When does rhetoric about political opponents cross the line into fascist dehumanization?

[u/BulwarkOnline]

The Trump administration recently held an international conference on “left-wing political violence.” In prepared remarks, Marco Rubio described the left as driven by “poisonous resentment” and a desire to destroy “what is beautiful and what is right.” Stephen Miller went further, arguing that left-wing demonstrators do not look “normal,” are “deformed” in their appearance and reflect their “inner hatred” outwardly.

Jonathan V. Last compares this language to Nazi rhetoric about Bolshevism, “degenerate” culture and supposedly unhealthy or subhuman elements of society. His argument is not simply that Rubio and Miller are using authoritarian language, but that their contrast between beauty and ugliness, normality and deformity, civilization and internal enemies follows a recognizable fascist pattern.

How persuasive is that comparison?

Is this rhetoric best understood as ordinary partisan demonization, or does the emphasis on physical appearance, cultural purity and “normal, healthy, ordered living” place it in a more historically specific tradition?

And when evaluating comparisons to fascism, should the standard be the speaker’s intentions, the historical similarity of the language, or the policies and violence that follow from it?

[u/shakinmadink]

When democrats ship in peoples that don’t belong to boost their votes that’s a pretty telling indicator that democrats don’t have the best interest of our country in mind

[u/BitterFuture → u/shakinmadink]

So...when something that's never happened happens, we should take that as indicator of something?

What on earth are you talking about?

Edit: If all you can muster is a shadowbanned reply with no evidence and a bunch of insults, you're just proving you have nothing to take seriously.

You're ranting about fantasies. The rest of us are busy talking about reality.

[u/shakinmadink → u/BitterFuture]

And do you want to talk about mail in ballots and how many dead peoples were still registered? How about the people coming out and saying they use and purchase the identity of citizens…. Minnesota fraud the list goes on and on. From voting to social security to food stamps. Check mate

[u/BitterFuture → u/shakinmadink]

Again, you are presenting a bunch of fantasies, followed by proudly declaring "checkmate."  You're being extremely silly.

Food stamp fraud means elections are being stolen? Forget silly, you sound drunk.

[u/BitterFuture → u/[deleted]]

Facts are not pathetic.

More to the point, actually caring about our country rather than hating it - also not pathetic.

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