The right is fighting the culture wars with fascist tactics

Kat Rosenfield discusses the angst of a self-described liberal whose position on some culture war issues seems to push her into the camp of conservatives. As she notes, some lifelong liberals can “find themselves nonconsensually categorized as farright fascists (or the dangerous enablers thereof ).”

Rosenfield’s use of the term fascist, however, reminds me of a crucial element that she has left out in her discussion of the ambiguity of the terms liberal and conservative. This element, more important than a political name tag, is the use of the democratic process to resolve the issues.

Both far-left and far-right groups at times have sought to resolve issues by imposing their minority views outside the democratic process. However, at present, it seems as if it is only those conservatives supported by — and propping up — the Republican Party who seek to settle cultural clashes while attacking voting rights, attempting to overthrow elections, and rigging the judicial systems. This is indeed fascist, not conservative.

The questions raised by the culture wars are worthy of debate. Indeed, such questions have had a long history, dating from the nation’s founding, in which rights eventually have been expanded in opposition to existing, generally accepted norms. However, these issues cannot be seen as legitimately addressed if imposed by those who do not honor democracy.

Hopefully, in 2024, those who support democracy, however they describe themselves, will elect as their representatives those who honestly and fairly seek to determine the will of the people. If we fail to maintain our democracy, then it will be more than our culture that is at stake.

ROBERT G. BILL Quincy