Fascism is X and Not-X
and all other possible choices in between and beyond both options
All things are the predetermined thing. All answers are the one answer.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU professor and expert on authoritarianism, in a tweet I’ve already mentioned, but trust me on this one and keep going:
So the essence of authoritarianism is getting away with crime, and therefore not being trapped in the identity and consequences of a criminal identity. If you don’t get away with it, you’re not an authoritarian, because getting away with it is the essence of authoritarianism.
Also:
Three days apart. The essence of authoritarianism is being seen as the thing you’re not seen as, because you got away with it, which is the essence of authoritarianism. She must get headaches.
But this is the whole cultural complex: Trump is an authoritarian, so the thing Trump is doing today is the essence of authoritarianism. Did he take a walk on Monday? Taking a walk is the essence of authoritarianism. Did he choose to not take a walk on Tuesday? Choosing to not take a walk is the essence of authoritarianism. Is he undecided about taking a walk on Wednesday? Indecision about walking is the essence of authoritarianism. It’s been at least five years since he was a person.
There are dice that roll this way, but the Gaming Commission bans you from the casinos if you get caught with them.
If men can get pregnant, and if 2+2 can equal 5, then anything Trump does, or doesn't do, is equally proof of his authoritarianism. And if you disagree, you're a science denier. And a white supremacist.
As a non-expert, it seems to me that the essence of authoritarianism is arresting your political opponents for conduct that is not a crime, but calling it a crime and relying on experts to explain that it is a crime and must be punished because allowing your opponents to engage in such conduct would be authoritarian.