Is Trump's National Emergency a Step Toward Fascism?

Friday, February 15, 2019 With your support, Truthout can expose the powerful forces threatening the country and the planet. [Donate Now →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Is Trump's National Emergency a Step Toward Fascism?]( Mark Bray, Truthout Hitler and Mussolini's ascent to power was aided by the failure of much of the left to recognize the novel threat posed by fascism until it was too late. The politics of anti-fascism are grounded in a commitment to never make this mistake again. Trump's national emergency ought to be resisted as if it were a slide into further authoritarianism whether that proves to be the case or not. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Massive Protests Planned to Fight Trump's National Emergency Power Grab]( Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Calling President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration on Friday a blatant and unconstitutional "power grab," progressive advocacy groups representing millions of Americans are gearing up to launch nationwide "crisis response" protests to fight back. The coalition argues that public outrage and demonstrations will be necessary to prevent Trump's attempt to subvert the legislative process to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump Moves the World Closer to "Doomsday"]( Marjorie Cohn, Truthout Trump's withdrawal from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty started a dangerous chain reaction that brings us closer to the end of the world as we know it. Former nuclear war planner Daniel Ellsberg warns that U.S. and Russian plans to develop intermediate-range missiles are triggers to "all-out thermonuclear war." [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Democrats Are Capitulating to Trump by Approving Border, DHS Funding]( Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! The latest spending bill, passed by Congress and signed by Trump today alongside his declaration of a national emergency, includes nearly $1.4 billion to build 55 miles of new border barriers. Progressive Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib issued a statement that they voted against the bill because it gives more funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [We Need to Defend Progressive Politicians From Right-Wing Attacks]( Barbara Ransby, Truthout What do we do when politicians do the right thing, speak the truth, stand up to the bullies on the other side, and act like they really do represent us? In Chicago, the organizing by the Resist, Reimagine, Rebuild coalition provides a model for the essential work that must be done after elections. Centering historically marginalized communities in this process is key. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Shutdown as Shock Doctrine]( Basav Sen, Truthout We have no concrete evidence that right-wing interests consciously engineered the government shutdown with the intent of dismantling the regulatory state. However, if frequent shutdowns become the norm under Trump, it is quite conceivable that the right wing will use this manufactured crisis to apply the shock doctrine and accelerate cuts to public services its neoliberal ideology deems "inessential." [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Omar Is Being Attacked Because She Poses a Challenge to White Supremacy]( Jonah ben Avraham, Socialist Worker Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar for her efforts to stand up to AIPAC have come not only from Republicans, but also from her own party. All of this is sadly to be expected — it's what happens when Black and Brown activists talk about Palestine. Meanwhile, the real threat of anti-Semitism, which largely stems from the far right, goes unaddressed. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Lobbying Swamp Is Flourishing in Trump's Washington]( Derek Kravitz, ProPublica Trump rallied campaign supporters with calls to "drain the swamp" of lobbyists. In his first 10 days in office, Trump signed an executive order that required all his political hires to sign a pledge prohibiting "lobbying activities." But loopholes abound and at least 33 former Trump officials have found ways around the pledge. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [What Happened at the Brooklyn Jail Is Part of a Deeper Human Rights Crisis]( Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service Committee Recent headlines about the plight of people imprisoned in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn beg for a deeper look into conditions of confinement across the U.S. Although the electricity and heat are back on at the Brooklyn federal facility, the staggering neglect that led to this humanitarian crisis continues at jails, prisons and detention centers around the country. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [This Week Progressive Pick: The Ebb of the Pink Tide: The Decline of the Left in Latin America]( Mike Gonzalez's new book, The Ebb of the Pink Tide: The Decline of the Left in Latin America, takes a critical look at leftist governments that came to power at the beginning of the 21st century. Gonzalez argues that the way out of the current crisis starts with a sober look at the successes and failures of these Pink Tide states. [Get the Book With a Donation to Truthout! →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [House Democrats Slam Trump on Yemen and Venezuela]( Mike Ludwig, Truthout On Wednesday, the Democratic majority in the House, joined by a handful of isolationist Republicans, passed a resolution directing President Trump to halt U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen. The vote came shortly after a heated committee hearing where House Democrats warned White House officials against taking military action in Venezuela. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Republicans Deny Collusion as Manafort Busted Again]( William Rivers Pitt, Truthout Stop me if you've heard this before: Republicans in Congress believe there is nothing to the Russia collusion accusations but smoke and partisan pipe dreams. Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee said so a year ago, and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee are saying it again. Robert Mueller isn't saying anything, yet, which speaks volumes all by itself. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you're reading? Support Truthout's independent news and analysis by making an automatic monthly donation. [Donate Now →]( Connect With Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Donate]( Truthout is a reader-supported, nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible. Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047. 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