Trump and Fascism:

Every time I post anything even remotely supportive of Trump, someone inevitably shows up with:

👉 “We live in a fascist country.”

👉 “Trump is a fascist.”

👉 “MAGA is fascism.”

Let’s slow down and use words like adults…

Because if everything you dislike is “fascism,” then the word stops meaning anything…

WHAT FASCISM ACTUALLY IS..

Serious historical definitions are not vague.

Britannica describes fascism as a mass political movement and ideology associated with extreme nationalism, militarism, contempt for liberal democracy, and the subordination of the individual to the state…

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum defines fascism as ultranationalist and authoritarian, combining nationalism, militarism, economic self-sufficiency, and totalitarianism, while opposing pluralism, individual rights, equality, and democratic government…

In other words:

Fascism is not just “a leader I hate.”

It is not “harsh rhetoric.”

It is not “a government I think is too aggressive.”

It is a much more specific political condition…

SO DO WE LIVE IN A FASCIST COUNTRY?

If we did, you would expect things like:

* no real opposition party

* sham elections or no elections

* suppression of dissent as a normal governing structure

* the state swallowing civil society

* no meaningful independent courts

* no real press freedom

* no ability for opponents to organize openly

That is not the country we are living in right now… and we do not live in a fascist state. 

Here are some other points: 

Freedom House still rates the United States “Free” and gives it a score of 81/100, even while noting recent decline…

(NOTE: It is not officially left-wing or Democratic Party–aligned… But it is also not ideologically neutral in the broadest sense…it has a clear liberal-democratic and human-rights framework. So keep this in mind as you read this)

The 100 points come from two main areas:

* Political Rights (0–40)

    👉 Elections, voting access, political competition

* Civil Liberties (0–60)

    👉 Free speech, religion, due process, media freedom

What 81/100 actually means:

* 70–100 = “Free”

* 40–69 = “Partly Free”

* 0–39 = “Not Free”

So at 81, the U.S. is still clearly in the “Free” category…

👉 But not at the very top anymore (it used to score higher in the 90s)

Still, the United States is not accurately described as a fascist state…

BUT HERE’S THE PART SOME OF YOU WON’T LIKE:

Saying America is not fascist does not mean everything is healthy.. 

Freedom House says U.S. democratic institutions have eroded in recent years.. 

So if someone wants to argue:

👉 democratic backsliding

👉 executive overreach

👉 election distrust

👉 institutional erosion

👉 rising authoritarian tendencies

That is a conversation worth having.. given that presidents on both sides of the aisle have contributed to this.. But that is not the same thing as proving we are already living in fascism…. 

A lot of the people yelling “fascism” are not actually defining it… 

They are emotionally reacting to a political style, then grabbing the most extreme historical label they can think of.

That is not analysis…That is branding.

And truthfully, it is intellectually lazy..

ABOUT THE “MUSSOLINI DEFINED IT” ARGUMENT.. 

Yes, Mussolini’s fascism emphasized the supremacy of the state, anti-liberalism, anti-democracy, and corporatist control. 

The Holocaust Museum notes Mussolini founded Italian Fascism and built a dictatorship from it… 

But the strongest argument here is not “fascism is socialism.”

The strongest argument is this:

Fascism is a historically specific authoritarian system, and people weaken their own case when they use it as a catch-all word for anything they find dangerous, nationalist, or offensive…

We do not live in an authoritarian system.. 

Now let’s get to Trump, because this is the core of the argument the left attempts to make… 

The biggest arguments people make are about: 

* election denial

* executive aggression

* pressure on institutions

* rhetoric toward opponents

* attempts to expand power

You can make the argument.

But Use facts… and stop pretending that saying “fascism” settles the debate.

It doesn’t.

Additionally, if we’re going to use those points as evidence of “fascism,” then we need to apply them consistently… not selectively… 

Because these behaviors aren’t unique to one person or one party… 

We’ve seen:

👉 Election legitimacy questioned by multiple political figures on the left.. 

👉 Expansive use of executive power across administrations.. 

👉 Pressure on institutions from both sides when outcomes aren’t favorable..

👉 Heated rhetoric toward political opponents becoming more normalized over time..

That doesn’t equal fascism.. 

It means we’re dealing with modern political behavior that deserves scrutiny… no matter who’s doing it..

But If those standards only apply when your political opponent does it, then it’s not a definition… it’s a weapon.

Words matter.

History matters.

And if you really believe fascism is one of the darkest political evils in modern history, then you should be careful enough not to reduce it to a cheap social media slogan…

Because calling everything fascism does not make you sound informed.

It makes you sound unserious.

🇺🇸So let’s bring this back to reality..

The United States is still considered a Free country by global standards..and not just by opinion, but by measurable criteria..

We still have:

👉 Free and competitive elections

👉 Multiple political parties openly opposing each other

👉 A Constitution that limits government power

👉 Independent courts that can block executive actions

👉 A free press that criticizes leadership daily

👉 The ability for citizens to protest, speak, and organize freely

Those are not characteristics of a fascist state…

Point blank period. 

Does that mean everything is perfect? No.

Does that mean there aren’t real concerns worth debating? Also no.

But calling the United States “fascist” because you don’t like a president…or his policies…doesn’t make the argument stronger.

It makes it unserious.

You can disagree with Trump.

You can criticize his decisions.

You can even strongly oppose him.

But pretending we live under fascism—while still freely saying all of that out loud—completely misses what fascism actually is.

🤔 QUESTION:

Do you think people use the word “fascism” because they’ve studied it…

or because it is the fastest way to demonize the other side?

By Janet. Elaine Parks.

Sources:

* Encyclopaedia Britannica — definition and core characteristics of fascism

* U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — fascism as ultranationalist, authoritarian, anti-pluralist, anti-democratic ideology

* Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2026 — United States rated Free, score 81/100

* V-Dem Institute, Democracy Report 2026 — U.S. democratic decline / loss of “liberal democracy” status by their measure

* V-Dem Institute press release, March 2026 — U.S. identified as undergoing autocratization/backsliding

* Freedom House methodology / country scores — political rights and civil liberties framework for judging democratic health

Socrates: Famous or Wise ?

What made Socrates so famous or should i say,so wise ?

He never failed to ask questions.

He thought face to face conversations were better than writing a dialogue.

He never failed to debate his ideas and he believed that: life is only worth living if you think about what you are doing.

By Digital Anvil.

Who is Nick Shirley ?

Who is Nick Shirley?

What State  is he in?

Which nation  leads?

Whose nose wrinkled?

Why,who,when...

Prayer is your Connection to God:

Prayer is your connection to God

“Cry to God all day and all night for the fulfillment of his promises.” Isaiah 62:6 TLB

The remora fish has an oval sucking disc on the top of its head that allows it to attach itself to the underside of a shark. Once attached, the remora does not have to worry about food, transportation, or safety. It feeds on the food that falls from the shark’s mouth. Of course, it has the option of swimming on its own, but when it decides to attach to the shark, it goes where the shark goes.

It does not attempt to go in a direction contrary to the shark. Protection? It’s a non-issue for one that’s connected to such a powerful creature. The remora is secure, and it knows the shark can take it places it could never go alone.

 Doesn’t this sound like the relationship God desires His children to have with Him? He wants us to feed on the words that come from His mouth. He wants us to go with Him where He leads and not take off on independent excursions, hoping we will tag along. He wants us to live with the assurance that He will protect not only our lives, but also our relationships and all that pertains to us. 

Oh, that we would emulate the remora!

 We would then find ourselves securing our attachment to God on a daily basis through prayer. He is waiting to carry us to places we fear going alone. The prophet Isaiah admonished the Jewish leaders: “Cry to God all day and all night for the fulfillment of his promises.” So the word for you today is this—prayer is your connection to God.

The Chinese Character for Crisis:

The Chinese Character for Crisis

Most of us are frightened by crisis in our lives and fear the outcome of difficult circumstances. We become anxious about the future, and sometimes paralysed by fear. But is there another way of seeing a crisis?

Denis Perkins has written a book called Leading at the Edge. In the book, he reflects on difficult times and the way they can help mould our character. Perkins tells his readers that the Chinese character for the word 'crisis' is very interesting.

Perkins writes that the character for 'crisis' is in fact made up of two separate symbols. The top symbol stands for danger, and the bottom stands for opportunity. Crisis truly is both danger and opportunity. As the Christian leader and author John Haggai once wrote, "Your greatest opportunities are cleverly disguised as insurmountable problems."

What we need are eyes of faith, a heart of courage, and the wisdom of God to see the opportunity in the crisis.

Share this daily- reading.

Happiness for Karl Faase.

( Agreed: Digital Anvil)

 Some Advice:

 

 Where do We Go to Find it ?

 

 Do you and i rely  exclusively  (almost) on ourselves with some help from other humans ? In the form of family,friends and others? Some even assert strangers can supply information and an impartial listening ear when the opportunity arises. Many declare that their hairdresser or barber listens and can help impartially. Of course we chuckle at that but intuitively know its true. Strangers play an important role. When your best friend was a stranger at first, then you shall realise that the saying is true. All of us were strangers when we came into this world.'But we are all  worth knowing.

We all experiment with many advice sources  in our life-journey when we need that all important encouragement to win, to persevere with our dreams, not to despair and wallow in self-pity. We do, don't we ? But who or what do you turn to?

However I am unsure of advice given by a dear friend who stated i should really rely on the omniscient God, not upon limited humans or human resources. If we are honest, we figure that an all-knowing God is able to help because He is all- powerful too.

 

So even if you don't believe in the God of the Bible, yet we intuitively know that God would be the obvious choice for a lot of advice. Do you agree ? 

 I assert that God works via His Bible, His Spirit, His people, nature and His plans with circumstances almost wholly. He even uses our very own thoughts to cheer and guide us. Or put into other words, we should be led by inward witness and by his Bible.

God uses a myriad of ways to get our attention,to support,guide and direct our path. He woos you gently and carefully and wisely.

 

Of course, it is claimed by the Oxford don, C.S.Lewis, that God whispers in our pleasure... but shouts in our pain to wake up-- a sleeping world. Yes! I wholeheartedly agree. 

Our thinking and feeling should by- all- means be founded on the principles,promises and provision of God. That i believe and the world refuses to listen. Though some hear, see, observe and are set free.

 

The principles of logic, critical thinking and reasoning are built into the cosmos. 

 

How  we receive that advice depends on our circumstances, belief -system, backstory and needs. And our all important plans for our future.

Perhaps i can sum up the preceding with a short phrase: Our world view is an important driver for our world. Advice with wisdom and discernment sums up our needs,wants and passions  to be led to our best fulfillment.

All these together build our world view and our world becomes the end- goal of our world view. The cycle achieves our goals which are driven by our belief-system.

 

Every challenge needs to be mastered, but there is a path upward and onward. The now- moment is putting one step after the other. Winston Churchill said, that if one has a pessimist outlook, one sees difficulty in every opportunity. So adopt an optimistic outlook and see opportunity in every difficulty. Remember-- i know that its a cliche--there is always hope. God is our Living Hope.

 

 

by Digital Anvil. 

Reality vs Social Media:

Reality vs Social Media:

By Janet. Elaine Parks.

This might be one of the most accurate things I’ve heard lately…

Rob Schneider said:

“Go outside and talk to your neighbor… the world isn’t as chaotic as the media claims it to be.”

And honestly?

He’s not wrong.

Because if you only lived on:

 • social media

 • cable news

 • headlines

You’d think:

 • everyone hates each other

 • the country is falling apart

 • and we’re all one step away from complete chaos

But then you go outside…

And you see:

 • people helping each other

 • kids playing

 • neighbors talking

 • normal life happening

Most people aren’t screaming at each other in real life.

They’re working.

Raising families.

Living their lives.

The truth is:

The internet amplifies the worst moments…

Because that’s what gets attention.

But attention is not reality.

That doesn’t mean problems don’t exist.

They do.

But it does mean this:

What you see online is not the full picture.

Maybe we’d all be a little more grounded…

If we spent less time reacting to headlines…

And more time actually connecting with real people.

Reality is a lot less chaotic than your feed.

Faith. Family. Freedom ✝️🇺🇸🇬🇸🇬🇧

By Janet Elaine Parks.

( Amazed and Agreed: Digital Anvil)

Comment at will.