For some time, I’ve been trying to figure out who Donald Trump reminds me of. He seems all too familiar…the bullying attitude, the pouty lips, the chin thrust forward in defiance, the arrogant posture, the unbridled narcissism, the sense of privilege, the ridicule of others, the refusal to apologize for anything, the “trust me I’ll make it great” assurances, the fascist ideas. I had seen it all somewhere before.
Finally, it came to me. Donald Trump is Benito Mussolini reincarnated!
Don’t believe me? Then look up Mussolini on-line. Check out his pictures and films of his speeches. I think you’ll be amazed at the similarities. Mussolini was the founder of fascism – defined by Mussolini himself as the marriage of corporations and government. Named Italy’s Prime Minister in 1922, in 1925 Mussolini assumed the role of dictator or, as he preferred, Il Duce (the leader). And though, Trump is running for president, he talks like a dictator. And like another, more famous fascist leader, Trump attempts to vilify and marginalize segments of our population.
Other similarities include the use of media and propaganda. Like Trump, Mussolini was an expert at using the media for self-promotion. And, like Trump, Mussolini created a cult of personality. Even their statements are creepily similar. For example, see if you can match the following quotes with Trump or Mussolini:
“Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”
“State ownership! It leads only to absurd and monstrous conclusions; state ownership means state monopoly, concentrated in the hands of one party and its adherents, and that state brings only ruin and bankruptcy to all.”
“Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.”
“It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.”
“Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.”
“It is not simply and solely an accumulation of wealth, it is an elaboration, a selection, a co-ordination of values which is the work of centuries.”
“What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate.”
“Many think, and I myself am one of them, that capitalism is scarcely at the beginning of its story.”
“We become strongest, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean, or to look for moral guidance.”
“You have to think anyway, so why not think big?”
“Fascism should rightly be called corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power.”
“Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hand, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.”
“My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well been documented, are various other parts of my body.”
“The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.”
“Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.”
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.”
“You must always be doing things and obviously succeeding. The hard part is to keep people always at the window because of the spectacle you put on for them. And you must do this for years.”
“Let me tell you, I’m a really smart guy.”
Despite all the similarities, there are significant differences between the two. Unlike Trump, Mussolini was a self-made man. Mussolini served in the military while Trump did not. And Mussolini was far more thoughtful and intellectual than Trump. There is one other, more glaring difference. Mussolini promoted an inclusive society while Trump attempts to divide us by turning Americans against Mexicans; Christians against Muslims.
Given all of this, I hereby name Donald Trump “Il Douchie,” the leader of right wing douche bags.