David R. Lurie, Public Notice, discusses the failure -- so far -- to mount an "organized, institutional opposition" to ultra- reactionaries/ fascists:
"History teaches a clear lesson: When a nation's democratic institutions are facing an existential threat, relentlessly opposing it should be the sole focus. But over the last decade, large swaths of the United States — including its elites — have forgotten that lesson. And we are paying a huge price.
"Our nation is staring into an abyss, but instead of turning around, we are about to jump in. Unlike in 2016, no remotely reasonable observer can discount the gravity of danger of a second Trump presidency — or rather, a Trump dictatorship. Yet a neo-fascist movement that stands for abhorrent policies that a minority of Americans favor is on the verge of winning a second presidential election.
"While many individuals — not least members of the press — are conducting themselves in a deeply irresponsible manner at this time of national emergency, the problem is a systemic one..."
Unlike at other critical times in our nation's history (eg., the Civil War, the Great Depression and WWII, the Civil Rights movement), so far we're failing to coalesce in a majoritarian, anti- fascist, pro- democracy front. After providing support for the thesis outlined above, Lurie concludes,
"It is entirely possible that the fragile majority Democrats have assembled in recent elections to fend off the threat of Trumpist fascism will prevail in November, whoever is at the top of the ticket. But even if Trump is kept out of the White House for a second time in November — and that’s a big 'if' at the moment — it will hardly be the end of the neo-fascist threat that he and his allies pose at home and abroad.
"Accordingly, the critical need to build a robust political coalition, singularly focused on opposing the authoritarian threat, will remain. We can’t keep on making the same mistakes, or losing sight of the grave risks our nation is facing."
The clock is ticking as the anti- fascists are squabbling.
