The Mainstream ‘Media’ and Leftists everywhere continue to try and make their own fevered conjectures into objective reality in their attacks against Trump and his administration. The assertion that Trump is an emergent Hitler-ite due to his support of America first, and rejection of Leftist anti-leadership, is just one element of that dishonest debate:
What is nationalism? The word is suddenly and surprisingly important when talking about the times we live in. But we seem to be working without a shared definition.
“You know what I am? I’m a nationalist,” Donald Trump said in an October rally in Houston.
French president Emmanuel Macron slapped back at a commemoration ceremony for World War I in France. “Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” he said. “By saying ‘our interests first, who cares about the others,’ we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values.” [article link]
Nationalism does not equal Hitler
Honestly, the whole debate seems to be various actors looking for ways to torture word-definitions to force Trump into the box they wish he was in, but is not: a Fascist.
For Trump, Nationalism equals “Make America Great Again” plain and simple. Nationalism also equals Patriotism. Both are the natural and non-bogeyman words used by regular people that have pride in their country. It does not mean the rise of the fourth Reich.
Fascism, on the other hand, is a word without ambiguity when describing a dangerous actor. It describes an entity that has ambitions to offer violence and/or expand its national boundaries, or do extra-national expeditionary activities.
Fascism (noun)
fas·cism | \ˈfa-ˌshi-zəm also ˈfa-ˌsi- zəm\
Definition of Fascism
1 : often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control
Imperialism is another term that is similar to fascism, but not Nationalism:
Imperialism (noun)
im·pe·ri·al·ism | \im-ˈpir-ē-ə-ˌli-zəm \
Definition of imperialism
1 : imperial government, authority, or system
2 : the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas
broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence
So if Trump had said ‘I am a Fascist’ or ‘Imperialist,’ then there would not be any confusion on his intent. Beyond that, his opponents are reaching (and projecting).
Why Europe and Leftists will struggle in the near-term
Macron is a philosophically lost individual in a role that requires ethical understanding and wisdom. He gets it completely wrong in his quote above. That’s backed up by looking up the dictionary definition of the word, not what he wants it to mean to back his small-nation/small-leader jealousy of Trump’s successes thus far.
Nationalism (noun)
na·tion·al·ism | \ˈnash-nə-ˌli-zəm, ˈna-shə-nə-ˌli-zəm\
Definition of Nationalism
1 : loyalty and devotion to a nation
especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups
2 : a nationalist movement or government
As a leader (vs. a politician), Macron is a total fail like the Left and Democrat party in the US these days. Has anyone told him, by the way, he is the leader of the country of France? His passport does not say milquetoast ‘citizen’ of the world, or toady of the faceless and unaccountable, bureaucratic EU beast that lurks in Brussels. It says “French” for nationality. He is leader and a member of team France. Trump gets this pretty basic and commonsense concept, but Macron does not.
Imagine if he were a business CEO that was for every competitor or other company not as big as his out of ‘compassion’ or other asinine reason? Imagine if he were the coach of a sports team that was really more concerned about every team but his? He would utterly fail in any real-world scenario that required him to lead a group to produce an objective outcome. This incompetency is what is driving the growing success of ‘evil’ and ‘bigoted’ nationalist groups/parties in Europe. People are demanding that their political representatives do their fundamental job and look out for their country’s interests. Nationalist/patriotic-driven political groups are the only ones that seem to offer or understand that today.
Europe’s day of Trumpian upset of the current political order is just around the corner.