Seth Cotlar: Not every American who mouths the meme that "America is a republic, not a democracy" is a fascist, but the meme itself originated with the American fascists of the 1930s and then became an article of faith on the fascist-friendly right after the John Birchers made it one of their slogans in the 60s.

Not every American who mouths the meme that "America is a republic, not a democracy" is a fascist, but the meme itself originated with the American fascists of the 1930s and then became an article of faith on the fascist-friendly right after the John Birchers made it one of their slogans in the 60s.

Yikes. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

The WA GOP put it in writing that they’re not into democracywww.seattletimes.com Some Republicans have been defensive that the party has a strong anti-democratic bent. But the state GOP convention embraced it, writes columnist Danny Westneat.

Here's a longer thread on that history. bsky.app/profile/seth...

The John Birch Society did not *invent* the "we're a republic, not a democracy" meme of course. The American fascists of the 1930s and 40s were quite fond of it as well. This screenshot is of 1946 testimony by Robert Edmondson included in his book "I Testify Against the Jews."

Here's a document ("Democracy or Republic") that the chair of the Oregon GOP received from a Los Angeles Christian Nationalist, fascist organization called "Western Front." It starts off innocuously enough, but the point becomes clear by the end.

Western Front was a fascist group active in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s. It was closely tied to Gerald LK Smith's Christian Nationalist Crusade. Walter Huss, the chair of the OR GOP in 1978-9, was an avid reader of their materials. More here. sethcotlar.substack.com/i/142567846/...

It's funny until it's not; why I've stopped finding absurd right wing conspiracy theories so hilarioussethcotlar.substack.com What is there to do, really, other than laugh at stuff like this? Candace Owens investigates…lol. Candace’s grim look is the icing on the cake—putting on her best Katie Couric “this is very serious” f...

Thank you. I didn't know that. I wish I had known before, several years ago, I lost patience with a student who spouted that (obviously just parroting something he'd heard at home) and challenged him to explain what he meant. I should not have done that. He shut down for the rest of the semester.

The rejoinder to this bromide is so easy: “Sure, we’re a republic. A republic that selects its representatives…how?” It’s like the easy rebuttal to “The Civil War was about states rights!” “Okay. States rights to…what?”

It's easy to believe when one can remember just how pervasive the John Birch Society was in the Washington petit bourgoisie in the 60s and 70s; as the Dan Evans Republicans became more numerous the Birchers got angrier.

. . . it should also be noted that "The Republic" by Plato describes the de facto prototype of a fascist dictatorship, and was highly regarded by leadership in the NSDAP. Even more vague 17th and 18th century notions of Republicanism are usually depictions of monarchies and oligarchies.

Not every American who mouths the meme that "America is a republic, not a democracy" is a fascist, but the meme itself originated with the American fascists of the 1930s and then became an article of faith on the fascist-friendly right after the John Birchers made it one of their slogans in the 60s.

fuck plato. all my homies hate plato

💯 Fuck Plato, yet his record of Socrates' last moments on Earth is valuable: the Four Dialogues.

I didn't know it went back that far, but it makes sense.

Whenever I hear a Republican say "We're not a democracy" I say "OK, don't vote and we won't count you." Before voting, everyone should be asked in writing "Are we a democracy?" and if they say "No", OK then no ballot

The pipeline is clear as day eh?

Another WOW!!! moment.

It's also not really even a republic, it's an empire in every meaningful sense.

also

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