When I write a headline like “Not All Republicans Are Fascists,” I mean it honestly.
People hold a broad range of beliefs, even within parties.
One can believe in smaller government, more local authority, fiscal conservatism, or stronger borders — without wanting to see masked agents dragging people from their homes in the dead of night.
But — and this is crucial — when the machinery of your party becomes fascistic in its actions, your vote ceases to be just an expression of policy preference.
It becomes a conditioning factor, a stamp of consent.
That’s where America is in 2025.
Don’t look away.
What’s happening right now demands our attention — and our courage to name it.
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What We Mean by “Fascism” — Modern Markers
I’m not using the “F-word” casually. But to be clear:
Here are traits I believe are relevant in the modern moment:
State violence as a tool of political enforcement: using federal forces to suppress dissent or target specific populations.
Paramilitary policing, secrecy, intimidation: masked agents, plainclothes raids, blurred lines between military and civil authority.
Cult of loyalty / zero tolerance for institutional checks: undermining courts, forcing narratives of internal enemies, elevating loyalty above rule of law.
Scapegoating & radical “othering”: treating certain demographic groups as existential threats, suitable for harsh suppression.
Conflating dissent with treason or terrorism: casting opposition, protest, or critique as subversion.
These aren’t just abstractions.
They are unfolding now — right before our eyes.
The Evidence: Trump, ICE, and the Masked Forces
The Expansion of ICE & “Operation Midway Blitz”
In September 2025, the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago: a federal surge of ICE, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals, and allied agencies, targeting undocumented immigrants under the rubric of “criminal illegal aliens.” (Wikipedia)
In a recent raid in Chicago’s South Shore, agents rappelled from Black Hawk helicopters, used flashbangs, and detained residents — even U.S. citizens, and children — zip-tying people and holding them for hours. (TIME)
The Department of Homeland Security claimed they arrested 37 people in that operation, alleging links to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. (CBS News)
Beyond Chicago, in California, agents have conducted massive farm raids, detaining over 200 people. In one such operation near Camarillo, a worker died after falling ~30 feet while fleeing. (Wikipedia)
These shifts show something profound: ICE is no longer a niche immigration enforcement arm.
It’s being weaponized as a political tool of sweeping domestic control.
Masked Agents, Disguise, and Authoritarian Tactics
One of the more chilling signs of escalation: masked ICE agents.
In multiple locations, agents have shown up in full tactical gear, faces obscured, without visible identification — a hallmark of secret police. (Le Monde.fr)
Le Monde ran a scathing piece titled “ICE agents: The masked faces of Trump’s immigration policy,” pointing out that many detainees have no criminal record, and yet face the full weight of masked suppression. (Le Monde.fr)
In response, California passed the “No Secret Police Act” (SB 627) in September 2025 — banning most law enforcement from wearing masks (except under limited exceptions) so the state can force accountability. (Wikipedia)
That a single U.S. state must legislate against unaccountable federal agents is itself a sign of how extreme this moment has become.
Rhetoric from the Top: Trump & Miller
Words are not separate from action — often they gesture toward what’s permissible next.
Stephen Miller, now a White House deputy chief of staff, has lately cast large swaths of liberal activism as “leftwing terrorism,” insisting that state force must dismantle these networks. (The Atlantic)
He’s also been vocally critical of judicial checks. When a court blocked the administration’s attempt to deploy troops in American cities, Miller responded angrily — suggesting that courts should not stand in the way of “legitimate power.” (The New Republic)
In another public post, Miller framed opposition to Trump’s agenda as part of a “well-organized and funded” left-wing terrorism movement, shielded by judges and prosecutors. (The Atlantic)
Trump, for his part, continues to expand executive claims of authority: federalizing National Guard units and pushing them into states regardless of local objections. (CalMatters)
He paints cities under Democratic leadership as lawless zones, arguing that federal military force is justified. (The Washington Post)
This is not fringe talk.
This is a blueprint for institutional aggression.
Why “Not All Republicans Are Fascists” Still Matters — and Why It’s Not Enough
Yes, there are Republicans who believe in limited government, who recoil from totalitarianism, who remain committed to democratic institutions.
I don’t conflate conservatism with fascism in all its forms.
But here’s the heart of the matter: when a political party increasingly embraces the tools of suppression, when its leaders condone or deploy those tools, then continuing to support it is no longer a neutral act.
It becomes an act of complicity.
A vote is not just a policy preference in this moment. It’s a signaling of consent.
It helps validate the path the party is walking — including the aggressive paths.
Neutrality is no longer safe ground.
With history watching us, not acting is consenting.
What People Will Say — and How to Answer Them
Whenever you call out authoritarian behavior, you can count on the same three responses.
Some will say you’re overreacting.
Others will try to draw false equivalences or minimize what’s happening.
A few will just shrug and say there’s nothing we can do.
That’s the goal of power — to make you doubt your own eyes.
But the truth doesn’t need to shout. It just needs to stand firm.
Here’s how to hold your ground when those arguments show up.
“You’re exaggerating — calling it fascism is too strong.”
I agree — labels matter. That’s why I defined my terms upfront. But when the behavior maps onto those definitions — masked agents, paramilitary raids, expansion of executive power — using the label is not incendiary, it’s necessary clarity.
“Democrats have done questionable things too.”
Yes. But scale, intent, accountability, and trajectory matter. The criminalization, weaponization, and erosion of institutional checks under current Republican leadership are not symmetrical.
“I’ll just vote third party / sit out.”
I understand the impulse. But in this moment, with the stakes high, doing so can default support to the stronger force. It must become a strategic decision, not a passive escape.
What Transformation Looks Like
Here’s what I want to see — what Pathfinder stands for — as alternatives to complicity:
Voters as ethical agents
Encourage people to look beyond party labels. Track the actions. Vote with conscience. Support candidates who stand for institutions, checks, and human dignity — even if they’re outside your traditional lane.Institutional checks must be defended
Courts, local governments resisting overreach, state-level laws like California’s masking ban — these are battlegrounds. Support legal resistance, not just moral arguments.Narrative power matters
Speak to people beyond the echo chamber. Use stories: the family torn apart in Chicago, the masked agent at someone’s doorstep. Let people feel what the data masks.Mobilization over despair
Publish, talk, protest, push local leaders. Don’t let normalization win. Once tactics like nationalized policing or masked raids feel routine, they become harder to undo.
We can’t stop what we refuse to see — and we can’t fight it alone.
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