Trump campaign strategists have convinced themselves that victory in November will only come with a revival of the economy. In order to secure this, they are ready to do anything, go into debt, sacrifice lives, or even leave the nation in such a crippled state that even if they do win the country may never recover. Both the physical and financial health of the nation will be devastated.

I believe this is a mistake since the damage caused to the economy by efforts to combat the Corona can certainly not be blamed on Trump, it is just a natural result of quarantines and closures needed to slow down the infection, plus deficit spending to cushion the fall as much as possible. But for whatever reason, the Trump camp does not think the American voter will be able to reason this out. Instead, they have consistently relied on a strategy that relies on minimizing the severity of the pandemic and concentrates instead on returning to economic normalcy. Even simple and relatively painless tactics (like wearing masks) are rejected because it will remind people that there is a plague loose in the land. In the rush to win the election (by ignoring the virus) the Trumpers have postponed the task of defeating the disease until after November, when it may be too late.

They reason that if the Democrats win, Biden will be stuck with the hopeless task and hard choices of cleaning up the mess, and the GOP can escape all blame for causing the problem to begin with in the resulting hard times. And if the Democrats lose, well, the GOP will have everything they want: low taxes. a dismantling of the regulatory system, their appointees on the courts, stiff controls on the press, the politicization of the Justice Department and a hard-hat law and order phalanx of brutal police enforcement of their policies in place. If the economy is crippled, or if civil unrest breaks out, or if there are food riots or racial conflict, or foreign military reverses, or if the climate goes south, well...those with money will make out all right. They always do.

Those without, well, they just need to quit their whining and get a job. And if they won't, or can't, there are plenty of third-world types out there who can be brought in to take up the slack. Haven't you heard? Gupta can code.

And regardless of who wins come November, there will be a renewed push to dismantle what is left of the New Deal because of the need to "restore budget discipline". After all, the ground must be cleared for future tax cuts and additional business deregulation.

No, fascism doesn't necessarily lead to war, imperialism or genocide, but that doesn't mean its going to be a picnic, either.