Paul Krugman argues that the GOP has been taken over by fascists, and that history tells us that appeasement of right-wing extremists doesn’t work. I previously addressed the first proposition; is he right about the second?
It is important to distinguish between ends and means here. Fascists are reactionaries who rely on extraconstitutional methods (typically violence, of course) to accomplish their objectives. To the extent that reactionaries are using violence and breaking the law, appeasement is not and should not be an option. Appeasing peaceful reactionaries on the substance of some culture war issues, however, would be an appropriate way to prevent them from crossing the line into fascism and becoming a threat to our political system.
The Supreme Court will probably do Biden’s dirty work for him by creating a series of Christian carve-outs over the next few years. One hopes that will stop the rot. We’ll see.