Hitler came to power through the normal processes of the “Weimar” republic (the “democratic” form of capitalist rule in Germany in the early 1930s). Hitler then trampled on and quickly put an end to the basic norms and principles of that republic, forcibly imposing in its place the open fascist dictatorship of the Nazis. This laid the basis for all the horrific atrocities committed by the Hitler/Nazi regime—atrocities which were not committed all at once, but in an escalating way over the next decade, resulting in the genocidal murder of 6 million Jews. Even with particular differences, what is happening now with Trump’s fascist rule also involves a terrible momentum that will involve massive, monstrous crimes against humanity, in this country and in the world overall.

More, this is happening in circumstances that are even more dangerous for humanity than those at the time of Hitler—especially because of the already far advanced destruction of the environment, which Trump’s fascist policies will further accelerate, and the increasing danger of direct warfare between the U.S. and other nuclear-armed capitalist-imperialist powers, such as China and Russia (and here, as well, Trump’s reckless imperialist gangsterism heightens the danger of a nuclear war).

To fully understand what we are dealing with, it is important to dig into why and how this fascism has come to power here and what this has to do with the fundamental nature of the system of capitalism-imperialism and its historical development in this country. At the same time, there is this crucial immediate goal:

Before Trump’s fascist rule can become fully consolidated and carry out even far worse horrors than what it is already perpetrating, it must be defeated through powerful mass mobilization—overcoming all “divide and conquer” schemes, uniting all who can be united, from many different viewpoints and perspectives, in actively opposing, defying and resisting this fascism, in continually growing numbers—moving to quickly involve millions, determined to create such a profound political crisis that Trump cannot govern the country and continue to implement his fascist program, with all its terrible consequences.