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Ciboski: Trump Likened to Mussolini and Hitler

Meg Whitman, chief executive of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, candidate for Governor of California in 2010, and a major contributor to Republican candidates, likened Donald Trump to Fascist leaders Mussolini and Hitler at Mitt Romney’s annual retreat in Utah for political campaign donors this past week. How has Trump’s behavior provoked such concerns?

Trump says that he wants to register Muslims in this country and even create a database. Wichita’s Charles Koch said that this was similar to Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. After the Orlando shootings, Trump wants to bar all Muslims from entering the United States for a time.

Trump’s criticism of some women is interpreted as aggressive masculinity. Several days ago he called Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts “Pocahontas” after she called him a racial bully and because she claims Native American heritage that has not been proved.

Trump also seems to want to limit First Amendment freedoms when he expresses an intolerance for criticism, saying that if he becomes president, he will work to loosen libel laws to allow for more lawsuits. This would lead to the stifling of criticism of those holding a position in government. Trump talks often about how we get beat economically or are taken advantage of by some nations and that we need to reverse that. In regard to immigration, he has made references to supposed Mexican “rapists” and other “threats” posed by immigrants.

The leadership principle is an important component of fascism, and Trump has said that he is a winner at what he does. He seems not to care about the Republican philosophy of limited government, and having a hyperactive government or state is all right with him so long as he is the leader.

Dr. Ken Ciboski is an associate professor emeritus of political science at Wichita State University.