Thread: Resisting the Cold War of Trump against Mexico

** This is an article from a Mexican Newspaper translated to English



8:29 PM, February 24, 2017 Updated: 10:28 PM, February 24, 2017

Resisting the Cold War of Trump against Mexico

The Webster Dictionary says: Fascism: political philosophy, movement or regime that exalts the nation and often race over the individual and postulates a centralized autocratic government, led by a dictatorial leader, with severe social and economic regulation and oppressive suppression of the opposition .

Donald Trump won the presidential election as a quirky candidate who promised to create jobs and fight Isis. But President Trump, far from ruling as populist, is actually gathering in real time the elements of a fascist regime. Phase one of Trump's fascist aims is to:

* Discredit the media;
* Suppress the participation of voters;
* Silence dissent through intimidation;
* Eliminate Obamacare for tens of millions;
* Expel millions of undocumented migrants, mostly Mexicans;
* Complete a 3,200 kilometer border wall off Mexico;
* Proscribe Muslim refugees from selected countries;
* Supporting the rupture of the European Union and allying itself with other fascist countries (Russia and soon others in Europe), and
* Begin high and low intensity trade wars with one or more of the following countries: Mexico, China, Venezuela, Iran.

In terms of Trump's actions, I only point out the obvious, but very few of the American opinion leaders openly come to the same conclusion, which is, I repeat: Trump is a fledgling fascist, moving toward establishing fascism in his country. Recent opinion polls show that it has more than 80 percent approval of Republican voters. Another feature of fascism: often has massive bases.

Trump's messages to popularize his goals include sensationalism of the radical Islamic threat , taking the other as a scapegoat, and intensifying the racialization of American demographic evolution.

Unless detained by widespread and constant resistance, by the judiciary and state laws based on the tenth amendment, and ultimately by voters, Trump will root out his fascist project.

Although it enjoys Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress, historical precedents exist to unravel the unified republican government. The country's voters have elected unified governments in which a single party controls the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives five times in the past 40 years: 1978, 1992, 2004, 2008, and 2016. In the first Four examples, rejected these unified governments at the first opportunity:

* In 1980, they replaced Democrat President Jimmy Carter with Republican Ronald Reagan;
* In 1994 they replaced the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives with the Contract with the United States of Republican Newt Gingrich.
* In 2006 they replaced the Republican majority in the House with the Democrats of the Camarinal President Nancy Pelosi.
* In 2010 they replaced the Democrat majority in the House with a Republican Tea Party majority.

What to do, given the above, should be obvious. That is why it is disturbing to listen to some who speak with nervousness of: * Quench resistance ( they are only annoying Trump supporters );
* Cooperate with Trump in trade and infrastructure and with more women and minority representatives in their cabinet (blaj!), And
* Turn their backs on Latino / Asian communities ( defending immigrants costs votes at the polls ... many Americans want deportations ).

Doubt is normal, but in this context it is necessary to discourage it. Defeating Trump's fascist project must be paramount, and outweighs the short-term gains that an electorate or another can get by giving in to Trump.

Fledgling fascism always seeks the weakest link. For now Trump seems to have been arrested as to the veto of Muslims and the repeal of Obamacare. Their attention has been directed toward the deportation of undocumented migrants (80 percent Mexican), militarizing the 3,200 kilometers of the southern border and imposing a 20 percent trade tax on Mexican imports.

At the end of January, during a telephone call, Trump threatened in jest to the Mexican president Peña Nieto to send US troops to his country. The Supreme Court is likely to refuse to give compensation to Mexican parents whose minor child was murdered in Mexico by the shot by a Border Patrol agent from the US side of the border!

Adding these elements, one can only conclude that Trump has undertaken a de facto cold war against Mexico and a sui generis campaign of ethnic cleansing directed at migrants.

Latino communities, the largest minority group in the United States, with 55 million people (60 percent of Mexican origin), are organized to combat the Trump attacks. Protests and strategy meetings are held. Letters are written to Congress. Petitions such as www.stopcoldwar.com are launched. Funds are raised with campaigns such as www.gofundme.com/handsoffmexico .

Remarkably, California - the capital of Latino power and the most pro-immigrant of the states - has faced Trump with declarations and legislative initiatives based on the tenth amendment by Gov. Jerry Brown and State Senate President Kevin de Leon. State legislatures in Colorado, Illinois, and Nevada follow suit, but more is needed.

It's time for the broad-based anti-Trump resistance movement to show what it's made of and come to its aid. The resistance must focus so much energy and effort to combat the Cold War of Trump against Mexico and the ethnic cleansing of migrants as to other important causes. Remember: either we join or we will end up separately.

* Antonio Gonzalez is President of the William C. Velasquez Institute. Holds a regular podcast, Strategy Session. You can follow him at @ agonzalez1217 .

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact....4-8faa714f37b7

Mexico is an hysterical nation. The more they talk and react and resist, the less they are liked. Not a good move on their part. But honest, so I'll give them that, it's good for the US to see this side of the Mexican government and perhaps even some of the Mexican people. You never know you've got a rat until you see it cornered.