Political definitions reviewed
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To the editor:
As a former social studies teacher, history and government, I cannot let Trump’s diatribe at a rally in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania go unanswered.
He called Kamala Harris a fascist and a communist.
I would like to refer you to a basic study of comparative political systems called “Today’s Isms,” by William Ebenstein.
First published in 1958, the book is often used as a textbook in courses in Political Ideologies, Comparative Politics, Survey of Political Theory, and introduction to Political Science. The book is a study of the four major political and economic theories that have dominated the 20th century–fascism, Communism, Capitalism, and Socialism.
A newer version of the book published in 1962 adds Libertarianism to the study. Simply stated fascism is a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist, political ideology, and movement, characterized, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, in a natural social hierarchy [racism], subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.
Fascism is placed on the far-right wing within the traditional left-right spectrum. Communism is defined as a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology whose goal is the creation of communist society, a socioeconomic order centered around common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange that allocates products to everyone in the society based on need.
A communist society would entail the absence of private property and social classes and ultimately money and the state or nation state. Theoretically, in this ideal communist society, everyone would be equal.
In the book, “Animal Farm,” by George Orwell, the animal’s revolt against the tyranny of their farmer owner and set up an ideal society whose basic premise is “All animals are equal.”
But when powerful leaders like Napoleon [a pig] rise to the top, it is changed to “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” like the Commissars who led the old Soviet Union. As one of the main ideologies on the political spectrum, communist parties and movements have been described as radical left or far left.
Obviously, the accusation that Harris is both a communist and a fascist demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the two competing ideologies. Both fascism and communism are the antithesis of democracy and the Constitution which is the framework of our democratic society. Both fascism and communism seek to undermine people’s faith in democratic institutions like free elections and very importantly, the peaceful transfer of power.
Mary Kathryn Gepner
Benton