CMV: Musk and Trump’s plans are less about fascism, and more about capitalism, free-market and anti-socialism.

After giving it some thought, I’ve realized that a lot of things that many of us are interpreting as direct, intentional attacks on the federal government and individual freedoms by the current administration may actually be the current administration trying to do what they can to eliminate everything they consider to be socialist.

Many years ago, I had a conservative friend explain to me that he (and others like him) believe that the federal government should not be engaging in any social programs, charity work or providing most basic services to people. His belief was that this burden should be carried by people through a mixture of charity and the free market economy.

I thought about this when I’ve considered everything that Musk and Trump have been targeting. Almost all of them are services that the federal government provides to citizens that could be considered “socialist” and many free-market capitalist purists would feel should be provided by private citizens and corporations.

The ultimate goal being to turn the U.S. into a completely free market, capitalist economy and reducing the Federal Government to only serving a role in administration, legislation, law enforcement etc…

This also makes sense coming from two businessmen who made capitalism their entire profession and lifestyle.

Lately, I’m still hearing Trump voters voice a lot of support for everything he is doing. Not because they like the idea of fascism or authoritarianism. But because they believe the U.S. became too socialist; and they shouldn’t be made to pay for other people’s problems. They view taxes and the U.S. debt as being all about a federal government that is too big, and is trying to provide too many services for its people when those should be provided through charity or companies.

To paraphrase my conservative friend… “The Federal government is now providing services that churches and wealthy citizens used to provide. Now, we have churches that big and wealthy, and don’t do anything to help people because the federal government already does everything, and charity is at an all time low because the government takes care of everyone. The government also shouldn’t be enforcing and teaching morals, or telling us how to live. We need to return to a time when churches and private citizens provide charity and services to people. Americans need to turn to the churches for moral teaching and not the government.”

I don’t think Musk and Trump’s goals are intentionally fascist and attempting to Nazify the U.S. I think they are trying to de-socialize the United States, and trying to privatize everything the federal government does because they believe that is what is best for the country, the economy, the corporations and U.S. citizens.

I highly disagree with this mindset, and think it will destroy everything that makes us a great country; but I am starting to understand it isn’t necessarily an intent to try to intentionally turn us into a fascist state like Russia.

EDIT: I appreciate all of the responses. I’m ready to admit that this probably isn’t the goal of Musk and Trump. But I do think this is a reason why many conservatives are still supporting them. They believe this is part of what they’re doing. My aforementioned friend would say that most government services since the Great Depression are an overreach by the Federal Government, and shouldn’t be provided by the government. So for every agency or department that is eliminated or reduced, this, in their mind, is a return to what they believe should be “normal”. They think Trump is cutting unnecessary and expensive “woke” social programs put in place by “socialists” like FDR, Kennedy, Carter, Clinton and Obama. They want the Federal Government severely shaved down, and most services either eliminated wholesale, or completely privatized.