To accuse someone of being a fascist is simply an insult. To accuse a serving politician of fascist behavior is more serious. That’s because it represents a diagnosis, not mere vulgar abuse.
Unfortunately, at present, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is behaving in a somewhat fascist manner.
When part of the legislative system prevents something Omar desires, she says the hell with the system, I’ll do what I want.
The fight over whether fascism is politically Left — economically it usually was — or Right — culturally, it normally is — has been going on for near a century now. At least since Salazar first took power in Portugal. But the one thing that fascism always did was worship power. The ability to enforce submission and foster an adversary’s lamentations. More than anything else, it was the raw exercise of power unconstrained by custom, habit, or the law. That’s what Omar seems to seek in Congress.
Abolish the filibuster. Replace the parliamentarian.
Abolish the filibuster.
Replace the parliamentarian.
What’s a Democratic majority if we can’t pass our priority bills? This is unacceptable.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 26, 2021
If custom and habit, even the structure of the law, doesn’t suit Omar, well, then the hell with custom and the rules. That is, I insist, indicative of fascist behavior. Not that Omar is a fascist, but her current actions bear similarities to fascist tendencies of the past.
Democracy and the rule of law are ultimately mutually dependent upon one another. We place limits — that’s what the Bill of Rights is, as another example — on what the state may do or what we may vote for. At least without an overwhelming majority of us agreeing that certain extraordinary actions are necessary. To toss these foundational principles out of the window just because a mere political desire is thwarted?
That’s a very dangerous precedent.
The better way, the only way, to balance political priorities with democratic stability is for elected officials such as Omar to compromise. When it comes to minimum wage legislation, for example, why can’t politicians forge a compromise and pass a lower rise? Wouldn’t that be a disaster, a legislature passing laws, not on an entire party vote?
I think not.
The top line is clear: Democrats don’t have a majority large enough to impose their policies without restraint. That’s the consequence of our votes in November 2020, so it’s what should be happening! To insist upon changing the system in order to be able to exercise unrestrained power is fascist behavior.
I do not, to emphasize, accuse Congresswoman Omar of being a fascist. But her behavior at present bears comparison with fascist ambitions of old.
Tim Worstall (@worstall) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is a senior fellow at the Adam Smith Institute. You can read all his pieces at the Continental Telegraph.
