If you stayed awake during World History class, you should remember that Nazi is an acronym for National Socialist Party. Yes, Hitler and Mussolini were fascists, but socialists first and foremost. So, when you accuse conservatives of being fascists, right back at you. Fascism and socialism are born of the same mother. And in the vast majority of settings, they breed totalitarian states. Hitler had his Beer Hall Putsch and then Kristallnacht. Both violent and deadly, and the later brutally antisemitic. More than 1,400 synagogues and Jewish prayer rooms were defiled, vandalized, and burned to the ground. More than 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses were broken into, looted, and destroyed. With humble apologies to Sir Winston Churchill, “This was their (socialists) finest hour.” In his book, “Liberal Fascism” The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning, Jonah Goldberg wrote: “Contrary to what most people think, the Nazi’s were ardent socialists… They believed in free healthcare and guaranteed jobs. They confiscated inherited wealth and spent vast sums on public education... The Nazis declared war on smoking, supported abortion, euthanasia, and gun control. They loathed the free market… Dogmatic attachments to constitutions, democratic practices, and antiquated laws (by their standards) was the enemy of progress for fascists and progressives alike… Fascists and progressives…quote the same philosophers.” Mussolini’s followers, under his instructions, beat opponents, burned down newspaper offices, and destroyed union headquarters. Two wealthy brothers, Carlo and Nello Rosselli, created Giustizia e Libertà (Justice and Freedom), one of the most effective active anti-fascist [anti-socialist] resistance movements. Operating largely from exile in France, the brothers smuggled anti-fascist literature into Italy, organized underground networks, and flew planes over Italian cities to disseminate political leaflets to educate the masses. Unable to silence the brothers, in 1937 Mussolini sycophants hired French fascist militants to assassinate the brothers. American Socialists (the group that used to be the Democrat party) orchestrated the BLM marches, and then the assorted [anti] protests: the disgraceful anti-Israel devastation that swept college campuses; the anti-judiciary, abolish SCOTUS illegal marches; and the anti-ICE protests. Each one is the product of mindless propaganda and invincible ignorance that has no reasonable outlet but violence. So, when Trump is called a Nazi or a fascist, thinking men and women cringe. Take a long, hard look at Mamdani, Sanders, AOC, and Warren. Now tell me who the real fascists are! If you think the “progressive” ideology that creates socialist candidates for elected office only creeps into extra-large metropolitan areas, think again. The threat of a socialist state emerging here in the USA is not just a big city problem. It’s merely a matter of time before the Albany-Saratoga region with its 1.4 million residents faces the prospect of socialist candidates in local, and congressional elections. Despite the pablum served up by left-wing extremists who try desperately to paint [President Trump] as a threat to our democracy, it’s their recent, but dangerous, fascination with socialism that’s the real threat to democracy. Forewarned is forearmed!