Neo

 As I was clicking about the news, I stumbled on a picture of a fascist rally in Rome. The Rome in Italy. The rally was over this past weekend. This set off all kinds of alarms in my head, as I am certain that it dod for those Romans who were seeing it in real time. 

Real time. Italy was all but destroyed in the middle of the twentieth century when fascists took over and drove their country into a World War aligned with Nazi Germany. My guess is that none of the participants at this rally were alive when Benito Mussolini swept into power a hundred years ago, and only a few of them were born when three fascists were killed forty-six years ago, the ostensible reason for holding the rally in the first place. 

There is a law in Italy that forbids the reformation of the Fascist party. It's easy enough to skip past this restriction, of course. Just pick a different name. Call yourselves "neo-fascists." Like plastering the word "new" at the front of any product suddenly makes it worth our attention. 

As shocking as the scenes in Italy may have been, here in America we seem to have an even shorter memory. The anniversary of the 2001 insurrection at our nations Capitol got its summary rehashing, while many high placed pundits and members of the "neo-conservatives" referred  to those who had been put in jail for their participation in the violent attempt to overthrow our country's government as "hostages." One of these voices was Elise Stefanik, U.S. Representative from New York. Ms. Stefanik was a member of Congress when its chambers were attacked by an angry mob looking to overturn the results of a democratic election. 

Additionally, Representative Stefanik demurred when asked if she would certify the results of the upcoming presidential election. She has made her allegiances to the former game show host and current GOP front runner clear. Clear enough to be considered by many a potential Vice Presidential pick for the twice-impeached leader of the insurrection. 

Am I comparing neo-fascists to the Republican apologists? Sure I am. Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Bad ideas don't get better with time.