# George Washington, the first fascist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584 "2017-06-10T11:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/1 "2017-06-10T11:38:59Z")
Why did the the German American Bund, consider George Washington a fascist? * * * A crowd of approximately 20,000 attends a German American Bund Rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939. At center is a large portrait of George Washington, claimed as an icon by the Bund, who called him “the first Fascist”, claiming Washington "knew democracy could not work > **[American Nazis in the 1930s—The German American Bund](https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/06/american-nazis-in-the-1930sthe-german-american-bund/529185/)** > > In the United States, the German American Bund, an American Nazi organization, was formed in 1936, and soon grew to have tens of thousands of members. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/2 "2017-06-10T12:00:09Z")
The Big Lie? People admired George Washington. Make a claim that George was one of your group. [del]Profit[/del]. Em, success. Washington had some good qualities regarding turning down the idea of kingship, only serving two terms, etc. Nothing fascist about that. It is astonishing that people get sucked in by Big Lies so often. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/3 "2017-06-10T12:12:36Z")
They didn’t really think George Washington was a fascist. They just appropriated his image to appeal to the patriotic feelings of the average American. Sort of the way the Koch brothers appropriated the image of the Boston Tea Party. George Washington abhorred political parties, and voluntarily relinquished power. He didn’t cling to it until they strung him up to a lamppost like Mussolini. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/4 "2017-06-10T12:59:56Z")
Just associating themselves and their ‘ideas’ with someone most Americans revered. George Washington wasn’t nice, he was a sly little chancer whose every move was made to enrich himself, but there was nothing in the least fascistic about him. If only because it would have meant sharing the wealth to get more power. The Super-rich always choose Wealth over Power. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/5 "2017-06-10T14:13:29Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > The Super-rich always choose Wealth over Power. Interesting opinion, perhaps, but not a fact. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/6 "2017-06-10T14:19:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Interesting opinion, perhaps, but not a fact. As amply demonstrated by the number of “Super-rich” who blow vast amounts of money trying to get elected to office. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/7 "2017-06-10T14:59:13Z")
In France, you find all kinds of groups using Joan of Arc’s image ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/8 "2017-06-10T19:15:20Z")
Abarham Lincoln also gets called the first Communist by both supporters and detractors. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/9 "2017-06-10T21:12:33Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Abarham Lincoln also gets called the first Communist by both supporters and detractors. I’d like to hear the logic that puts Lincoln ahead of Marx or Engels. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/10 "2017-06-10T21:14:49Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > I’d like to hear the logic that puts Lincoln ahead of Marx or Engels. I assume they mean chronologically. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/11 "2017-06-10T21:35:58Z")
The leaders of the German-American Bund apparently decided to claim that Washington was anti-Semitic by making up quotes: > **[Flashback: George Washington Revered By German-American Bund](https://www.dialoginternational.com/dialog_international/2015/07/flashback-george-washington-revered-by-german-american-bund.html)** > > Today is Independence Day in the United States, a day when we honor America's Founding Fathers. It is interesting to look back in history to see how America's iconic figures have been appropriated for causes that are directly opposed to... I can’t find any evidence that Washington had any significant real opinions that the Bund would have approved of. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/12 "2017-06-10T21:38:53Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I assume they mean chronologically. Marx and Engels published the _Communist Manifesto_ in 1848. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/13 "2017-06-10T22:55:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Marx and Engels published the _Communist Manifesto_ in 1848. Engles: Born 1820 Marx: Born 1818 Lincoln: Born 1809; Elected to the IL state legislature 1834 ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/14 "2017-06-11T08:39:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Engles: Born 1820 > Marx: Born 1818 > Lincoln: Born 1809; Elected to the IL state legislature 1834 Well that clinches it; while not commie by birth [or a real US citizen - Illinois was not a real state when he was born] those late adopters were the most strident. The big giveaway was that he was left handed. :eek: \* \*not necessarily a factual statement - with few exceptions ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/15 "2017-06-11T10:09:17Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Well that clinches it; while not commie by birth [or a real US citizen - Illinois was not a real state when he was born] those late adopters were the most strident. The big giveaway was that he was left handed. “I’ve been Ayn Randed, nearly branded Communist 'cause I’m left-handed” ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/16 "2017-06-11T16:20:42Z")
I assume by first Communist they mean the first person in a position of power to enforce Communist-like ideals while in office, not because he was literally the first person to think of Communism. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/17 "2017-06-11T17:08:10Z")
I always thought it was kind of interesting that in 2008, both major party candidates were left handed. I wonder how often that has happened. Especially since it wasn’t that long ago when children predisposed to being lefties were often encouraged or forced to grow up righty. I had a cousin like that-- as soon as he started showing signs of being a lefty, he was made to use his right hand for everything. He always had trouble in school, academically, and I wondered if that was part of the cause. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-washington-the-first-fascist/788584/18 "2017-06-12T08:51:51Z")
Sounds like a fascist marketing technique. Today, we could call it Bait & Switch.