Background Briefing: June 8, 2020

On By gram

 

Comparing the Latin American Fascist Playbook to Today’s Putsch by Trump and Barr

We begin with whether Trump and his chief enabler William Barr will be able to manufacturer the threat of “domestic terrorism” and invent the specter of Antifa as a deadly scourge to the point it could be used as a pretext for martial law and speak with an expert on how similar bogeymen were created to bring fascist military regimes to power in Argentina and Chile. Federico Finchelstein, a Professor of History and Director of Latin American Studies at The New School and the author of seven books on fascism, populism and Dirty Wars whose latest books are From Fascism to Populism in History and A Brief History of Fascist Lies, joins us. We discuss the differences between our current political leadership being held in check to some extent by the professional leadership of the U.S. military, and the military regimes in Brazil, Argentina and Chile who turned their guns on their own people in the name of fighting terrorism. And while Trump and Barr are using the same rhetoric of blaming unrest and divisions that they are creating on terrorism, they are also labelling liberals, progressives and Democrats as the enemy who are radical socialists bent on taking away your freedom and your guns.

 

Trump is Already Performing Fascism, Will He Get to Enact It?

Then we speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University who writes and speaks about fascism, war, racism, authoritarian rulers, propaganda and the politics of images. Her forthcoming book is Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present and we discuss Trump and Barr’s power grab and their photo op in front of the church as a fascist performance which if implemented under the Insurrection Act or secret statutes passed in the wake of 9/11, will affirm the tyranny of the minority of white supremacy and total domination of blacks, Latinos and Asians who make up the political opposition which is and always was the majority of the country in what we call a democracy and will miss when it’s gone.

The Ongoing Youthful Demonstrations as a Potential Political Movement

Then finally we assess the impact of the ongoing demonstrations in cities and towns across the nation which are growing in frequency and endurance attracting young whites who are joining with their black and brown sisters and brothers in what could be a potent political movement if it leads to voter registration and voting in November. Carol Anderson, Professor and Chair of African American Studies at Emory University joins us to discuss her latest book One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy and her latest article at The Guardian, “In 1919, the state failed to protect black Americans. A century later, it’s still failing”.