Dear Editor,

The recent letter attempting to equate facism with socialism demonstrates ignorance of history, politics, and the English language. Any dictionary will show you socialism is government by the people who then share the goods and services produced. This theoretical model of government has never been successfully implemented, but its description (socialism) is trotted out every time anything to benefit average citizens is attempted.

Facism, on the other hand, has been practiced in Italy, Spain, and most notably in Germany. It is notable for support of a dictator by the elite,the “captains of industry,” who expect to benefit monetarily from that support. Along the way, competing ideologies, the free press and dissent from citizens is brutally eliminated.

If this sounds familiar, the pronouncements of the president-elect, whose appointments to the cabinet, his promises of political retribution, his demonization of the press, all follow the fascist playbook. That, along with his admiration for dictatorial leaders of Russia, North Korea, and Hungary, among others, make one highly suspicious of the new administration’s direction.

Hopefully members of Congress and the Judiciary will find the courage to resist such tendencies; if they need motivation, they can read the Christmas address by Trump, in which he advocates taking the canal from Panama, annexing Greenland and making Canada a 51st state.

Tom Morgan

Belmont