't have much opinion i don't like politics much but things like jail for praying in silence in front of abortion clinics, and jail for offensive memes and fines for offending people is more fascist for me.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

The USA is not going to even start falling towards fascism anytime soon. It is NOT happening at all.

Sticking your head in the sand is certainly a response to this.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I don't have much opinion i don't like politics much but things like jail for praying in silence in front of abortion clinics, and jail for offensive memes and fines for offending people is more fascist for me.

[citation needed]

 

[Vambram]

Sticking your head in the sand is certainly a response to this.

That is exactly the opposite of what I am doing.

 

[NBB]

[citation needed]

Look it up, all information is available. The 'left' is doing this and more in the world.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

That is exactly the opposite of what I am doing.

Refusing to even entertain the possibility and ignoring the evidence presented to you is, in fact, sticking your head in the sand.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Look it up, all information is available. The 'left' is doing this and more in the world.

That which is asserted without evidence may be dismissed without evidence. I'm not going to try to read your mind and try to figure out what events you're vaguely referring to.

 

[stevil]

Trump signs order declaring only president and AG can interpret US law for executive branch

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday stating that only the 'President and the Attorney General shall provide authoritative interpretations of the law for the executive branch...

www.jurist.org

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday stating that only the “President and the Attorney General shall provide authoritative interpretations of the law for the executive branch

Trump Calls Student Protests 'Illegal,' Threatens to Imprison Those Who Participate

President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding from schools and expel or imprison students who participate in so-called 'illegal protests'

people.com

"All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests," Trump wrote in a social media post, adding that students may be expelled, arrested or deported
In January, Trump signed an executive order to "combat the explosion of anti-Semitism on our campuses and in our streets since October 7, 2023," also known as the date that Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel.


The executive orders states that "immediate action will be taken by the Department of Justice to protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities," per the White House website.


Trump vowed to "quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses."

 

[Lukaris]

Just speaking in broad theoretical terms:

I believe there are non Americans who really just hate America ( or “murika”) and have a strange satisfaction to see it go fascist or as a “Christian Nationalist” theocracy. There are plenty of leftists in America who probably think the same also. The thrill of a second American civil war with “heroic”, “progressive ” rebels seems noble and romantic. The constant regurgitation of slop like the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is likely evidence of such inspiration and aspiration.

 

[Fantine]

And that, Stevil, is why two good friends of mine, one a retired Presbyterian minister, have changed their emails to "proton.me" and have changed their messaging to Signal.

No one could be less dangerous than these two kind senior citizens advocating for climate change, social justice, and democracy, based on their religious beliefs and the gospel message of Jesus.

And yet they feel that the oppressive political atmosphere that has taken hold in our country requires extraordinary measures, and have recommended to all of us that we do the same.

When alumni learned of the Harvard student's deportation for an article she wrote in the student newspaper, they wrote the newsletter editor, asking him to delete any articles they had written when the were undergraduates. Is this what our country is coming to? At least my college newspaper articles were written before the internet came into being.

 

[FireDragon76]

The USA is not going to even start falling towards fascism anytime soon. It is NOT happening at all.

Fascism isn't just about Hugo Boss fashion. When the government disappears people and attempts to enforce an ideology upon universities... that is the very substance of fascism.

Do you know what the White Rose Society was?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I think terms like "fascism" get tossed around too willy nilly.

Can you cite another fascist regime in history that wanted:
- The citizens themselves to have more guns
- To dismantle more levers of government power than it creates
- To deregulate enterprise to the point where private corporate interests have as much power as the government itself


Tossing out examples of recently detained people, without any context is intentionally misleading.

For example, the one that's been on most peoples' radar is the story of Khalil.

He was the spokesman for a group called "Apartheid Divest"

Pro-Palestinian Group at Columbia Now Backs ‘Armed Resistance’ by Hamas

Columbia University Apartheid Divest has withdrawn an apology it made last spring for a member who said “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

www.nytimes.com

It's a group that has not only said "Zionists don't deserve to live", but they've also praised specific attacks and praised specific groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a noncitizen (including a green card holder) can be deported if they provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO). This includes financial support, training, services, or certain forms of advocacy. If a green card holder is found to have incited, endorsed, or recruited for terrorism, that could also be grounds for removal.



As far as the teacher being forced to take down certain posters...that was a directive of the Idaho school board, I highly doubt Trump is personally weighing in on the decisions of a local school board in Idaho.

...and it was based on a blanket policy the district had stating "approved classroom displays include the Idaho state flag, instructional materials like the periodic table or U.S. Constitution, student artwork, approved club information and school-sponsored achievements. Other permitted items include temporary displays of world flags for educational purposes, personal family photos of employees and promotional materials from colleges or professional sports teams"

 

[FireDragon76]

I think terms like "fascism" get tossed around too willy nilly.

And you are uninformed.

Can you cite another fascist regime in history that wanted:
- The citizens themselves to have more guns
- To dismantle more levers of government power than it creates

Gun control is NOT a hallmark of fascism. Attacks on universities and intellectuals IS.

- To deregulate enterprise to the point where private corporate interests have as much power as the government itself

Today Trump just threatened automakers that if they raise prices in response to tariffs, they will face consequences.

It's a group that has not only said "Zionists don't deserve to live", but they've also praised specific attacks and praised specific groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

All people deserve a hearing and due process, regardless of their ideology or national status. You cannot simply disappear people because of alleged ties to particular ideologies. Mr. Khalil has been charged with no crime..

 

[stevil]

Just speaking in broad theoretical terms:

I believe there are non Americans who really just hate America ( or “murika”) and have a strange satisfaction to see it go fascist or as a “Christian Nationalist” theocracy. There are plenty of leftists in America who probably think the same also. The thrill of a second American civil war with “heroic”, “progressive ” rebels seems noble and romantic. The constant regurgitation of slop like the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is likely evidence of such inspiration and aspiration.

I would say the vast majority of people (non USA people) do not want USA to have a civil war and do not want USA to turn fascist. Putin wants this, but most "leftists" and non USA folk don't want this.